The Third Hatake: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 41: Old Faces

"Ah, so Naruto remembers me, does he? That's good, it'd be boring if I had to reintroduce myself." Naruto felt Zetsu grab his sleeve and begin tugging him, and he let Zetsu drag him for a few minutes before they stopped. 

"Where are we, Zetsu?" Naruto asked, but the man didn't answer. "Zetsu?" He called out again, but once again he didn't receive an answer. He felt doubt and fear slowly spread from the pits of his stomach to his whole body as he felt several chakra signatures surround him in every direction, some larger than others, but only one was significantly larger than the rest, standing out the most. 

"Betrayal huh? Never thought you were the type." He muttered, a sarcastic and tired grin on his face. 

"Betrayal?" Zetsu asked, amusement lacing his voice. "It's quite the opposite, I've brought you some old friends to help you fulfill your new dream." Naruto tilted his head, doubt, and fear now gone, replaced with bewilderment and confusion. 

"And what dream would that be?" He said, laughing a bit. "I have nothing left in this pathetic world. That talk about burning the shinobi nations to the ground? Complete horseshit, I was just angry. Don't get me wrong, I could care less if it burned, but it's not worth the effort to do it myself." 

"What about becoming the Leaf's weapon? Or perhaps becoming the new Tsuchikage hm? Save your father? Give Haku breakfast? Or perhaps take that Temari girl on a date? You have so many options it's hilarious." He said, grinning as he leered over Naruto. 

"I have no desire to be the Leaf's weapon, Tsuchikage was Kioku's dream, not mine. My father could break out whenever he so desires. Haku is a woman now, not a teenager who needs to cling upon the boy who helped her. Temari wouldn't be interested in me anyway, so no, not really Zetsu." He said as he rolled his blind eye. 

"Kouhai," A monotone voice spoke up, causing Naruto's eyes to widen. 

"S-Sai-senpai?" He spoke, turning to the voice as a hand grabbed his shoulder gently. "Y-You're alive? I," He stopped speaking as his throat began burning, his blind eye gathering tears. 

"Kouhai," Sai said again as he leaned over, his mouth hovering right over Naruto's ear. "Why don't you go after the most important goal of all?" 

"And what is that?" Naruto replied in a whisper. Sai let his signature smile cross his face as he closed his eyes. 

"Kill Fugaku Uchiha of course and return the Leaf to its former glory."  

"The Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki is still alive is he?" A man within an Akatsuki cloak said, piercing littering his face as his Rinnegan glowed in the dark. "This has gotten interesting, Itachi. Do you know his current strength?" Itachi's Sharingan trailed across the room, studying everybody's eyes peering at him for an answer. 

"He is strong, he's killed Komihoro and Kazuma of Mist quite easily apparently, along with Shisui Uchiha, and he held his own against Kisame, Sasuke, and I very well, but lost in the end. If I didn't have the Totsuka Blade, then I, including Kisame, would have lost. I truly believe that only you are Konan have the power to take him down." He glanced at Kakuzu and contemplated in his head for a little bit before nodding. "And Kakuzu has a chance to beat him if he goes all out from the start." 

"You sure you aren't just overestimating the boy Itachi? I bet my art could take him down in seconds with an explosion!" Deidara yelled, a grin plastered on his face. Sasori, who was standing next to his partner shook his head.