Naruto Senju Shippuden

Chapter 15

Naruto was sitting in the same lotus position as when talking to Sasuke. Then, finally, the rest of the team shows up. "Naruto! Are you okay!?" Kiba asks when he lands near Naruto. "Yeah, don't worry. Sasuke and I just had a small chat," Naruto says as he stands up. "Let's head back to the village... There is nothing left for us to gain by hunting Sasuke any longer. He will come eventually. Sorry, Shino, I know you felt left out when we left on the Sasuke recovery mission without you," he adds as he gets ready to leave. "What do you mean?! Wasn't the mission to bring him back or capture Itachi?!" Kiba asks, outraged at the lax nature of Naruto. "Thank you for your concern, but it is unnecessary. Why? If you say, we can't bring him home. Then we can't," Shino says. Naruto nods appreciatively toward the Aburame clan member.

"They are going to be fighting to the death. There is nothing we can do about it. Sasuke is going to win that match and then I'll talk with him again. Bringing back Sasuke with force isn't going to work," Naruto explains. The others looked unconvinced. "Even if we managed to force him back, He will just run again first chance he gets," He adds. Everyone was shocked by Naruto's apparent surrender.

"What about doing everything to bring him back home?! Did you forget your promise?! I thought you never go back on your word!" Sakura screams at his back. "This is how far we will get with Sasuke. I have done everything within my power to save him. I can lead him down to the river, but I can't drink the water for him," Naruto answers. "The time will come when we meet again. I will try to settle this with words again. Shall we head back now?" He adds. Kakashi sighs. "Very well. You were the only one to meet with Sasuke. I will trust your judgement," He says. "Good, because I get the feeling something terrible has happened in the village," Naruto says as he looks toward Konoha.

The two teams were going fast. Faster than you would expect for a return after a failed mission. Naruto was the one setting the tempo. "Naruto, calm down. We haven't gotten a summons from Tsunade-sama. I'm sure the village is fine," Kakashi tries to make the overeager teen slow down. "No there is no time to waste... something has happened I know it," Naruto answers. Naruto stops suddenly. He holds up his hand for everyone to stop. "You can come out now..." Naruto says. "There is noone there what are you talking about Naruto?" Sakura asks. "Byakugan!" Hinata says as she activates her Kekkei Genkai. "There is someone... His chakra is well hidden but it is there," She says as she looks around.

"AH! I don't believe it! You found me!" A childish voice screams out as a body steps out from a tree. He wore the Akatsuki cloak and had an orange mask covering his face. Black hair spurts out. "Akatsuki..." Naruto mutters. "Be careful... He is stronger than he looks..." Naruto warns his companions. "I am not here to fight!" The Akatsuki member says as he shakes his hands in front of his body. "Then why are you here..?" Naruto asks. "I am just here to stop you from interfering with Sasuke..." The man says playfully. "Then you have nothing to worry about. We are heading home," Naruto answers. They stare each other down. Kakashi had lifted his hitai-ate and was inspecting his foe. But, he stops when he sees his visible eye. A Sharingan was staring back at him.

"Where did you get that eye?!" Kakashi asks. But, before he gets the chance to ask, a green flying venus trap-like thing grows out of the tree next to the Akatsuki member. It opens up, and a half white and half black man looks up at the man they are talking to with two yellow eyes. "Mokuton..." Naruto gulps. That shouldn't be possible. There are only two people who can use that bloodline. "The battle between Sasuke and Itachi has been concluded... Sasuke won the battle," The voice of the half-man changes midsentence. "Ah! I don't believe it!" The masked man exclaims. "Just kidding... Just as I expected..." The masked man's own voice drops the playful tone as he speaks.

"Where is Sasuke?" Naruto asks the weird half creature. He didn't trust that the Akatsuki wouldn't sweep in and turn Sasuke away from Konoha. "I thought you said you were heading home," The masked man asks in his deep voice. "This changes things. Now I know you are after Sasuke as well. I can't let a friend join the Akatsuki," Naruto says seriously. "I see..." The masked man says. "I'll be leaving now... We will see each other soon enough Senju Naruto of Konoha," He says and leaves with a weird technique. "We need to hurry!" Naruto says as he takes off in the opposite direction from how they were going before.