Chapter 33

Haku stared through the windows of the tower with an expressionless look on his face. The more days he spent in power, the more he realized that perhaps the responsibilities were a little more than what he could normally handle. Guren usually handled some of the things he couldn't stomach. But he'd read the reports.

He knew what Guren was doing to people who threatened this country. He could stop it. But he didn't. He'd tried talking to some people. But not all listen. There was no time for indecision in his role. If he did that, people could lose their lives, and everything could be lost.

The pressure was getting to him. And it would not get easy if he didn't accept the things that he had to do. He didn't want to lose himself or his kindness. He wanted to remain true to what he was, and still be able to do his job. Haku knew he had to accept certain things, it was part of the job.

Perhaps he was able to live in ignorance within Uzushiogakure because Naruto would never allow any of the issues to come to him. He knew some things because he was close to Guren.

But now he had to oversee it.

"That is a rather scary look coming from you." Guren commented in a light tone as she walked towards Haku.

She stopped at his right hand and stared down at the streets. There were hundreds of people strolling through the streets. People were coming in. The city promised the good life and who didn't want it?

Haku glanced at Guren for a moment before responding.

"I haven't been sleeping that much."

"Hellish nightmares about people that we must torment and your inability to change it? Or the fact that you may end up having to give orders such as those in the near future?"

Haku smiled.

That shed some light in the situation but it was not all of it.

"Yes." He said.

"Yoshino has always said that you were too kind. Some of the Uzumaki also disliked that part of you. Yoshino of course, it was really hard to tell. He could criticize your inability to take decisive action and still say you should never change." Guren said, shaking her head slightly.

Yoshino was still someone she could never be comfortable with.

He could be like Orochimaru at times.

"He has made that clear to me on a handful of occasions. But, there are things you cannot run away from. Naruto has always been protective of me…At least from having to deal with the cruel intentions. But here, I've been forced because if I didn't, he was going to come and do worse."

Guren shook her head. Even in such moments, Haku was still thinking about saving lives. She truly could not understand how he thought about things at times. This was the shinobi world and people killed each other.

"You won't have to deal with so much in the future. He is still protective of you."

"You know something that I don't know?"

Guren smiled. "Ah, I know something you don't know. That is a surprise…"

Haku shrugged it off.

"Intelligence people know secrets before Kage. This isn't a competition, is it?"

He managed a small smile.

"Because if it is, I can order Noroi to pass on information before he tells you or Naoki. Or even Yoshino for that matter…"

"You can do that?"

Haku smiled. "While standing here, I can do it. I am the Emperor's right hand after all."

"Well, damn…" Guren became silent, still staring at the streets.

She saw some kids running around. Orphans. The orphans were many in this world. So many like Yukimaru. Some were abandoned by their mothers who simply could not stare at the face of the bastard who violated them, yet had no strength to kill a child they carried.

"The Emperor has created a system that allows you to play politics only and leave the other things for Yoshino and me."

Haku smiled bitterly. "You should know that politics is a dirty game by now. I'd always seen it within the Uzumaki clan but I see it more clearly now. You can't even trust people in a game of politics, even if you might publicly say you trust them. It can be a game without bloodshed but it can be a game that brings pain. Nagato thought hatred is what starts wars…It is true to some extent, but wars are started because humans are just violent creatures. At times, we can be no different than wild animals."

"You no longer believe in peace?"

"Peace doesn't mean people can't be violent and can't get angry. There are people who hate me now, simply because they are evil people who care about money more than anything and when I stop them from making profits, they become angry enough to think of seeing me removed from my position to get someone they can influence."

Guren frowned. She had been in that position before–so she knew. Did greedy business people care that this was the land of the Emperor?

No, they tried to get rich here.

They tried to be greedy even before the Emperor arrived. It was always business and everything was a transaction that had to have a return at the end of the day.

"Who are those people?"

"I'm not telling you. I will solve it."

"You will get killed one day because of this."

Haku didn't deny it. He could see it. But he wasn't alone. It made him smile.

"Well, I have you to watch my back when I do something stupid."

Yugao was also around to ensure that nothing bad happened to him.

"These are not the major issues in any case. The Kage seem to have agreed to another meeting. About how they go about it, I don't know. I won't be involved with it this time around. But the result of it could give me a major job afterwards."

"Why?"

"If they decide to unite against Madara; I'll be forced to try to make things work to continue with the spirit. And some other nations who haven't spoken to us because they still don't understand our position amongst the Great Five will surely come to us now. And who has to handle it all? Me? Before any leader speaks to the Emperor, they speak to me. I'm the one who can deny or accept a request to see the Emperor."

"You've got a lot of power…If this was some world, you'd have a lot of enemies who'd want that power."

"The Uzumaki won't stay quiet about this, especially when this country becomes as rich as it can become. The more the Empire grows, the more the Uzumaki become influential and their power grows. Though Yoshino is their leader, he seems to pretty much allow the elders of the clan to do they please."

"Well, it isn't like they come here and order the Emperor to do away with you."

"They've tried that before, at least not directly. You forget that these are the same people who tried to have Yoshino push Naruto out of the throne."

Guren shook her head.

She thought of it with contempt.

After everything, they'd still do that to him.

He was not going to be their dear, was he?

"Moving here was to separate the throne from the Uzumaki clan."

"Yes, and it gives this place a chance to build a political muscle that isn't dominated by the Uzumaki. If the throne had stayed in Uzu…The Whirlpools would have become the capital and that isn't a field that Naruto fully controls…People can move without his direction in that village. There isn't that shadow looming over him…" Haku explained. "In any case, that isn't the main reason I called you here."

"The Emperor's hunt for the Akatsuki members?"

"No." Haku said with a slight shake of his head.

He then turned away from the window and walked behind his desk. He sat down before speaking. "It is rather the consequences of such actions that I want to talk to you about. And I need to put someone here so that I can work closer to Naruto in his compound."

"What consequences?"

"We collected bounties, and have money. We want to pay off debts, but some people cannot be reached."

"Are they hiding purposefully?"

"I'd like to think not, but Yugao appears to think so. I want you to try get them to see me, here." He opened a drawer on his left side and took out three scrolls.

He placed the scrolls on the desk.

"Give each the scroll. And let them know that their presence is mandatory. And please don't do threats. It'd be bad if we build foundations on threats."

"That will be difficult to do. These people can be very stubborn and I am not known for being diplomatic." Guren warned.

"I know that very well, but you still had to be diplomatic when you were running this country. I expect you to fully utilize the patience you learned during that time. The scroll has the required message to get them to appear before me. I will do the rest of the talking on how we go about things."

Guren thought about it for a long minute before nodding. "It will be done. Why are we sitting here and not fighting the Akatsuki?"

Haku stared at Guren for a long minute.

She was capable and the extra hard training she received while at Uzu had improved her skills. He was not worried about her facing S-rank shinobi but that was still not their battle. He was not going to allow something when Naruto has said he would deal with it.

They were doing things right now. He was not going to allow people to do as they pleased because they felt the Emperor would understand.

"Because the Emperor said he will deal with it…He has already delivered the bounties for three members and it is only two who are left now, is there any reason for you to worry?"

"Yes. He is the Emperor. There are certain things we should do and leave him to simply relax and think about how to take this Empire in the next step forward."

Haku raised an eye brow. "I understand what you are saying. But I cannot give you that order. No, I won't give you that order. You are to remain in this country for its protection. You'll only leave if I say so or Naruto tells you otherwise."

Guren gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Are you serious?"

"You have known me long enough to know when I am joking and being serious. If you wanted to do this, you could have raised the issue with him when he said he was going to do it."

"Are you kidding me? On that day? He didn't seem like he was open to any suggestions. I have learned to read the mood."

"Still not happening." Haku said in a firm tone. "You must understand that he has reasons for doing certain things in the manner he does them. Try to understand those reasons and all will be well. I also worry when he goes to battle. There is no guarantee that Madara won't attack him while he is out there. If he is caught unprepared, that is the end. For him at least. It should not mean the end of all things. We must stand up and play our roles. My point here is that, know your role and understand it well. You will not stray. And you won't go out of bounds."

This was new.

Haku was telling her to behave and keep in line?

It sounded like she was being lectured. Haku had lectured her before, but it was about morals and some of her tastes. It had never been about her role within the Empire.

"You're settling in well, it seems." Guren commented. "I will do what you have requested and provide a report in the coming days."

"I'll be waiting for it. And His Majesty mustn't be disturbed from doing his job by these kind of things. If you don't get it, I'll spell it out loud for you: don't tell him."

"You are making it a habit of keeping things from him but it becomes pointless since he will eventually find out."

"The point of keeping it away from him is to keep him from worrying. I will have Yugao prepare a report about this and send it to keep at a later date, simply to keep him informed. There are things we must do ourselves. And we don't always have to run to him."

Konohagakure

Kakashi stood at the site of the memorial stones, standing before the stone of his late sensei. The man he had loved and come to see as a father. Minato had truly cared for him and provided time and effort. Despite his many duties, he'd taken his time.

Their team had been nice and he'd certainly taught them as their sensei. It was always his duties that sometimes made him late. Perhaps Obito had come to resent their sensei for being always late to save his students. In the war, they'd often been left alone because he would be needed elsewhere. But in that moment, sensei had left the responsibility to him.

He had been somehow that time. Perhaps had his attitude been different, his teammates would have been still alive.

Of course, despite Minato's efforts for him, he had failed Naruto. He hadn't done anything for the blond but had merely kept watch. The Sandaime hadn't barred him from doing anything. He always had an excuse. A reason for why he could not be there for the blond.

And now, he was now longer in Konoha.

No doubt, had things been different, Naruto could have still been in this village and maybe their relationship would have been better.

"I thought I'd find you here." Jiraiya said as he walked toward Kakashi.

He stopped by the silver haired man's right side and stared at the name. He frowned deeply. He had failed Minato.

He would have had a truly wonderful future but that has failed.

The bitter thing was that this was the result of his former student. He wondered if his apprentice had come to know about this before he died. Naruto hadn't said much about Obito or how he did it. Everyone else who saw anything that night was dead.

The Sandaime hadn't seen anything either.

"Do you think Obito came here as Obito?" Kakashi suddenly asked.

Jiraiya shook his head. "It is possible that he didn't do that. From what Naruto said, he was playing Madara's role. But we don't know how…Only the Emperor has the answers."

"Which he chooses to keep to himself." Kakashi said.

"He only said what was necessary and needed to deal with the current situation. But we would still need to know more details for our peace." Jiraiya said.

"The difficult thing is that if he doesn't want to tell us something, he won't say anything."

Jiraiya had first-hand experience with that. There were so many times Naruto had not given him answers he wanted. He'd not as much as refused to respond but it was always something that kept you thinking.

"Can't force him." Kakashi said. "But hopefully, when we meet, he will talk. This is of course a private matter and the others don't need to know."

Jiraiya nodded in agreement and became silent. After a couple of moments, he spoke in a quiet tone. "Do you still blame yourself?"

There was something that maybe had given him comfort and it was that Obito had not seen him pierce through Rin's chest with his Chidori. But if Obito had turned, it meant that he saw. His friend had loved Rin dearly.

Kakashi had known and Rin had cared for him as well. If Obito had turned because he saw, then his sensei had been killed because of him. He'd even thought Obito had died because of him. He had caused the deaths of all those close to him.

He was a failure who failed to save all.

He couldn't even save Naruto.

What could he do about this village? Would he also fail? Did he still have the strength of carrying on knowing that it was his friend and because of his actions that friend turned on Konoha and caused the death of Konoha's Greatest Hokage?

"Obito died while trying to save me and I was the one who killed Rin. While nothing was intentional, the fact is that they died because of me. And now with the knowledge that Obito survived, I have my fears. While it is difficult to think that Obito would attack the Leaf, the fact is that he did. And it is likely that he saw Rin's death. My only promise to him had been that I would protect her but I failed…" Kakashi said in a quiet, sad tone.

They were some miserable people, Jiraiya thought bitterly.

Perhaps Kakashi took more on his shoulders because of the tragedies that fell on him. But he too has his regrets. Almost everyone had their regrets. But for them, it seemed that these regrets stopped them from seeing another day in peace and guilt free.

"I'm not going to repeat what I have said." Jiraiya said in a stern tone. "The question I will ask of you is whether these burdens will stop you from living or if you think you are not cut out to be Hokage anymore. Nobody will force you to stay."

"I know that." Kakashi said after a minute of silence. "I'm not going to quit but I wonder if I will ever be happy again."

There was silence as Jiraiya could not offer a response.

"I hear the Emperor is hunting down members of the Akatsuki."

Jiraiya nodded. He glanced at Kakashi before responding. "Yes. He moved before we could even get their locations."

"His mobility does make things easy for him…But even I didn't expect him to move this quickly," Kakashi said.

"And actually just take them down. Perhaps he calculated that it would do well for him to be the one to eliminate them. He isn't trusted but 'helping' other nations by ridding of such criminals helps improves his image."

It was all about getting something out of something with the Emperor. From the way things looked when he spoke to him and the Kazekage, it appeared that he didn't view the members of the Akatsuki as that much of a problem. It was evident with the way he was moving quickly. Well, unless he'd had this planned all along and was merely waiting for the right time.

"We can't complain." Kakashi said. "He has three Bijuu with him. And they are only going to go after him. He wasn't doing anyone a favor but himself. It is perhaps why he has been doing this silently despite coming to agreement with us that he would cooperate."

Jiraiya wasn't complaining either. What they had to deal with now was taking care of Madara. It was going to be an almost impossible task but they still had to do it.

"Tsunade was suggesting that it be the Kage who have to face Madara but with the way Naruto is doing things, he is just forcing a confrontation with Madara…" the Toad Sage shook his head at the thought of the current Kage fighting against Madara.

"I really don't think the current Kage would be enough for Madara…No, it won't be enough. We need more powerful shinobi to actually stand a chance of defeating him."

"We will hear how the other Kage react to this. We have made an agreement to meet in a secret place and the Emperor's people will organize this." Kakashi answered.

Kabuto had tried not to think too much about why the Emperor had summoned him all of the sudden. He'd been pulled out of his activities of keeping surveillance on Shin. Noroi had been the one to appear before him and hadn't given him the chance to say anything.

When he appeared in the throne room, Kabuto realized that this was a new place and was much more intimidating than the throne room in Uzushiogakure. You certainly knew you stood before the Emperor.

Perhaps Uzu changed moods because it was what you could 'home' and a place where Naruto didn't need to constantly project strength. In here, a moment of weakness and other people would strike. It would not be a surprise if some Daimyo were planning something against the Emperor due to his growing influence.

"I want you to do something for me, Kabuto." Naruto said in a hardened tone.

"I am at your service."

"I want you to gather what you can to reanimate Minato Namikaze." The Emperor threw a kunai, tagged with a scroll. "You'll embed that on him. You can do that without any deviations, yes?"

Kabuto nodded. But he didn't respond immediately. He was wondering why Naruto would want to do something like that. Minato was his father. And as far as he was concerned, the Emperor didn't hate his father for making him a sacrifice.

He probably reasoned the Yondaime Hokage had been reasonable to do what he did. He wanted to ask, but he shut his lips. He didn't want to seem like he was poking too much.

"Orochimaru tried that before and it failed. It is perhaps because he used a seal similar to the one the Sandaime Hokage to seal away my former master's hands." Kabuto responded calmly.

Naruto stared for a moment before responding. "And you didn't try?"

"No." Kabuto said with a shake of his head. "It isn't that I didn't want to do it. I wanted to do it when I was still running from you. But I figured it would be pointless to try something like that since all the masks in the Uzumaki temple were removed."

It was not surprising that Kabuto knew about that. Orochimaru had known a little too much about this world. But the masks were the properties of the Uzumaki and they kept them locked away. He had them kept away and learned to use all of them.

It was only natural for him to learn as an 'elder' of the clan.

"I will handle that part. His soul is indeed trapped in the belly of the Death God. So are the souls of the other Hokage. I am not saying you should summon all the Kage. I am saying the Yondaime Hokage and no one else." Naruto said in a hardened tone. "We are clear, yes?"

"Of course, your Majesty."

"Good. You will get a sacrifice. I'm sure there are many worthless people moving around this world. No innocent person must be sacrificed…" Naruto paused for a moment before speaking again. "But admittedly, even an innocent person could be used as this is important than anything else. In any case, it would sooth Minato's soul a little if he knew that what was used was a worthless bandit who rapes and murders innocent women and children."

"I didn't think you'd be that kind." Kabuto said.

Naruto blinked.

Kindness?

Had he just said that because of kindness?

Ridiculous.

"Naoki will assist you in moving around to gather what you need. When I return from meeting the Kage, you must be done."

It would not be a problem if he was going to have that mobility enabled to him by Naoki. Still, he would have someone watching over him. Then again, what did he have to worry about? Naoki was known for being mischievous. It was one of the reasons he was kicked out of the Emperor's guard.

Karin hadn't complained much but aside from hearing Intel from him, she didn't entertain much from him. He still seemed to respect her in a way that did not mirror his respect for the Emperor. Kabuto was never going to allow his curiosity to get the best of him.

It was best to let some things be.

"What of Shin?"

"I'm less worried about him for the moment. His attack on Sasuke and your information has led me to believe that he isn't one we have to worry about…At least not now. But anything can happen. It would not be out of the picture to think that he could move in the battle with Madara to try to get a jump on us." The Emperor responded. "We will be ready in any case. Focus on your task."

Kabuto nodded.

"Do you mind if I ask? I have always been curious about something. You developed the jutsu that the Uzumaki use for teleportation. To make it simple, you created portals all around the Shinobi world. Thus, anyone you show how can dive into the portals to be able to move freely. But I want to know if you can or cannot use the jutsu your father became famous for using."

Naruto stared for a long minute before responding.

"What do you gain by getting an answer?"

"My curiosity is merely satisfied." Kabuto said.

"I have no desire to satisfy your curiosity." the Emperor said sternly. "Any more questions?"

Unknown Location

They may well have been brought here to be butchered and maybe the Emperor was working with Madara. It had truly taken much for Kurotsuchi to actually even agree to allow that man from the Empire to take her to a place she didn't know. The fact that she was being teleported to the location made her trust issues flare up.

She had been basically walked into the place with blindfolds. The location had not been disclosed. To none of the Kage because they didn't want to get ambushed by Madara while holding their meeting. There appeared to be much that needed to be discussed.

She had felt a little relieved when she arrived at meeting place and saw the other Kage already seated, and chatting among themselves. She still could not tell where she was and had no sense of what was outside the dark chamber.

The room was round in shape, with a round table with six chairs around it. At least she hadn't been led to a death chamber.

This was indeed a meeting place.

Kurotsuchi settled down beside the Mizukage–who was the only person she could look at without getting angry. She then frowned when she realized that the Emperor was on her right. He was just sitting there, with a look that clearly said he was somewhere far away from this room.

Her body felt some tension with just being closer to the bastard. It should have been just Kage here, but because he was the Emperor and held most of the answers, he had to be here. They could not leave him out of any talks around the greater picture of the Elemental Nations.

She stole a look at him for much longer than she would have liked. And was caught staring. She didn't look away. The emperor's sharp eyes just narrowed ever so slightly before he closed them and seemingly returned to his thoughts.

This made her feel a bit angry that he was dismissing her existence so simply.

As if she could sense that Kurotsuchi was going to start something, Mei greeted the woman with a smile.

"It is good that you decided to join us, Tsuchikage-dono." the Mizukage said with a smile on her lips.

"The fact that I had to leave my security to this man aside; my participation in such meetings has been mandatory due to unresolved issues." Kurotsuchi said bitterly.

It didn't please her the least that she was forced to attend all meetings to avoid taking a step back in any agreements she has formed with Suna and Konoha. But there was nothing she could really do about it.

"I understand that the first part must have been challenging, but I had put my life at stake if something had happened to you. We had agreed with the other Kage that this was the best convenient way to do things given our lack of time to make preparations. The Emperor was willing to offer his assistance." Mei said.

Kurotsuchi knew that the meeting had not been the idea of the Empire but that of both Suna and Konoha. The Emperor was merely someone who was invited to it because of his knowledge of the issue that they had to deal with. She has had much to lose anyway by not coming here.

If she hadn't come here and her Bijuu were recovered, those who would recover them would choose to keep them–she could not have that.

"With everyone here." Gaara started in a serious tone. "We should start with the discussions and return to our homes to make preparations. We don't know what is happening in our villages now."

"The village most likely to fall under attack is the Cloud. It still has the Eight Tails." Kakashi said in thought before adding. "Uzushio could also be attacked. You do have three Bijuu under your care, yes, Your Majesty?"

Naruto eyed Kakashi for moment before responding. "Indeed, Hokage-sama. At this very moment, my home could face another assault and given the power of the opponent this time around, I am not sure that we would survive this one. I'll agree with the Kazekage that we ought to move with things quickly so we can all be freed to look after our homes."

"The problem here is a former Konoha shinobi and a founder of the village. What does the Leaf have to say about that? We have had Leaf shinobi running loose and the Leaf has been unable to do anything about it." Kurotsuchi said.

She held back from saying that she was blaming Konoha for the attack on her Jinchuriki.

Kakashi had expected someone to bring up something like that up. The Leaf has always had powerful shinobi running rampant after leaving the village. Kurotsuchi was right to say that they have been unable to do anything. Perhaps saying 'unable' wasn't the right term. They could have done something on both Itachi and Orochimaru's case, but they simply refused to put the resources to deal with those shinobi because of their power.

And the failure to even go after Orochimaru resulted in the Sannin attacking the Leaf with intentions to destroy it.

"It is indeed true that we have had some of our shinobi causing problems within the shinobi world. But we cannot be held responsible for what former shinobi do."

Kurotsuchi blinked. "Is that all you can say?"

"What do you expect me to say?" Kakashi asked, staring back at the Yondaime Tsuchikage. "Konoha isn't the only village with a missing nin that causes problems. Our shinobi perhaps cause the biggest problems because they are stronger. We still cannot take credit for their actions nevertheless."

Naruto glanced at Kurotsuchi for a moment before shaking his head. Did this woman even think before she opened her mouth?

Maybe Madara was the bigger picture here, but pointing fingers only opened door for fingers to be pointed back at her. It was stupid of her to bring up something like that. He didn't think that she only brought it up on purpose so that she doesn't get blamed for what happened to Gaara.

No, she was not that cunning.

"You'll probably say I have something against you, but I must remind you that your former shinobi, Deidara took part in the mission that saw the Kazekage being taken by the Akatsuki. If Konoha has to say something about its former shinobi, you should also have something to say about that particular event, no?"

Kurotsuchi glared at Naruto. She knew about that. But she didn't want to hear it from this person. What would be the fuss about it anyway?

She lost two Jinchuriki and the Kazekage had only lost one and he was still alive.

"But, I am not interested in fake apologies or pointing fingers because it does not solve anything nor is it the reason we have gathered in this place. I did not leave my home to play childish games…You should consider that, Tsuchikage." Naruto added.

He held back from telling her to grow up and stop being a child. It was not because he didn't want to offend her but because it would only take things further away from the agenda.

"I must agree with the Emperor. We came to talk about Madara, his plan and how we stop it from occurring. I think we can all agree that his kind of plan is something that threatens the lives and security of our homes." Darui said, trying hard not to look at Kurotsuchi as he spoke.

"But to get to that, we need more information than we already have." Mei said, looking at Naruto. She wasn't happy that she hadn't been able to see him before this broke out. And he had also withheld this information from her. "You are going to share the information with us, yes?"

"If I was going to deny that request, I would not have bothered coming here. My throne offers me much more comfort than this chair." Naruto said.

"You could have selected a better chair…Your people chose this place," Kakashi said.

He said it as a joke.

Naruto just glanced at the Hokage and did not respond. "You already know that Madara plans to use a genjutsu to enslave everyone in this world, which cannot be broken. What I did not explain to you, was the why? Why would he plan to do something like that? Madara grew up in the warring times. The Uchiha and the Senju were always fighting nonstop. Madara grew disillusioned with this world over the years, even after forming Konoha with Hashirama. What he sought to create was a peaceful world without wars, the perfect world where every childish dream can come true.

"His answer came in the form of Infinite Tsukiyomi. Since he deemed that the shinobi world cannot change, he thought that if people were trapped within this Genjutsu, there would be no more wars. Having looked at it, it is possible to have your dreams come true. But that fact remains that this is still just a Genjutsu…A dream. And the dangers before this are that humans could be potentially wiped out in due time."

"What do you mean by that?" Mei asked with a small frown.

"People must eat, drink and move to stay active. Our bodies are not eternal and will eventually give out. For civilization to continue, women give birth. If all people are trapped in the Genjutsu, there won't be reproduction, and nothing will be sustaining our bodies. We will eventually wither and die away."

There was silence as the Kage absorbed the information.

Naruto was glad that they were thinking deeply about this. He didn't want the Kage asking questions he didn't want to answer. It was best that he was allowed and given the space to dictate what they talked about by speaking first before they questioned him. Now they could focus on what he had just said and the way forward rather than asking him questions.

"Before that happens, we also know that if all Bijuu are gathered by someone who can control all of them, we could also face a disastrous situation." Gaara was the first to speak.

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "From what the Emperor said before, for this to happen, Madara must revive the Jubi. And for that to happen, all Bijuu must be gathered. They are currently in that stage of gathering the Bijuu and have already gathered some of them."

"Uzushio has been effective against Bijuu, would the Empire not be able to handle them?" Darui asked.

With their chakra chains, they could make the threat nonexistent.

Naruto wondered if he should say, but saying this made sure that they kept the situation in the serious light that it deserved. "Against Bijuu, yes, we can render their power useless. But not against the Jubi. I'm afraid there would nothing we could do against it…"

"This reaffirms that this is indeed a serious matter." Gaara said. "But I still have a question around the Jubi. You say that it was must be revived. This means that it existed before…"

Naruto nodded.

History was not available to all but it was all right. Certain things didn't need to be known by all people. Besides. What happened during the days of the Sage of Six Paths was something that happened long ago. Kabuto had called the Sage a god. Perhaps he was right about that.

Naruto could not even begin to imagine the kind of power that the founder wielded.

"Before there were Nine Bijuu that we know today, there was the Jubi. I don't know the details around it. But I know that the Jubi existed long before even the Sage of Six Paths but was released during his time. It nearly destroyed this world before the Sage sealed it within himself, and thus became the first Jinchuriki. The thing that you saw, Kazekage that was used to seal Shukaku that is the husk of the Jubi. The Sage of Six Paths used an ability called Creation of All Things to separate the Jubi into Nine Separate beings, the Bijuu. It is safe to say he was the Bijuu's 'father' and sent them through different locations to be different from the Jubi. Madara intends to revive that monster into this world."

"You know awfully a lot about the history." Kakashi commented, a bit dryly.

Naruto shrugged. "If you concern yourself with finding out how things started, you will try. It is only those who are connected with Bijuu, that can understand that Bijuu are intelligent beings, not the mindless beasts of chakra you all seem to think," the Emperor said.

He spoke again before anyone could comment on what he'd just said.

"The bigger question now is what are you planning to do about this?"

"Just how strong is Madara?"

"I think I'm strong enough to beat all of you even if you come to me all at once. And I'm certain that I alone cannot win the battle against him."

Kurotsuchi couldn't hold back a bitter laugh after the Emperor spoke. "That is rather something for you to admit that someone is stronger than you and you cannot win."

"I've never been afraid of the truth," the Emperor said. "There is no time to be arrogant and bask in pride. If we handle this incorrectly, it becomes the end of all of us. I did not fight to build my Empire to see it crumble within seconds."

"Are you saying there is a chance if we all combine to fight him?"

"A chance? Yes; there is?"

No, they would probably not make any difference.

The Kage in this room did not have that power. Naruto was certain that they wouldn't do well in a battle with Madara. For him to disable all of them, it wouldn't take too long. The generation of the Sandaime was the one that had powerful Kage…And the Yondaime's was also strong–if you count Minato, Ai, and Yagura.

But this generation of Jonin level shinobi were simply children for the Uchiha.

"I don't think you are being honest." Mei said to Naruto.

"What does it change?" the Emperor asked. "Just because I say there isn't a chance doesn't mean you are simply going to fold, are you? The fact is that we will need to fight. Fights aren't simply won by pure strength only. If we can work together, we can do something. But of course, we don't know if we will even have that chance."

"The Kage can fight…Even if it means risking our lives." Gaara said.

He wasn't going to take anyone else from his village to the battle, if there was a need.

"Konoha will provide the Sannin to fight…I won't take part in the battle. Sasuke Uchiha will also fight in that battle." Kakashi said. "But this is simply dependent on whether we can make Madara face us all…"

"Can you make it happen?" Gaara asked Naruto.

"Yes." Naruto said. "Konoha is pulling out all stops to make this happen…"

"It is necessary." Kakashi said with a slight shake of his head. "Sasuke has the same eyes as Madara. He can be a valuable asset in the battle. Jiraiya-sama will also offer much needed assault. If anything happens and anyone gets wounded, Tsunade-sama will be offering medical assistance. That means she won't engage head on, unless necessary. Her fighting style is Taijutsu and the Emperor is rumored to have enough physical strength to lift a Bijuu with just one hand. So, there won't be a need for her in the battle."

"I can testify to that." Kurotsuchi said.

She was bitter about it though.

"It seems that our survival will weigh heavily on your contributions…" She felt sick just saying those words, but what else could she say?

They needed his power to stay alive in this dangerous situation. And if he died in the battle, that would be a bonus. But of course, she knew, that would only make him a hero. But she could live with it knowing he is dead.

Naruto looked at Kurotsuchi with amusement. Was it necessary to even hide her contempt? It was not like he was going to say anything to her about it. He was not that overly concerned with such small matters.

"Aside from entering the battle yourself, is your Rinnegan user, the leader of Amegakure going to enter the battlefield? He is just as destructive as you are. We saw that during the war." Darui said, staring at the Emperor.

Naruto considered his options before offering a response. "I have two other Bijuu that I must protect and while fighting Madara, I cannot protect them. Someone needs to protect the Sound and Uzushio…Nagato will be protecting these nations to ensure that while we are battling, no one moves to take the Bijuu."

Naruto was conscious to the fact that if he said something else, like Nagato was dead or that he no longer had the Rinnegan, it would open the door for questions. He wasn't planning on going there. Madara's body he would keep as a trophy. If Konoha demanded it, they could have the rest of his body, but he would take the head.

The Rinnegan would be taken to his possession.

Or he could just say he incinerated it to avoid giving them the corpse. That is of course, if they manage to win.

Kakashi wanted to ask if Jiraiya had been fed false information about the death of Nagato, but he didn't say anything, assuming the Emperor had his reasons and he didn't want to expose anything before other Kage.

"Tell me you have found the Two-Tails." Madara said to Zetsu. "You still have not found the location of the Sanbi as of yet."

It was frustrating that he could not get the answers he wanted. The Emperor had made watertight defenses that made it impossible for him to locate anything and some things he kept for himself.

"She has moved out of Uzushio and the only person who knows her location and that of the Sanbi is the Emperor." Zetsu replied. "We should move against him."

"The fact that he defeated the others without struggle means he will probably excite me in battle. But he stands in the way of three Bijuu. And if he is gone, the Elemental Nations won't have the spine to do anything." Madara said. "That would be disappointing. But, the current generation of Kage are disappointing."

Everything else went smoothly after that. No one was blaming the other for anything. Naruto entertained them but he knew, he was likely just going to use them as tests to see Madara's strength. If the likes of Kurotsuchi were hoping he'd kick the bucket in the battle, they would be disappointed because Naruto had no intentions of dying.

Hell, he'd even tactically retreat to fight another day if plans were not coming along. But if someone like Kurotsuchi was dying, he would not bother to save her. Of course, this still depended on whether they would even get a chance to stand before the infamous Uchiha.

"Where is this place actually?" Darui asked, as they all rose, ready to leave.

He was only realizing it now that there was no actual door at this place.

"Sky Country." Naruto simply said. "You will return home in the same way you came. After then, I am no longer responsible for what happens to any of you."

After saying that, he walked to Mei and then whispered in her right ear. "I'll see you tomorrow. There is a situation I must handle at home after this. It might keep me."

"As long as you show up. You do have answers to give." Mei said. She then smiled slyly. "But if you finish early, even if it is in the middle of the night, you can come…My window will be open…"

Naruto smiled. "As long as you don't have anything covering you at that time, I won't mind coming in through the window…And since I am twisted, I might not even wake you up…"

"I'd boil you if I caught you atop of me while sleeping." Mei threatened with a pleasant smile.

"You'll be feeling too good to even think that/" Naruto said. "You'll only be thinking, 'spank me.'"

Mei laughed. She quickly gathered herself when she saw the other eyes staring at them. She'd quickly forgotten that the other Kage were still around. Their relationship was not a secret anyway. She had discussed it with them before.

No, she'd informed them.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Can I speak to you, privately, Your Majesty?"

Naruto stepped away from Mei and turned to Kakashi.

He knew what the Jonin wanted to talk about. It was going to be a bothersome task but he needed an excuse to get into the Hidden Leaf. He nodded and created four clones. They took away the Kage, leaving him with just Kakashi.

He didn't want to speak here and so, he grabbed Kakashi by his shoulder and they disappeared in a flash.

Kakashi felt a breeze wash over him. He blinked and looked at the familiar setting of the streets of the Hidden Leaf, from the Hokage Monument. It was still just five faces. His face had yet to be crafted as his succession had yet to be made official but everything else was done.

"Obito did attack this village years ago…But my father did not know it was him. By then, Obito had abandoned his name and was operating under the name of Madara. He didn't die when you thought he did. He survived but would have died if not for Madara. Did he see you kill Rin? Yes, but he never blamed you for it. Perhaps he still saw you as his friend, that's why he never came to retrieve his Sharingan. Had he done so, maybe we would not have succeeded in killing him." Naruto stated. "That is all I am willing to say to you…"

"Just answer me this, was he still Obito?"

Naruto stared at Kakashi's pleading face. He smiled. "You want me to give you closure, but when this village tormented me, you just stood aside. You were my father's favorite, but not once, did you appear before me to help me. Not when shop owners kicked me out of their shops, not when I was overcharged."

Kakashi could not offer a response.

"When you can face me with an answer, I will also offer you the truth about Obito."

The Emperor then stepped away from Kakashi before jumping down. He vanished into thin air before he could hit the ground.

Sound Capital

Minato looked at the unfamiliar surroundings with his blue eyes. He knew he had been revived using the forbidden jutsu developed by the Nidaime. And, someone was controlling his movements. This was a throne room. He hadn't been here before. It made him worried that someone could revive him like this. If they got his soul from where it was sealed, it meant that they knew about the Uzumaki techniques.

What could be the reason for anyone to revive him? He hoped it had nothing to do with attacking Konoha. He would bleed out if he had to attack the Hidden Leaf.

His eyes moved toward the throne; sharp blue eyes stared back at him. The whisker marks were barely visible, but they were there. The hair was wild, but it was the blond that colored his hair as well. He was much older.

But no doubt, that was his son.

That was Naruto.

How many years have passed?

Minato shook his head and then smiled. Did it matter? He was standing before his son. The son he'd left with a huge burden after the unthinkable had occurred.

"Hello Naruto." Minato greeted pleasantly.

"Father." Naruto nodded. "I am usually called the Emperor here, but let us skip those formalities. I'd always wondered how I'd feel if you stood before me. I must say, it is rather strange."

"I am happy. I feel glad to be able to see you alive and well. I wish the circumstances were different but nothing I can do about that." Minato said.

The fact that he was here meant that Naruto had sacrificed someone. And not to mention those were not the eyes of an innocent person. Those were the eyes of a man who has seen much. A war hardened shinobi who has killed many people.

"Emperor? That means you are no longer of Konoha," Minato did not Express his emotions over this. Even when Naruto confirmed it…

He merely said.

"I see."

"Of course you see, you've pretty much worked out the larger picture as to why I am not with Konoha anymore."

"It is not difficult to make assumptions. I had known that things would be difficult for you when I decided to seal the Kyubi inside of you. But what I did not plan on was your mother dying. It had already been too late to stop anything when it became obvious she'd die."

Naruto waved his right hand dismissively. "I know what happened during that night. I don't need you to explain it to me. I looked at things objectively, and I don't think I have misread any fact into the order of things."

Then it had truly been difficult for Naruto. But how difficult had it been that he would end up leaving Konoha? Since he was calling himself Emperor, it probably meant he hadn't joined in any of the Great Nations–which of course was a great thing, but still nevertheless something he'd never foreseen.

"Then this is not a reunion and you want something. But since you already know what happened that night and are not looking at me with contempt, I can say that you are looking for the other half of the Kyubi." Minato said.

And that worried him a little. Did it mean that Naruto had an opponent that powerful or did it mean that he wanted more power because he had become an enemy of the Great Nations?

"That is indeed what I want. And no matter my reasons, you are not going to fight me, are you?" Naruto smiled.

"Of course not. But in any case, the situation you feared when you decided to turn me into a Jinchuriki has happened. Not the way you thought but the masked man's threat has turned out to be much greater. It has led to the revival of Madara and I need that other half of Kyubi to fight him."

That was bad.

Not Madara.

The man was ridiculously powerful. No matter how powerful he was, Minato could never do anything to the Uchiha. But at least his fears had been confirmed and because of the plan he made, Naruto was standing firm.

"What of the Kage? Assuming that they are still there and you have not become Emperor of the Great Nations."

"I must admit, I did consider that but I realized that such a thing would not last long and would only engulf this world in more bloodshed." Naruto said. "Will you do the honors?"

Minato placed his hand on his belly before asking.

"Can you first explain things to me?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side before resting it on the palm of his right hand. He was silent for a couple of moments before responding.

"I understand what you want me to explain…No, more like give you a background of things because I don't believe I owe you an explanation of anything. But what purpose would that serve?"

"Perhaps nothing in your view but I am still your father. I want to know if I have ruined your life or if you have done something in your life that makes me feel proud."

"If you had resealed the Kyubi within mother, she would have become a target of the Akatsuki and I would not have had the power to defend myself. Mother's seal was never made for her to be able to utilize the Kyubi's chakra. Either way, you would have likely died that night, so you could have done nothing in the future, not unless mother sealed the Kyubi herself. But we cannot deny that being a Jinchuriki ruined my childhood. So, you did screw me over by making me a Jinchuriki. My life was treacherously miserable. But I cannot hate you because I have also made sacrifices for the sake of what I love…" He paused for a moment before standing up.

He walked toward the silent Yellow Flash, and then past him.

"If you want to see what I have done despite being screwed over by the Hidden Leaf's people, follow me."

"You are angry."

Naruto stopped and faced this father with a raised brow. "You can tell?"

"Instincts," Minato said. He smiled sadly. "Would tell me first how your childhood was like? At least I want to tell your mother the truth when I meet her in the afterlife… she will probably punch me for doing what I did and knowing how you suffered. If you left, it must have been miserable."

"Demon… Kyubi… Demon brat. I had no friends. Parents told their children to stay away from me. Those I tried to befriend betrayed me. They made fun of me. There were nights I spent crawled up in a corner, thinking of a father and mother who abandoned me. There were sleepless nights, haunted by the glares of the villagers. There were days, I asked myself, what did I do? What have I done? Did my parents abandon me as the village has? Did they hate me too? I had no reason to smile. No one. Not one. Nothing made me smile.

"The streets were filled with people who glared at me with contempt. People who wanted me to leave the village. Yet, I didn't know why. I didn't know a damn thing. I just knew demon. Kyubi brat. Maybe a certain part of me, did come to start believing I was a demon." Naruto wore a miserable look. "Konoha made me suffer. I cannot forget what those people did to me. I've always told people I hate nothing, but I truly do resent Konoha. There are times I think of showing them the monster they called me. For as long as I live, I will remind these people of what they did… until they crawl, beg for my forgiveness, I will never ally with them.

"You know father, the thing that saved me from insanity, was knowing that my mother did not abandon me but had died and that she was Kushina Uzumaki. But what always got to me when I came to find out that you were my father was that they hailed you and felt contempt for me."

Minato remained rooted to his position. To think that the son he'd been so excited to have, the child he'd cherished when he was still inside his mother's womb had been forced to face that. That was a cruel fate, much more than what he had expected.

"I can understand with the Sandaime, but of Kakashi and Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato shook his head. "I shouldn't have died in the first place."

"Jiraiya?" Naruto laughed, a truly hollow laugh. "He was never around. And Kakashi didn't do anything either. Jiraiya is not my godfather. My life would have been happier, had he taken me away from the village to shield me. I did go out with him, to try to see if being a traveler would have been nice, and you know what, father? I really did enjoy it. I learned about the world, people. I met people who were kind, people who were cruel, but it was a little fun."

Minato held out his right hand. This body could not feel anything. But he just wanted to hug his son.