Naruto's Mission

25 - Naruto Shippuden begins!

So uh. Hi again.

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Yeah this is awkward.

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Let's just start the chapter.

The chirping of the birds flying high in the sky was a pleasant sound. The blond haired teenager stretched his arms and flexed his muscles. It had been a long three years, and he was ready to go home.

-----FLASHBACK

"Naruto boy, you are finally here at Mount Myoboku." A cranky voice sounded next to Naruto's head. He winced and sat up, surprised he was even able to move.
"W-why can I move?" He asked, bewildered as he faced a lady Toad. Lady Shima smiled.
"Because Pa and I gave you our sage chakra to speed up your healing. And here, the nature energy is more abundant than anywhere else, save for Ryuchi cave and Shikkotsu forest. This alone has sped up your healing tenfold." She explained. Naruto nodded.
"Thank you, Lady Shima." He said sincerely. But she noticed a frown on his face.
"What's troubling you Naruto boy?" She asked. Naruto gave her a sad look. He put his hand over his stomach.
"He's gone." Was his short reply. Lady Shima took his hand as Lord Fukasaku entered.
"Whose gone Naruto boy?" The old male Toad croaked.
"Kurama." He replied. The two elder Toads nodded their heads and guided him towards the great Toad Sage Elder. Naruto looked up at the giant Toad sitting behind a crystal ball of sorts.
"Ahh yes... you are here, Jiraiya boy, you who are singularly pervy -" the Toad Sage elder began but was quickly interrupted by a stick hitting his face.
"This is Naruto!" Lady Shima shrieked. She remembered the time when Jiraiya had received his prophecy from the elder and she didn't want to hear it again.
"Hmm? Eh? Oh... uh... who are you again?" He asked.
"Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze." He replied.
"Ah the child of prophecy."
"He wants to know about Kurama." Lord Fukasaku said.
"Ah yes, the nine tailed fox... what is it boy?"
"He's gone... why?" Naruto asked. He wanted answers first and foremost.
"No he's never gone... why Kurama and I used to talk a lot back when -" another stick hit his face.
"Oh sorry, who are you?" Lady Shima shook with fury.
"IT'S NARUTO!" She shouted.
"Ah yes... Kurama. Fear not. A bijuu is a beast of pure chakra. And what happens to chakra, my dear boy? Kurama will reform, but it will take many years, considering he is the most powerful of all bijuu and contains the most chakra."

-----FLASHBACK ENDS

"I thought I'd find you here, Naruto." Jiraiya said as he appeared at the top of a giant leaf. Naruto grinned at him.
"I'm ready to go home." Naruto said. Truth to be told, Naruto was ready a long time ago. But Jiraiya had insisted he sign the Toad summoning contract because his current fox summons weren't contracted - rather they came because of their loyalty to the nine tailed fox, who was essentially the ruler of the foxes in a manner of speaking. So Naruto signed the contract, then he also was advised by Jiraiya to learn senjutsu, to complete his training. Naruto's appearance had changed a lot. He now wore a long sleeved blue shirt under a Jonin vest, much like his father, as he was withdrawn from ANBU rank during his rehabilitation. He wore long black pants as well, with his hair grown out much more to the side, making him a living duplicate of his father, save for the whisker marks on his cheeks. Naruto stood up, his blue eyes sparkling at the prospect of returning back to Konoha.
"What are we waiting for?" Naruto asked and Jiraiya grinned.
"You."

-----

A tall black haired figure could be seen standing on top of the Fourth Hokage's head. He was wearing a black shirt with black pants, the former being emblazoned with the Uchiha crest. It had become his favourite spot to go to, after he'd recovered from trauma three years ago. It brought a strange sense of peace and comfort, especially after he had found out during the Chunin exams invasion that Naruto's father was the Fourth Hokage. He had a katana which was strapped to his back, but his eyes were closed.
"I thought I'd find you here, Sasuke." Sasuke heard a familiar voice speak. He opened his eyes slowly, revealing the spinning red Sharingan.
"Itachi." Sasuke spat out the name is disgust. He still harboured hate for his older brother, though somewhat softened over time due to Naruto's actions, he still wanted to kill Itachi. He turned around and faced his older brother, who was standing further back. His akatsuki cloak fluttered in the wind and Sasuke glared. Quick as a flash, he unsealed the many shuriken and kunai he'd sealed into special storage seals on his wrist - a trick he'd picked up from Tenten - and threw them all at Itachi. Itachi smirked, throwing his own faster than Sasuke did, countering each weapon perfectly with his own. Sasuke was shocked. Itachi was faster than him still, and his Sharingan was still trying to process the speed. Sasuke clashed his katana against Itachi's kunai, both of them holding their ground and staring each other in the eyes. Itachi's eyes slowly morphed into their Mangekyo Sharingan variants.
"Where is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze?" Itachi questioned him.
"Why?" Sasuke spat back. He knew why. He just wanted to hear Itachi say it so he had a valid reason to kill him.
"He's a jinchuriki. I need him." Came Itachi's reply. Sasuke grit his teeth. Closing his eyes for a second, he reopened them and watched Itachi with a smirk on his face as Itachi's turned into a look of shock.
"M-Mangekyo Sharingan..." Itachi whispered as he looked at Sasuke's. Then Itachi disengaged from the fight, springing backwards, closing his eyes as his vision blurred so much that he could only see vague shapes.
"So, you've killed your best friend to obtain the same eyes as I have." Itachi stated, although he was really just manipulating Sasuke for answers.
"No. He didn't die. He was saved." Sasuke said, deactivating his Mangekyo. He looked at Itachi, who seemed unimpressed.
"I may not be strong enough to kill you, Itachi, but that doesn't mean I'm not dangerous." Sasuke spoke, glaring at his older brother.
"I'm not worried at all. You possess the same eyes as me, but you don't know how to use them. In short, you are nothing but a pesky fly." Itachi replied, before bursting into a flock of crows, disappearing from the fourth Hokage's head. Sasuke sighed and sat down.
"Sasuke!" He heard Kakashi and Sakura shout. He turned his head and watched them run up to him.
"We saw Itachi! Are you alright?" Sakura asked. Sasuke allowed a rare smile to show on his face.
"I'm fine." He said, as he looked at his pink haired teammate. She'd matured, and had undergone training underneath Lady Tsunade, becoming a respected Chunin and medical Ninja, with monstrous strength to boot. Plus, Sasuke always found her cute when she was flustered. Although he never showed it outwardly, his heart always beat twice as fast when they were alone together. Kakashi had changed, however. He stopped showing up late, and was always the earliest. He still read his orange Icha Icha books, but never on important missions.
"I'm going to report to Lady Tsunade." Sasuke said and the two nodded.
"Well, then we'll be waiting here for you." Sakura said with a smile. Sasuke nodded and jumped down.