A masked Kumogakure shinobi appeared within the Raikage's office, kneeling on one knee before the Fourth Raikage. "Lord Fourth, the Sensor Team has detected the jutsu marker left on Yugito-sama."
"Mabui." The Fourth Raikage turned to his capable secretary. "Notify Uchiha Sasuke. Tell him to bring the rest of the Shinobi Squad." He paused, a grim determination settling on his features. "Kumogakure hereby formally declares war—" his voice resonated with authority, "—on the Akatsuki!"
"Yes, sir!" Mabui's expression turned serious, and she hurriedly left the room.
"Matsu!" the Raikage barked at the masked figure. "Notify all Jonin to prepare for battle! And also..." He hesitated for a moment. "Get Bee as well."
The masked figure acknowledged with a sound and vanished on the spot. The Fourth Raikage turned to look out the window at the churning thunderclouds, a flash of lightning illuminating his resolute face.
Land of Grass.
Amidst the ruins of the battle between Pain and Yugito, four figures were positioned. Screee! An ear-piercing hawk's cry echoed from the sky.
Uchiha Sasuke looked up, his three-tomoe Sharingan rotating slightly. Recognizing the message scroll tied to the hawk's leg, his expression shifted. The piercing sound of Chidori chirped from his hand. The ninja hawk, noticing the four individuals, slowly descended before them.
"A Kumogakure ninja hawk?" Deidara frowned. Each village trained their messenger hawks differently, leaving distinct village characteristics. Kumo hawks generally had coarser feathers and were significantly larger than those from other villages.
"What's happened?" A woman of about twenty, with a well-rounded figure and dark green hair, Yenako, looked at their team leader, Sasuke, with a questioning gaze. She was Sunagakure's representative in the Shinobi Squad, a wielder of Scorch Release, and considered the team's "visual representative."
"Kumogakure has declared war on the Akatsuki," Sasuke said, his gaze slightly raised, looking at Yenako.
"Those muscle-heads were the first to actually catch the Akatsuki? Un!" Deidara looked utterly astonished.
"Kumogakure has always had the hardest stance against the Akatsuki. This outcome isn't surprising," Chojuro, Kirigakure's representative, commented.
"It doesn't matter to us who found them first," Sasuke stated. "Eliminating the Akatsuki is a joint mission assigned to us by the Five Great Villages. Let's move out!"
"Finally going up against those guys, yeah!" Deidara thought, forming a giant clay bird as an excited glint appeared in his eyes. It's just a pity that Uchiha Itachi also quit Akatsuki. Otherwise, I'd really like to let him taste my Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu! Yeah!
In a desolate alternate dimension.
The grotesque Demonic Statue of the Outer Path stood towering. A terrifying, visible chakra spewed from its mouth, suspending a dark tea kettle in mid-air. Several spectral, rainbow-hued figures stood upon the Statue's ten fingers.
"Kumogakure has declared war on us," White Zetsu suddenly spoke.
"Didn't you say they couldn't find this alternate dimension?" Kakuzu grumbled, looking at him dissatisfied.
"They probably placed some kind of tracking jutsu on the Two-Tails Jinchuriki. After all, finding an alternate dimension that doesn't exist in the main world is no less difficult than finding a needle in the ocean," Black Zetsu said, looking down at Yugito Nii, who was suspended upside down by chains covered in sealing formulas.
"Kumogakure is ruthless, using their Jinchuriki as bait like this," Hiruko remarked with a slight click of his tongue.
"It will take them some time to open a stable passage between the main world and this dimension. Let's hurry and extract the Tailed Beast's chakra," the Deva Path of Pain instructed.
An hour later. The dark tea kettle fell from the chakra mass towards the ground. Simultaneously, one of the Gedo Mazo's nine tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open. This tea kettle was the vessel Sunagakure had once used to seal the One-Tail, Shukaku, and it still contained some of Shukaku's residual chakra. The amount was small, but barely usable. The One-Tail Jinchuriki was now the esteemed Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure, and with the Akatsuki's existence exposed, launching a direct assault to capture the Tailed Beast while Suna was on high alert was too difficult. Moreover, whether the Dragon Heritage organization's leader, Uzumaki Naruto, would intervene was also an unknown. Therefore, to ensure the overall plan proceeded without mishap, they had chosen to use the chakra from the sealing vessel—the tea kettle—to temporarily fill Shukaku's vacancy.
ROAR! The chakra mass expelled from the Gedo Mazo's mouth transformed into a dragon's head, which roared and swallowed the suspended Yugito. Excruciating pain forced Yugito's eyes wide open, but under the powerful extraction force of the Mystical Dragon Nine Consuming Seals, she was completely unable to struggle, her body only capable of instinctive convulsions.
Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
The Jonin Council meeting room, which should have been a place of solemnity and seriousness, was in an uproar. Konoha's assembled Jonin stared at the young man who had walked into the room, their minds replaying the joint proposal submitted by Shiranui Genma, Gekko Hayate, Namiashi Raido, and Yamashiro Aoba: "Reinstate the Fourth Hokage's son—Namikaze Naruto—as a Konoha shinobi!"
Seated in the main position, facing the Jonin, the Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade, gazed at the calm young man with a long sword at his waist standing in the center of the room. After the murmurs had subsided somewhat, she lightly tapped the table. "It seems everyone is quite conflicted," she said, then turned to the man beside her. "Jiraiya, your thoughts?"
Jiraiya, startled from his reverie, looked momentarily blank, then spoke: "Then let's proceed according to regulations. A show of hands for a vote."
"Tsunade!" Koharu Utatane hissed in a low voice. "Such a precedent cannot be set!"
"Silence!" Tsunade shot her a cold glare. "The root of this entire situation was caused by your foolishness in the first place. For you to bring this up now, do you think it's appropriate?"
Koharu's face turned grim. Knowing she was in the wrong, she chose to temporarily back down.
So that's how it was... You were the ones restricting my actions back then... Naruto looked at the two advisors seated to the side, his eyes flickering as those long-buried memories resurfaced.
"Those in favor, raise your hands!" Tsunade declared, looking out at the Jonin.
Shiranui Genma and the other three former guards were the first to raise their arms, followed closely by Nara Shikaku and the Jonin aligned with him. Kakashi, seated near the front, looked at the youth's familiar face with a complex expression before also raising his arm.
"Still need ten more votes..." Shiranui Genma's gaze darted around, looking at several Jonin who appeared hesitant. He couldn't help but feel nervous. Although he trusted Shikaku to have arranged everything, now that the moment had truly arrived, he found it hard to control his emotions.
"The Hyuga Clan supports Namikaze Naruto's return to Konoha." Just then, Hyuga Hiashi suddenly raised his right hand. The other Hyuga Jonin exchanged bewildered glances but, despite their confusion, raised their arms without hesitation.
"What's going on?" It wasn't just Genma's group who were astonished; even Nara Shikaku at the front looked perplexed. Why would the traditionally proud and aloof Hyuga Clan get involved in voting on such a proposal?
Naruto also looked towards the Hyuga Clan's section. Hyuga Hiashi, sensing his gaze, turned slightly, a rare, faint smile hinting at goodwill appearing on his usually stern face. Naruto returned the gesture with a nod of acknowledgment. Though he didn't know the reason, he would remember this kindness.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the two elders exchanged surprised glances. What had transpired between the Hyuga Clan and Uzumaki... no, Namikaze Naruto, that they were unaware of? Or rather, what had Namikaze Naruto promised the Hyuga Clan to earn their full support?
After a moment's hesitation, Jiraiya also raised his arm. He already owed this child so much; he would compensate where he could, bit by bit. Even though his vote was likely inconsequential to the boy at this point.
"And you two?" Tsunade also raised her arm, then turned to the two elders.
Seeing the forest of raised hands filling the room, the two advisors exchanged a look and reluctantly raised their own withered arms.
"One person, one vote," Tsunade announced, seeing no more hands go up. "Next, those who disagree, raise your hands."
The Jonin who hadn't raised their hands earlier looked at each other. Any discerning person could see that Namikaze Naruto's return was already a foregone conclusion. Their stance no longer mattered. But to raise their hands in opposition now would clearly antagonize him. They weren't foolish enough to make an enemy of a ninja standing at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
"One minute. Not raising your hand will be considered an abstention." A minute passed, and still, no one raised a hand. Tsunade wasn't surprised; anyone capable of becoming a Jonin was no fool.
"Based on the results of the meeting..." She stood up and declared solemnly, "According to the results of this council, Namikaze Naruto's status as a Konoha shinobi is hereby restored! Meeting adjourned!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The Jonin all rose, watching as Tsunade, Jiraiya, Naruto, and the elders departed.
"Namikaze Naruto, follow me!" Just as Tsunade was stepping out of the council room, she paused slightly and looked back at him.
Naruto glanced at Nara Shikaku nearby, received a nod of confirmation, and then followed. Hyuga Hiashi nodded slightly towards Nara Shikaku and led the Hyuga Jonin out of the room.
"Quite a surprise, wasn't it, Kakashi?" Might Guy nudged his 'eternal rival' with an elbow.
"Indeed, a surprise," Kakashi said, scratching his head with a faint sigh.
Hokage Tower.
Tsunade looked at the young man before her. "I'm glad you're willing to return to Konoha. After all, Konoha owes you."
"No one owes anyone anything. Everything was just a choice made due to circumstances," Naruto replied, shaking his head slightly. Once, he had chosen to leave Konoha for freedom; now, for his ideals, he chose to return.
"I investigated your situation back then. If I were in your shoes, I would have left too," Tsunade said with a wave of her hand, not wanting him to feel he had to hide his true feelings. "I know the darkness within Konoha better than you do."
Naruto was taken aback. The Fifth Hokage's frankness truly surprised him, but it felt good.
"I can assure you here and now, as long as I sit in this position as Fifth Hokage, those things will not happen again," Tsunade pledged.
"...Thank you." Naruto expressed his sincere gratitude, though he didn't really think those past events could reoccur. If fists couldn't solve all problems, it just meant the fists weren't hard enough. He had chosen to leave Konoha before because his fists weren't hard enough. Now, he felt his fists were very hard indeed. While they might not solve all the world's problems, they were certainly sufficient to deal with past grievances.
"I cannot directly grant you the rank of Jonin," Tsunade continued, looking at him. "This status represents not only strength but also responsibility and contribution. You understand what I mean, don't you?"
"I understand. I will complete the necessary missions," Naruto nodded.
"As for your residence, I have two options for you here." Tsunade walked to the window, pointing to a compound. "Your parents' former residence, though it is currently held by the Sarutobi clan." Her fair finger moved slightly, pointing to another compound. "This one is currently unoccupied, more luxuriously renovated, and larger. Which compound do you choose?"
"My parents' former residence," Naruto replied without hesitation, the answer coming out instantly. To him, where he lived didn't really matter; his old bachelor apartment would have been fine. But as a person, there were things one should do and things one shouldn't. Something that rightfully belonged to him was being occupied by others; not taking it back just wouldn't sit right.
"Are you aware of the corresponding consequences?" Tsunade asked, tilting her head.
"I am." Naruto nodded. So what if it offended the Sarutobi clan? With his current standing, it was debatable who was offending whom. Even if the Sarutobi clan did give up the compound to support his bid for Sixth Hokage, what of it? The position of Sixth Hokage was merely his optimal choice, not an essential one.
Tsunade turned to Jiraiya, who stood nearby. "Before evening, have the Sarutobi clan vacate the house."
Jiraiya nodded and his figure vanished.
"Shizune, take him to handle the relevant paperwork."
"Yes, ma'am!" Shizune nodded.
By the time Naruto had settled all matters and walked out of the Hokage Tower, two hours had passed.
"Thank you for your trouble," Naruto said to Shizune beside him.
"Not at all, you're too kind," Shizune replied with a slight shake of her head. In the shinobi world, the strong were revered. Even if her official rank was higher than his for now, everyone knew it was only temporary. "Do you need me to take you to your residence?"
"I know the location. I can go by myself."
"If you encounter anything troublesome, you can come find me," Shizune offered. It wasn't that she was trying to curry favor, but simply out of fear that some blockhead might provoke him, leading to unpleasant incidents that would make things difficult for Lady Tsunade.
Naruto nodded slightly.
His parents' former residence was about two kilometers in a straight line from the Hokage Tower; by road, the distance would likely double. Strolling through the streets, a strange emotion welled up in his heart. It was an obscure feeling, somewhere between a wanderer returning to his homeland and settling down in a new, yet familiar, place.
"Bad guys! Who said you could touch Daddy's things!" Before he even arrived, the sound of a child's noisy tantrum reached his ears.
Naruto looked over and saw Konoha Jonin Sarutobi Asuma holding a small, snot-nosed boy whose front teeth hadn't even fully grown in. The child was struggling wildly in Asuma's grip, trying to break free and viciously attack the workers who were moving items in the distance. "Bad guys! Those are Grandpa's things! You're not allowed to touch them!"
Sarutobi Asuma sighed helplessly. "Konohamaru, they won't damage those things. They're just moving them to the new house."
"I'm not moving! This is my home!" Konohamaru struggled even more fiercely.
"You should be happy about moving to a new house, Konohamaru," Asuma tried to persuade him.
"You're lying! I know everything! You're making me move out to give this house to a bad guy!" Konohamaru wailed. "If... if Grandpa were still alive, how dare you! Boohoo..." He sniffled. "If Grandpa were still alive, I'd definitely have him kill the guy who's stealing my house!"
"And what if I told you," a calm voice interjected, "that this house originally belonged to me? Would you believe it?"
Recognizing the speaker's face, Sarutobi Asuma's pupils contracted, and he quickly clamped a hand over his nephew's mouth.