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Naruto woke the next morning to the dawn sun breaking over the horizon. The sky was a clear and calming blue, gently overlooking the world as it hazily opened its eyes. He sat up, the leaves that had served as his blanket rustling as they fell to the ground. He shuffled back against the tree, raising his goggles back to his forehead. For a moment, Naruto wondered where he was. The air was something new to him, and not just because it was clean. He had a feeling like he was completely at ease, as if there was no weight at all holding him down. It was nice, he could really get used to it.
He glanced to his left, raising his brow in surprise. There was a person next to him, a man with fair skin and dark hair. He sat exactly where Zetsu had, and was wearing his cloak for some reason. But he was fast asleep, his head bowed peacefully. Naruto lent forward, looking at this man curiously. He did sort of look like Zetsu, although because of that person's peculiar face, distinguishing features had been hard to make out. But this one had the same kind of hair, and an identical build. Really, the only things that were different were the colour of his skin, and the missing leaves that engulfed Zetsu.
"Maybe this guy… is Zetsu-san." Naruto thought, cocking his head to the side, "Maybe the way he looks is just a Jutsu, and it wears off when he goes to sleep."
Suddenly, Zetsu opened his eyes, and in an instant he went through a transformation. White and black rushed up his body, hastily returning his skin to his former colour. Naruto also noticed his eyes were blue, but then they turned to yellow as the two waves of non colour flooded past them. There was also a rustling sound as the leaves seemed to grow from his cloak, quickly surrounding him once more. In a moment, he looked exactly the same as he did last night, minus the difference in lighting. He glanced to his right, raising his brow curiously as he saw Naruto had crawled back several feet, pointing an accusing finger at him with an incredulous look.
"What the hell just happened?" Naruto demanded, looking seriously spooked. There was no way that was a Jutsu, Zetsu hadn't made any hand seals or anything!
"What are you talking about?" Zetsu asked, "It's rude to point."
"Your skin! It- it was normal a moment ago!" Naruto stammered, his hand shaking in shock. Zetsu narrowed his eyes at Naruto, a reproachful look on his face.
"I beg your pardon?" he asked, venomously, "For us, this is normal."
"Oh! I- I didn't mean it like that!" Naruto said hastily, with a horrified look on his face. He bowed forward, sweat pouring down his face, "I'm sorry, I was just surprised!"
Zetsu looked at Naruto for a moment longer, before his expression relaxed. He got to his feet, looking at the path ahead.
"We wouldn't know about that." he said, expressionlessly, "We were asleep, after all."
With that, he began walking off, leaving the boy on his hands and knees. Naruto raised his head, the sweat subsiding, and quickly clambered to his feet before following.
They didn't walk on the main path, as Naruto had expected. Instead they kept to the trees, walking far enough from the road that they wouldn't likely be spotted easily. Naruto had no idea where they were, geography wasn't his strong point. But Zetsu seemed to know where he was going which was great, it would be pretty lame if he didn't.
Naruto found himself constantly glancing up at Zetsu, but he never looked back. Naruto bowed his head, he had been pretty out of line back there. He just hadn't imagined Zetsu would be so defensive about it, neither of him really seemed like that type. But then, who was he to judge?
"Man, I screwed up." he thought, "I shouldn't have said that."
"I suppose you will be hungry?" Zetsu asked, without looking, "Our diet is probably not best suited for you."
"Huh?" Naruto looked up at Zetsu in surprise. It looked like he had already let what Naruto said go. That actually kind of made Naruto feel guiltier, it seemed like Zetsu was used to that sort of thing, "Uh, I'm fine."
However, as if to contradict his words, it was then that his stomach chose to make its presence known. Zetsu cocked a brow, and reached into his cloak.
"There is an inn up ahead." he said, pulling out a small package, "Help yourself to breakfast, we will wait outside."
He handed the package over to Naruto, which turned out to be a wallet. Naruto accepted it curiously, looking back up at Zetsu.
"I thought you didn't have any money?" he asked, confused. Zetsu nodded.
"Indeed we don't." he said simply, before pointing off to the right, "It is over there, we will wait for you up ahead."
Naruto blinked again, looking between the wallet and the point Zetsu was gesturing to. Then he glanced back up at Zetsu questioningly, before nodding and hurrying off.
He soon found the road again, and like Zetsu had said, he could see an inn further down. He walked down the path towards it, it didn't seem particularly busy, or maybe it was just too early. He gripped the wallet in his hands, wondering how much he had. He lifted it to eye level, and with his other hand he undid the button and opened it. His eyes widened in shock as Mizuki's looked right back at him.
"Gah!" he cried, dropping the wallet on the ground. He stared down at the picture inside the identification card, which seemed to stare back coolly. This was Mizuki's wallet, Zetsu must have taken it. Naruto watched it nervously, as if it would attack him like its owner did. But after a few moments, he got over this irrational fear and cautiously crouched down. He reached out to it, almost afraid of its touch. He couldn't stand the idea of carrying that thing with him, but he was really hungry. He reached into the fabric, carefully pulling out the money inside. It wasn't much, but he would have probably felt guiltier if it was more. Mizuki had tried to kill him, and had killed Iruka, but he still felt uneasy about doing something as underhanded as this.
He took the money in his hand, and got to his feet. He continued to watch the face in the wallet, hoping he wouldn't be judged for this. Then he walked over it, wanting to make as much distance from that thing as he could.
He reached the inn, which really looked like a pleasant place to be. It seemed more like a large cottage than the inn's back at Konoha, it really gave the building a warm glow. He stepped inside the front doors, and the two receptionists at the desk smiled at him. They were almost identical, middle aged women with brown tied back hair. In fact, the only differences was how they parted their hair, the one on the left had hers parted to the left, and vice versa to the other one.
"Good morning young man." the woman on the left said cheerfully, before the other one asked, "How can we help you?"
Naruto, who was taken aback by the similarities between the two women, momentarily forgot the reason he had come at all, however, his stomach was eager to remind him. He put his hand against it and the other behind his head, before grinning nervously at the two women.
"Hi, uh, is there a place I can get something to eat?" he asked, rubbing his head.
"Of course!" the woman on the right replied brightly, "Our cafeteria is just down this way, enjoy!"
"Oh, thanks." Naruto replied, smiling at them both. He then headed in the direction the woman was gesturing, down the hall to his right. Even inside was nicely decorated, the walls were a warm naples yellow, with ferns hanging between the doors to the rooms of the inn. At the end of the hallway, a set of double doors opened up into a terrace, where there were round wooden tables with parasols for people to eat at. Outside the terrace, there was a water feature, a coy pond if Naruto remembered correctly. The place had an air of luxury around it, which really gave Naruto a feeling of… displacement.
"Man, I really don't belong in a place like this." he thought, looking around nervously, "But I can't just leave, Zetsu-san is annoyed with me as it is!"
"Can I help you young man?"
Naruto glanced to his left with a raised brow. Along the wall of the inn was an opening to the kitchen, where a counter had been placed for trade. Behind it stood a young man who smiled welcomingly at Naruto. He had short brown hair, a little messy, but in an intentional way. Naruto walked over to him, looking at the menu attached to the counter in front of him. The young man waited patiently for Naruto's reply, recognizing his unease.
"I suppose you're not used to ordering for yourself?" he asked, with an understanding smile.
"Oh, uh, it's not that." Naruto replied, looking up at the man. If there was one thing Naruto knew how to do, it was order for himself, "I've just never been to a place like this before."
"Don't travel much huh?" the man asked, "Well there isn't really much difference here than a take away, except for quality of course. Just take your time and let me know when you've made your decision."
"OK!" Naruto replied, taking an instant liking to this guy. He reminded him of Ayame, the waitress at Naruto's favorite place to eat, Ichiraku ramen. The thought of leaving that place behind almost made Naruto want to go back to Konoha now, but he resisted, "Uh… yes!"
"I take it you've found something?" the young man asked.
"Yeah! Pork Miso Ramen!" Naruto replied, adding emphasis to each word.
"All right, coming right up!" the young man replied, before turning around and setting to work. Naruto glanced around, before taking a seat in a nearby chair at one of the tables. He glanced around, it really was nice here. Birds were flying in the trees outside, singing away without embarrassment. The fish in the pond swam absent mindedly, curious about their own home. Any residents of the inn were still fast asleep, it looked like Naruto was the only awake customer they had right now.
"You know, I don't think I've ever met anyone who ordered ramen for breakfast." the young man said, as he poured the noodles into the bowl.
"Well, you have now!" Naruto replied brightly. It was true, Ichiraku ramen had never been busy in the morning, ramen was more of a heavy meal, better suited for lunch or dinner. However, Naruto burnt most of the calories gained from his incredible diet in between meals, so it wasn't really a problem for him.
"I guess there really is a first time for anything." the man smiled, as he added the soup. Naruto nodded in agreement, a wasted movement considering the man couldn't see him, "Well, here you go!"
The young man placed the steaming bowl of ramen out for Naruto, who got up to take it. He reached out and placed all the money he'd taken from Mizuki's wallet and placed it before the young man.
"Thanks!" Naruto replied, before he took his ramen and walked back to the table, placing it down with the chopsticks he'd picked up.
"Hold on a minute!" the man said, with a startled look, "This is more than twice the cost!"
"That's alright, you can keep the change." Naruto replied. It wasn't out of generosity, he just really wanted to get that money off his hands.
"Are you sure about that?" the young man asked. They pooled tips in this inn, so he really couldn't be greedy about Naruto's decision.
"Mm-hm!" Naruto replied, his mouth already full of food. The young man shrugged, before taking the money and putting it away. He then returned to getting the breakfast options ready, leaving Naruto to his meal.
It was really good, this ramen. Nothing on Ichiraku's, but he definitely enjoyed it. It wasn't completely perfect however, he had bought it with Mizuki's money after all. The money Zetsu had taken just for Naruto's sake.
Naruto looked down into his ramen, losing his appetite a little. He had only just met Zetsu last night, but he couldn't help feeling guilty about his reaction. He had been almost exactly like the villagers in Konoha.
"No, I was worse." he thought, shamefully, "Because I knew what he was like, and then I acted that way."
It really made him feel like scum. Was this what it was like to be on the other side of things? Zetsu hadn't judged him, so why was it so easy for Naruto to turn it around? Was it because of what happened with Mizuki, and what Zetsu had intended to do with him? It was pretty easy to judge him by those standards, but Naruto knew very well that there was more than that. Zetsu had helped him out three times now, even though he didn't know Naruto at all. To be honest, Zetsu kind of reminded Naruto of himself, a little.
He smiled weakly into his bowl, the soup reflecting his expression back at him. There really hadn't been enough noodle in it. He picked up the bowl and drained the rest of it, swallowing every last drop. He then turned around and walked over to the counter, where the young man looked at him, a clear sweat drop on his brow.
"So… fast…" he muttered weakly, as Naruto placed the empty bowl down. He then blinked in surprise as Naruto smiled to himself, before glancing up at the young man.
"Actually… I was wondering if you could do something for me." Naruto said.
"Zetsu-san is certainly taking his time." Konan said, as she stood by the window.
"Of course." Pein replied from his perch. He had kept the weather clear, he had expected Zetsu to arrive sooner, "He isn't alone after all. It would seem he has taken Naruto-san's needs into great consideration."
"That's quite a surprise." Konan said, placing her hand on the wall, "I never really imagined he would go to such lengths for someone else."
Pein glanced over his shoulder, his expressionless face revealing nothing. It was enough to almost make Konan flinch. He then looked ahead again, with Konan's eyes locked on him.
"Perhaps you are growing comfortable." he said, "Do you find your life to be… peaceful?"
"Don't be ridiculous." Konan replied, looking away. Pein looked out the corner of his eye, sensing her expression. He soon looked away, not caring to maintain the motion.
"You are many things Konan, but a good judge of character, you are not." he thought, "However, that may change soon."
"Have you decided who it will be to train Naruto-san?" he asked, sitting back. He looked surprisingly relaxed for someone who was always in deep thought. Konan looked at him again, quietly glad of the change in topic.
"Yes, I have." she replied.
"Here you go!" Naruto said brightly, holding his hands out to Zetsu.
"What is this?" Zetsu asked, as he took the object from Naruto's hands. It was a cup with a pair of chopsticks inside. filled with something steaming. He looked inside with a raised brow, "Ramen?"
"Yeah, I just figured you probably don't eat people all the time!" Naruto replied, grinning as he rubbed the back of his head. Zetsu gave him a bemused look, before continuing on his way with Naruto close behind. They climbed up a tall hill, as Zetsu silently ate the ramen. Naruto couldn't remove the grin from his face as he watched him do this. It was then that he noticed something he probably should have earlier.
"Hey… what happened to Mizuki-san's…?" He asked, leaving his question hanging. Zetsu looked up from his cup, a slightly confused look on his face.
"Mizuki-san?" he repeated, before remembering, "Oh yes, we had to leave him underground. He was making progress difficult."
Naruto stared at Zetsu as he returned to his meal. So Mizuki at least got something like a burial huh? Well, everyone deserved that in the end, at least that's what Naruto thought.
They continued their climb until Zetsu finished eating, to which he then handed the empty cup to Naruto.
"There wasn't very much noodle in that." Zetsu muttered to himself. It was his more serious side, so Naruto didn't mind. In actual fact, it was a little amusing that they shared the same thought, "Could you keep a hold of that for us? Please don't throw it away."
Naruto nodded in reply, just as they reached the top of the hill. It was rounded, every direction was a descent. They came to a stop near a mossy patch, where Zetsu crouched down. He held his left hand in a seal, and to Naruto's surprise, the moss moved out of the way, revealing a deep hole into nothingness. It was quite wide, about two metres diameter from what he could guess. He looked at Zetsu questioningly, who was sitting down with his legs hanging inside the hole.
"Is this it?" he asked. He hadn't imagined it would be so close, or in such an unusual place. But then again, where would this "organisation" Zetsu spoke of meet? They couldn't belong to a village, they had to be missing-nin or something.
"Whoa!" Naruto thought, as he was hit with that sudden realisation, "Zetsu-san's a missing-nin! Does that mean I'm working with criminals now?"
"Come here." Zetsu ordered, to which Naruto complied. He then gripped Naruto's arm, before dropping down into the hole.
"HYAAAAAAAAAAA!" Naruto yelled, as they fell down an immeasurable distance. But the fall lasted only for moments, they soon landed on solid ground, Zetsu landing first before lowering Naruto onto the ground. When Naruto was on his own feet, he looked around in surprise. The cave they were in, if that was the right name, had absolute zero visibility, minus the shaft of light coming from the hole above, which shone across the cavern behind them as the sun had only recently risen. It cast deep down into a tunnel, where there was the faint sound of rushing water. This place must have been a series of underground tunnels, with a natural water system.
"This place is actually kind of cool!" Naruto thought, gazing around. Having been stuck in Konoha all his life, exploration was something new and exciting to him. That was why he found this place so interesting, this was the first cave he had ever been in.
"So you are here."
Naruto whipped his head around in shock. That voice… it wasn't normal, it sounded like it had been filtered somehow, like through a broken transceiver. But it also seemed to have no origin. It had sounded close, yet there was no one close enough to had said it. Naruto was almost tempted to believe that Zetsu had a third personality, but that wouldn't have explained the quality of the voice.
"We have him with us, leader-sama." Zetsu said. Naruto turned back to the front, his eyes widening in shock. Before them, a strange green glow flickered into existence, taking on a humanoid form. It wasn't clear, but it looked like a man. His body was almost transparent, it was difficult to make anything out. The best Naruto could see was that he wore the same cloak as Zetsu, but it fit him like it should. He could also see that this person's hair was even spikier than his own, with a more wild look to it. But the thing that really caught Naruto's attention, was this person's eyes. They were completely visible, both the iris and sclera were a shade of grey, the iris outlined in a thin black circle. There were three more circles like that outside the iris, making his eyes look like ripples in a pool. They studied Naruto closely, with an incredibly penetrating gaze. It almost felt like he was looking through Naruto, at something else entirely. This was only momentary however, as the man then looked Naruto in the eye seriously. It was strange, this man's presence was so strong, Naruto could feel his back straighten under his gaze.
"Uzumaki Naruto." the man said, "Welcome."
"Uh… thanks." Naruto replied dumbly. He wondered how this guy could know his name, but it wasn't a big worry in his mind. The man then glanced at Zetsu, who nodded before sinking into the ground. Naruto raised his brow at this, why was Zetsu being asked to leave?
"I assume Zetsu-san has told you nothing of our organization?" the man asked, returning his eyes to Naruto's.
"No, nothing really." Naruto replied, his eyes wide. The man nodded slowly, as if that was what he had expected.
"Zetsu-san acts as our spy." he said, in an informal, yet somehow official, tone, "Therefore he is better suited for seeking information, not dispensing it."
"Is he always alone?" Naruto asked, not realizing how out of place his question was. It made the man stare a little harder at him.
"Tell me, what do you know about Zetsu-san?" he asked, his tone losing its official quality. Naruto noticed it, he was a little surprised.
"Well, he seems to get what it means to be alone." he replied, "And… I think he's used to it. People are afraid of him because of how he looks, and no one wants to know what's inside him. I… I think he's in pain."
The man continued to stare at Naruto silently, considering his words slowly.
"Tell me, what do you know of pain?" he asked, "Tell me the pain you have felt."
"Huh, what?" Naruto asked, feeling taken aback. This person had suddenly become very curious about him, it came as a shock to him, "My pain?"
"Akatsuki is an organization consisting of a group of ninja who have left their villages for their own reasons. Some have felt betrayal, others were never in a position to be betrayed in the first place. We all have our reasons, I would like you to tell me yours."
Akatsuki… was that the name of the organization Zetsu mentioned? And he had called this man leader-sama, so he was the boss of this group then? And why was he so interested in finding Naruto's reasons, and what was this about his "pain"? Suddenly, it hit him.
"I get it." he said, lowering his head slightly, his hair obscuring his eyes, "My pain… well, there's the pain of being alone. I know that one pretty well. But there's more than that. It's the pain of no one giving you the chance, of no one even wanting to acknowledge you. Sometimes I wish people could see what's inside, but in my case…"
He then looked up, locking eyes with the man,
"In my case, the only thing they see is what's inside of me." he said, his brow creasing angrily, "That's all they ever saw, the Kyubi. And it's all you see as well, isn't it?"
If this man was surprised by Naruto's outburst, he didn't show it. Instead, he turned away, his back to Naruto.
"Come to Amegakure." he said, "We will continue this there."
With that, he disappeared, leaving Naruto alone in the cave. He was a little surprised by the sudden disappearance, but then, a lot had surprised him recently, he was getting a little sick of it to be honest.
Moments later, Zetsu appeared from the ground again, only ascending halfway, and looked up at Naruto expressionlessly.
"Leader-sama has left." he stated, surprised, "He gave you orders then?"
"Uh, yeah." Naruto replied, turning to face Zetsu, "He said to come to a place called Amegakure. Know where that is?"
"I should." Zetsu replied, before turning away, "Get in, if leader-sama gave you the order, then it wouldn't do to keep him waiting."
Naruto blinked, before complying. He climbed back on to Zetsu's shoulders, realising he still had the empty cup in his hands. As such, he could only keep his balance with one hand as the leaves closed again, and the burrowed underground.
"Is it really wise to bring him here?" Konan asked, as Pein climbed in through the window. With a quick hand sign, the rain began to fall outside, ending the reprieve of the village.
"This situation is different than with Akatsuki." he replied, looking back at Konan, "The Jinchuriki must be handled with care. They won't be so easy to control as normal human beings are."
He took a few steps through the dark room, heading to the door. He paused for a moment, which surprised Konan a little. She followed him out of the room and into the empty hallway, which was lit by candles. The blue walls and orange light didn't mix well, but aesthetics weren't the primary concern of these two, nor of those who resided in this building. If any of those people were fit to complain, then this would be the wrong place for them anyway.
"The Gedō Mazō is completely destroyed." Pein said, as he walked, "As such, harnessing the power of the Biju is impossible. Now our only option is to convince them to align themselves with us, if we are to succeed."
"But why start with the Kyubi?" Konan asked, keeping just a couple of steps behind, "Wouldn't it be better to seek someone who was skilled with their Biju instead of a child?"
"It is because he is an inexperienced child that he must be the one." Pein replied, "The older Jinchuriki do not trust humans, but if they were met with one of their own, they could be swayed. We must mould Uzumaki Naruto, the youngest Jinchuriki who is sealed with the strongest Biju. Only then can we even consider seeking the others."
"But what if they won't listen?" Konan asked, "There's no guarantee that they will come because of Naruto-san."
Pein didn't answer immediately. He knew as soon as he voiced these words, it would be a sign of weakness.
"It is not necessary for us to wield all of the Biju." he said, "As long as we can possess a majority, any without doubts are obstacles."
Konan raised her brow in surprise. She would never have expected Pein to accept less than everything, it was something she had never seen in him before.
Pein continued to walk in silence, his mind deep in concentration.
"Tell me Pein, what can you see here?" Madara asked, gesturing to the stone tablet before them. Pein studied it closely, the writing on it appeared to be in strange seals. The majority of it made no sense to him, but the last part was infallibly clear.
"It seems to describe the origins of the Biju." Madara explained, "That they at one time were unified as a single being known as the Jubi. There is also information here relating to the Rikudō Sennin, and that he was very closely related to the Jubi. The first parts are readable only with the Sharingan and then the Mangekyou. However, the last part is readable only by the wielder of the Rinnegan, as I'm sure you've realised."
Pein nodded slowly, as he reread the tablet again.
"This tablet tells me one thing." he said. Madara glanced at him with stoic anticipation.
"And that is?" he asked, with slight impatience. Pein slowly closed his eyes, before opening them again.
"Shinra Tensei."
He glanced to his left, raising his brow in surprise. There was a person next to him, a man with fair skin and dark hair. He sat exactly where Zetsu had, and was wearing his cloak for some reason. But he was fast asleep, his head bowed peacefully. Naruto lent forward, looking at this man curiously. He did sort of look like Zetsu, although because of that person's peculiar face, distinguishing features had been hard to make out. But this one had the same kind of hair, and an identical build. Really, the only things that were different were the colour of his skin, and the missing leaves that engulfed Zetsu.
"Maybe this guy… is Zetsu-san." Naruto thought, cocking his head to the side, "Maybe the way he looks is just a Jutsu, and it wears off when he goes to sleep."
Suddenly, Zetsu opened his eyes, and in an instant he went through a transformation. White and black rushed up his body, hastily returning his skin to his former colour. Naruto also noticed his eyes were blue, but then they turned to yellow as the two waves of non colour flooded past them. There was also a rustling sound as the leaves seemed to grow from his cloak, quickly surrounding him once more. In a moment, he looked exactly the same as he did last night, minus the difference in lighting. He glanced to his right, raising his brow curiously as he saw Naruto had crawled back several feet, pointing an accusing finger at him with an incredulous look.
"What the hell just happened?" Naruto demanded, looking seriously spooked. There was no way that was a Jutsu, Zetsu hadn't made any hand seals or anything!
"What are you talking about?" Zetsu asked, "It's rude to point."
"Your skin! It- it was normal a moment ago!" Naruto stammered, his hand shaking in shock. Zetsu narrowed his eyes at Naruto, a reproachful look on his face.
"I beg your pardon?" he asked, venomously, "For us, this is normal."
"Oh! I- I didn't mean it like that!" Naruto said hastily, with a horrified look on his face. He bowed forward, sweat pouring down his face, "I'm sorry, I was just surprised!"
Zetsu looked at Naruto for a moment longer, before his expression relaxed. He got to his feet, looking at the path ahead.
"We wouldn't know about that." he said, expressionlessly, "We were asleep, after all."
With that, he began walking off, leaving the boy on his hands and knees. Naruto raised his head, the sweat subsiding, and quickly clambered to his feet before following.
They didn't walk on the main path, as Naruto had expected. Instead they kept to the trees, walking far enough from the road that they wouldn't likely be spotted easily. Naruto had no idea where they were, geography wasn't his strong point. But Zetsu seemed to know where he was going which was great, it would be pretty lame if he didn't.
Naruto found himself constantly glancing up at Zetsu, but he never looked back. Naruto bowed his head, he had been pretty out of line back there. He just hadn't imagined Zetsu would be so defensive about it, neither of him really seemed like that type. But then, who was he to judge?
"Man, I screwed up." he thought, "I shouldn't have said that."
"I suppose you will be hungry?" Zetsu asked, without looking, "Our diet is probably not best suited for you."
"Huh?" Naruto looked up at Zetsu in surprise. It looked like he had already let what Naruto said go. That actually kind of made Naruto feel guiltier, it seemed like Zetsu was used to that sort of thing, "Uh, I'm fine."
However, as if to contradict his words, it was then that his stomach chose to make its presence known. Zetsu cocked a brow, and reached into his cloak.
"There is an inn up ahead." he said, pulling out a small package, "Help yourself to breakfast, we will wait outside."
He handed the package over to Naruto, which turned out to be a wallet. Naruto accepted it curiously, looking back up at Zetsu.
"I thought you didn't have any money?" he asked, confused. Zetsu nodded.
"Indeed we don't." he said simply, before pointing off to the right, "It is over there, we will wait for you up ahead."
Naruto blinked again, looking between the wallet and the point Zetsu was gesturing to. Then he glanced back up at Zetsu questioningly, before nodding and hurrying off.
He soon found the road again, and like Zetsu had said, he could see an inn further down. He walked down the path towards it, it didn't seem particularly busy, or maybe it was just too early. He gripped the wallet in his hands, wondering how much he had. He lifted it to eye level, and with his other hand he undid the button and opened it. His eyes widened in shock as Mizuki's looked right back at him.
"Gah!" he cried, dropping the wallet on the ground. He stared down at the picture inside the identification card, which seemed to stare back coolly. This was Mizuki's wallet, Zetsu must have taken it. Naruto watched it nervously, as if it would attack him like its owner did. But after a few moments, he got over this irrational fear and cautiously crouched down. He reached out to it, almost afraid of its touch. He couldn't stand the idea of carrying that thing with him, but he was really hungry. He reached into the fabric, carefully pulling out the money inside. It wasn't much, but he would have probably felt guiltier if it was more. Mizuki had tried to kill him, and had killed Iruka, but he still felt uneasy about doing something as underhanded as this.
He took the money in his hand, and got to his feet. He continued to watch the face in the wallet, hoping he wouldn't be judged for this. Then he walked over it, wanting to make as much distance from that thing as he could.
He reached the inn, which really looked like a pleasant place to be. It seemed more like a large cottage than the inn's back at Konoha, it really gave the building a warm glow. He stepped inside the front doors, and the two receptionists at the desk smiled at him. They were almost identical, middle aged women with brown tied back hair. In fact, the only differences was how they parted their hair, the one on the left had hers parted to the left, and vice versa to the other one.
"Good morning young man." the woman on the left said cheerfully, before the other one asked, "How can we help you?"
Naruto, who was taken aback by the similarities between the two women, momentarily forgot the reason he had come at all, however, his stomach was eager to remind him. He put his hand against it and the other behind his head, before grinning nervously at the two women.
"Hi, uh, is there a place I can get something to eat?" he asked, rubbing his head.
"Of course!" the woman on the right replied brightly, "Our cafeteria is just down this way, enjoy!"
"Oh, thanks." Naruto replied, smiling at them both. He then headed in the direction the woman was gesturing, down the hall to his right. Even inside was nicely decorated, the walls were a warm naples yellow, with ferns hanging between the doors to the rooms of the inn. At the end of the hallway, a set of double doors opened up into a terrace, where there were round wooden tables with parasols for people to eat at. Outside the terrace, there was a water feature, a coy pond if Naruto remembered correctly. The place had an air of luxury around it, which really gave Naruto a feeling of… displacement.
"Man, I really don't belong in a place like this." he thought, looking around nervously, "But I can't just leave, Zetsu-san is annoyed with me as it is!"
"Can I help you young man?"
Naruto glanced to his left with a raised brow. Along the wall of the inn was an opening to the kitchen, where a counter had been placed for trade. Behind it stood a young man who smiled welcomingly at Naruto. He had short brown hair, a little messy, but in an intentional way. Naruto walked over to him, looking at the menu attached to the counter in front of him. The young man waited patiently for Naruto's reply, recognizing his unease.
"I suppose you're not used to ordering for yourself?" he asked, with an understanding smile.
"Oh, uh, it's not that." Naruto replied, looking up at the man. If there was one thing Naruto knew how to do, it was order for himself, "I've just never been to a place like this before."
"Don't travel much huh?" the man asked, "Well there isn't really much difference here than a take away, except for quality of course. Just take your time and let me know when you've made your decision."
"OK!" Naruto replied, taking an instant liking to this guy. He reminded him of Ayame, the waitress at Naruto's favorite place to eat, Ichiraku ramen. The thought of leaving that place behind almost made Naruto want to go back to Konoha now, but he resisted, "Uh… yes!"
"I take it you've found something?" the young man asked.
"Yeah! Pork Miso Ramen!" Naruto replied, adding emphasis to each word.
"All right, coming right up!" the young man replied, before turning around and setting to work. Naruto glanced around, before taking a seat in a nearby chair at one of the tables. He glanced around, it really was nice here. Birds were flying in the trees outside, singing away without embarrassment. The fish in the pond swam absent mindedly, curious about their own home. Any residents of the inn were still fast asleep, it looked like Naruto was the only awake customer they had right now.
"You know, I don't think I've ever met anyone who ordered ramen for breakfast." the young man said, as he poured the noodles into the bowl.
"Well, you have now!" Naruto replied brightly. It was true, Ichiraku ramen had never been busy in the morning, ramen was more of a heavy meal, better suited for lunch or dinner. However, Naruto burnt most of the calories gained from his incredible diet in between meals, so it wasn't really a problem for him.
"I guess there really is a first time for anything." the man smiled, as he added the soup. Naruto nodded in agreement, a wasted movement considering the man couldn't see him, "Well, here you go!"
The young man placed the steaming bowl of ramen out for Naruto, who got up to take it. He reached out and placed all the money he'd taken from Mizuki's wallet and placed it before the young man.
"Thanks!" Naruto replied, before he took his ramen and walked back to the table, placing it down with the chopsticks he'd picked up.
"Hold on a minute!" the man said, with a startled look, "This is more than twice the cost!"
"That's alright, you can keep the change." Naruto replied. It wasn't out of generosity, he just really wanted to get that money off his hands.
"Are you sure about that?" the young man asked. They pooled tips in this inn, so he really couldn't be greedy about Naruto's decision.
"Mm-hm!" Naruto replied, his mouth already full of food. The young man shrugged, before taking the money and putting it away. He then returned to getting the breakfast options ready, leaving Naruto to his meal.
It was really good, this ramen. Nothing on Ichiraku's, but he definitely enjoyed it. It wasn't completely perfect however, he had bought it with Mizuki's money after all. The money Zetsu had taken just for Naruto's sake.
Naruto looked down into his ramen, losing his appetite a little. He had only just met Zetsu last night, but he couldn't help feeling guilty about his reaction. He had been almost exactly like the villagers in Konoha.
"No, I was worse." he thought, shamefully, "Because I knew what he was like, and then I acted that way."
It really made him feel like scum. Was this what it was like to be on the other side of things? Zetsu hadn't judged him, so why was it so easy for Naruto to turn it around? Was it because of what happened with Mizuki, and what Zetsu had intended to do with him? It was pretty easy to judge him by those standards, but Naruto knew very well that there was more than that. Zetsu had helped him out three times now, even though he didn't know Naruto at all. To be honest, Zetsu kind of reminded Naruto of himself, a little.
He smiled weakly into his bowl, the soup reflecting his expression back at him. There really hadn't been enough noodle in it. He picked up the bowl and drained the rest of it, swallowing every last drop. He then turned around and walked over to the counter, where the young man looked at him, a clear sweat drop on his brow.
"So… fast…" he muttered weakly, as Naruto placed the empty bowl down. He then blinked in surprise as Naruto smiled to himself, before glancing up at the young man.
"Actually… I was wondering if you could do something for me." Naruto said.
"Zetsu-san is certainly taking his time." Konan said, as she stood by the window.
"Of course." Pein replied from his perch. He had kept the weather clear, he had expected Zetsu to arrive sooner, "He isn't alone after all. It would seem he has taken Naruto-san's needs into great consideration."
"That's quite a surprise." Konan said, placing her hand on the wall, "I never really imagined he would go to such lengths for someone else."
Pein glanced over his shoulder, his expressionless face revealing nothing. It was enough to almost make Konan flinch. He then looked ahead again, with Konan's eyes locked on him.
"Perhaps you are growing comfortable." he said, "Do you find your life to be… peaceful?"
"Don't be ridiculous." Konan replied, looking away. Pein looked out the corner of his eye, sensing her expression. He soon looked away, not caring to maintain the motion.
"You are many things Konan, but a good judge of character, you are not." he thought, "However, that may change soon."
"Have you decided who it will be to train Naruto-san?" he asked, sitting back. He looked surprisingly relaxed for someone who was always in deep thought. Konan looked at him again, quietly glad of the change in topic.
"Yes, I have." she replied.
"Here you go!" Naruto said brightly, holding his hands out to Zetsu.
"What is this?" Zetsu asked, as he took the object from Naruto's hands. It was a cup with a pair of chopsticks inside. filled with something steaming. He looked inside with a raised brow, "Ramen?"
"Yeah, I just figured you probably don't eat people all the time!" Naruto replied, grinning as he rubbed the back of his head. Zetsu gave him a bemused look, before continuing on his way with Naruto close behind. They climbed up a tall hill, as Zetsu silently ate the ramen. Naruto couldn't remove the grin from his face as he watched him do this. It was then that he noticed something he probably should have earlier.
"Hey… what happened to Mizuki-san's…?" He asked, leaving his question hanging. Zetsu looked up from his cup, a slightly confused look on his face.
"Mizuki-san?" he repeated, before remembering, "Oh yes, we had to leave him underground. He was making progress difficult."
Naruto stared at Zetsu as he returned to his meal. So Mizuki at least got something like a burial huh? Well, everyone deserved that in the end, at least that's what Naruto thought.
They continued their climb until Zetsu finished eating, to which he then handed the empty cup to Naruto.
"There wasn't very much noodle in that." Zetsu muttered to himself. It was his more serious side, so Naruto didn't mind. In actual fact, it was a little amusing that they shared the same thought, "Could you keep a hold of that for us? Please don't throw it away."
Naruto nodded in reply, just as they reached the top of the hill. It was rounded, every direction was a descent. They came to a stop near a mossy patch, where Zetsu crouched down. He held his left hand in a seal, and to Naruto's surprise, the moss moved out of the way, revealing a deep hole into nothingness. It was quite wide, about two metres diameter from what he could guess. He looked at Zetsu questioningly, who was sitting down with his legs hanging inside the hole.
"Is this it?" he asked. He hadn't imagined it would be so close, or in such an unusual place. But then again, where would this "organisation" Zetsu spoke of meet? They couldn't belong to a village, they had to be missing-nin or something.
"Whoa!" Naruto thought, as he was hit with that sudden realisation, "Zetsu-san's a missing-nin! Does that mean I'm working with criminals now?"
"Come here." Zetsu ordered, to which Naruto complied. He then gripped Naruto's arm, before dropping down into the hole.
"HYAAAAAAAAAAA!" Naruto yelled, as they fell down an immeasurable distance. But the fall lasted only for moments, they soon landed on solid ground, Zetsu landing first before lowering Naruto onto the ground. When Naruto was on his own feet, he looked around in surprise. The cave they were in, if that was the right name, had absolute zero visibility, minus the shaft of light coming from the hole above, which shone across the cavern behind them as the sun had only recently risen. It cast deep down into a tunnel, where there was the faint sound of rushing water. This place must have been a series of underground tunnels, with a natural water system.
"This place is actually kind of cool!" Naruto thought, gazing around. Having been stuck in Konoha all his life, exploration was something new and exciting to him. That was why he found this place so interesting, this was the first cave he had ever been in.
"So you are here."
Naruto whipped his head around in shock. That voice… it wasn't normal, it sounded like it had been filtered somehow, like through a broken transceiver. But it also seemed to have no origin. It had sounded close, yet there was no one close enough to had said it. Naruto was almost tempted to believe that Zetsu had a third personality, but that wouldn't have explained the quality of the voice.
"We have him with us, leader-sama." Zetsu said. Naruto turned back to the front, his eyes widening in shock. Before them, a strange green glow flickered into existence, taking on a humanoid form. It wasn't clear, but it looked like a man. His body was almost transparent, it was difficult to make anything out. The best Naruto could see was that he wore the same cloak as Zetsu, but it fit him like it should. He could also see that this person's hair was even spikier than his own, with a more wild look to it. But the thing that really caught Naruto's attention, was this person's eyes. They were completely visible, both the iris and sclera were a shade of grey, the iris outlined in a thin black circle. There were three more circles like that outside the iris, making his eyes look like ripples in a pool. They studied Naruto closely, with an incredibly penetrating gaze. It almost felt like he was looking through Naruto, at something else entirely. This was only momentary however, as the man then looked Naruto in the eye seriously. It was strange, this man's presence was so strong, Naruto could feel his back straighten under his gaze.
"Uzumaki Naruto." the man said, "Welcome."
"Uh… thanks." Naruto replied dumbly. He wondered how this guy could know his name, but it wasn't a big worry in his mind. The man then glanced at Zetsu, who nodded before sinking into the ground. Naruto raised his brow at this, why was Zetsu being asked to leave?
"I assume Zetsu-san has told you nothing of our organization?" the man asked, returning his eyes to Naruto's.
"No, nothing really." Naruto replied, his eyes wide. The man nodded slowly, as if that was what he had expected.
"Zetsu-san acts as our spy." he said, in an informal, yet somehow official, tone, "Therefore he is better suited for seeking information, not dispensing it."
"Is he always alone?" Naruto asked, not realizing how out of place his question was. It made the man stare a little harder at him.
"Tell me, what do you know about Zetsu-san?" he asked, his tone losing its official quality. Naruto noticed it, he was a little surprised.
"Well, he seems to get what it means to be alone." he replied, "And… I think he's used to it. People are afraid of him because of how he looks, and no one wants to know what's inside him. I… I think he's in pain."
The man continued to stare at Naruto silently, considering his words slowly.
"Tell me, what do you know of pain?" he asked, "Tell me the pain you have felt."
"Huh, what?" Naruto asked, feeling taken aback. This person had suddenly become very curious about him, it came as a shock to him, "My pain?"
"Akatsuki is an organization consisting of a group of ninja who have left their villages for their own reasons. Some have felt betrayal, others were never in a position to be betrayed in the first place. We all have our reasons, I would like you to tell me yours."
Akatsuki… was that the name of the organization Zetsu mentioned? And he had called this man leader-sama, so he was the boss of this group then? And why was he so interested in finding Naruto's reasons, and what was this about his "pain"? Suddenly, it hit him.
"I get it." he said, lowering his head slightly, his hair obscuring his eyes, "My pain… well, there's the pain of being alone. I know that one pretty well. But there's more than that. It's the pain of no one giving you the chance, of no one even wanting to acknowledge you. Sometimes I wish people could see what's inside, but in my case…"
He then looked up, locking eyes with the man,
"In my case, the only thing they see is what's inside of me." he said, his brow creasing angrily, "That's all they ever saw, the Kyubi. And it's all you see as well, isn't it?"
If this man was surprised by Naruto's outburst, he didn't show it. Instead, he turned away, his back to Naruto.
"Come to Amegakure." he said, "We will continue this there."
With that, he disappeared, leaving Naruto alone in the cave. He was a little surprised by the sudden disappearance, but then, a lot had surprised him recently, he was getting a little sick of it to be honest.
Moments later, Zetsu appeared from the ground again, only ascending halfway, and looked up at Naruto expressionlessly.
"Leader-sama has left." he stated, surprised, "He gave you orders then?"
"Uh, yeah." Naruto replied, turning to face Zetsu, "He said to come to a place called Amegakure. Know where that is?"
"I should." Zetsu replied, before turning away, "Get in, if leader-sama gave you the order, then it wouldn't do to keep him waiting."
Naruto blinked, before complying. He climbed back on to Zetsu's shoulders, realising he still had the empty cup in his hands. As such, he could only keep his balance with one hand as the leaves closed again, and the burrowed underground.
"Is it really wise to bring him here?" Konan asked, as Pein climbed in through the window. With a quick hand sign, the rain began to fall outside, ending the reprieve of the village.
"This situation is different than with Akatsuki." he replied, looking back at Konan, "The Jinchuriki must be handled with care. They won't be so easy to control as normal human beings are."
He took a few steps through the dark room, heading to the door. He paused for a moment, which surprised Konan a little. She followed him out of the room and into the empty hallway, which was lit by candles. The blue walls and orange light didn't mix well, but aesthetics weren't the primary concern of these two, nor of those who resided in this building. If any of those people were fit to complain, then this would be the wrong place for them anyway.
"The Gedō Mazō is completely destroyed." Pein said, as he walked, "As such, harnessing the power of the Biju is impossible. Now our only option is to convince them to align themselves with us, if we are to succeed."
"But why start with the Kyubi?" Konan asked, keeping just a couple of steps behind, "Wouldn't it be better to seek someone who was skilled with their Biju instead of a child?"
"It is because he is an inexperienced child that he must be the one." Pein replied, "The older Jinchuriki do not trust humans, but if they were met with one of their own, they could be swayed. We must mould Uzumaki Naruto, the youngest Jinchuriki who is sealed with the strongest Biju. Only then can we even consider seeking the others."
"But what if they won't listen?" Konan asked, "There's no guarantee that they will come because of Naruto-san."
Pein didn't answer immediately. He knew as soon as he voiced these words, it would be a sign of weakness.
"It is not necessary for us to wield all of the Biju." he said, "As long as we can possess a majority, any without doubts are obstacles."
Konan raised her brow in surprise. She would never have expected Pein to accept less than everything, it was something she had never seen in him before.
Pein continued to walk in silence, his mind deep in concentration.
"Tell me Pein, what can you see here?" Madara asked, gesturing to the stone tablet before them. Pein studied it closely, the writing on it appeared to be in strange seals. The majority of it made no sense to him, but the last part was infallibly clear.
"It seems to describe the origins of the Biju." Madara explained, "That they at one time were unified as a single being known as the Jubi. There is also information here relating to the Rikudō Sennin, and that he was very closely related to the Jubi. The first parts are readable only with the Sharingan and then the Mangekyou. However, the last part is readable only by the wielder of the Rinnegan, as I'm sure you've realised."
Pein nodded slowly, as he reread the tablet again.
"This tablet tells me one thing." he said. Madara glanced at him with stoic anticipation.
"And that is?" he asked, with slight impatience. Pein slowly closed his eyes, before opening them again.
"Shinra Tensei."