"That Kakashi!" Tsunade growled, slamming her fist on the desk.

Shizune sat there, trembling, not knowing what she was supposed to do next.

"Naoto, get Naruto and Yamato and go searching for them" the blonde ordered.

I nodded, but had no idea who I had to go after. "Who do we have to search for?" I asked.

The Hokage tsked. "Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji and Hatake Kakashi" she replied, a bit calmer. "They left to avenge Asuma's death last night. Take Naruto and Yamato, find them and bring them back" she ordered.

"Hokage-sama, I would like to go with her" the pink haired girl that sat in a corner all this time came forward.

Tsunade sighed. "Fine, but Naoto's in charge of the mission" she turned to me. "Naoto, this is Haruno Sakura. She's a medical ninja"

I nodded. "Alright. Best be on our way, Sakura-san" I said, turning around and leaving the room, with Sakura behind me.

As we exited the building, a flash of yellow hair whisked past us, but returned in a matter of seconds.

"Naoto-chan, Sakura-chan, have you seen Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, catching his breath.

I scratched the back of my head. "About that, Naruto...he's gone after Asuma's killers with Ino, Shikamaru and Choji. Tsunade-sama sent us to retrieve them" I explained.

"Us?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah, knucklehead" I exclaimed. "You, me, Sakura and Yamato" I completed. "Where is he, anyway?"

Just as I asked that, a sweaty and tired Yamato ran up to us, clutching his right side and gasping for air.

"Just in time, Yamato-sensei" I exclaimed. "We need to leave right now"

I heard him sigh exasperatedly, but it couldn't be helped. If those Akatsuki members managed to kill Asuma, who, from what I've heard, was an exceptional shinobi and had three backups, they might actually kill Kakashi as well. The rest didn't make a sound, probably because Kuronuma's chakra intimidated them, so I led the three others out of the village without commanding anything. I was starting to like leadership.

About half a day later, we were wondering around a forest. My Karuigan didn't pick up any forms of chakra or human life form yet, so we moved forward at top speed. But when we were deep inside the forest, I started sensing the heat of a battle.

"Found them! About 200 meters ahead!" I announced.

I recognized the chakra of Kakashi, Ino and Choji, but there was no trace of Shikamaru's. There was only one chakra that I didn't recognize, but there were supposed to be two. That meant Shikamaru got separated with the other Akatsuki.

"Stop!" I ordered, landing on a branch with a frown.

Naruto grumbled, landing beside me. "We can't wait, Naoto. Our friends are out there fighting. We need to get there as soon as possible" he lectured me.

"Shikamaru is missing and so does one of the enemies" I let them know. "He got separated"

I saw Sakura frown, standing facing me on a branch. "Or they could have died" she grimly said.

I shook my head. "I would have sensed their chakra, even after their deaths" I replied. "Besides, if would have killed Shikamaru, then the others would have been long gone. Kakashi would have probably been the last one standing" I pondered.

"So what's the plan, captain?" Yamato smirked.

I looked up, thinking of something to do. "Yamato, take Naruto and attack the one we've found" I ordered, the two males nodding and leaving quickly.

"What about us?" Sakura tilted her head.

"We're going to find Shikamaru" I said and took off, going around the ongoing battle, hoping to track down the Nara kid.

Soon, his chakra entered the range of my eye technique, but he didn't seem to need any help, as an explosion started, tearing his opponent apart. When we arrived at the scene, Shikamaru had successfully buried the enemy, preventing him from escaping.

"He is not dead yet, Shikamaru" I announced him after examining the site with the Karuigan.

"He can't die" came his lazy reply. "Impossible to kill and has a foul mouth. This one won the 'bad traits' lottery" he continued.

We started running back to the others, as they finished their battle as well.

"Don't run off like that again, got it?" I scolded the brunet, as we dashed through the leaves and branches.

He puffed. "What a drag" he mumbled.

Arriving to a deserted site, we saw a massive crater in the ground, and I sensed that Kakashi and the corpse were in there. The others were looking inside from above.

"We did it, Naoto-chan!" Naruto squeaked.

Ino looked up. "Kakashi-sensei's dragging him up now"

"Naruto gave the crippling blow! It was awesome!" Choji praised.

Kakashi surfaced with the body. The man had been sown at every joint, and his mouth was cut from ear to ear, also sown together with thick black thread. His torso was also patched together by the same thread, while he was spewing some out of his now still mouth.

"You're in deep shit with Tsunade, Kakashi-sensei" I gave him a heads-up. "She was fuming when we left"

The silver-haired man sighed. He knew very well - more than I knew - what Tsunade was like when someone pushed her buttons. He was aware of her physical strength and that she could crush all of his ribs with one blow.

As Kakashi slipped into depression, Sakura checked to see if the dead man was really dead, as Yamato warned her that there were techniques that aided in faking one's death. When she concluded that Kakuzu was dead for real, I sealed him into a scroll I carried around, so that he would be easier to transport. We left as soon as everyone's wounds were mended and they were strong enough to resist half a day of running. Kakuzu and Hidan, the two Akatsuki, had put up one hell of a fight.

Life went on quietly for the next few days. Kakashi got away easily from Tsunade's wrath, Ino and Sakura lead the autopsy on Kakuzu's body and Naruto was forbade using his new technique, the Rasenshuriken, as it severed some of his right hand's chakra network. I was spending my days running errands through the village for the Hokage, completing small missions or establishing trading relations in the name of Konohagakure. It seemed like Tsunade wanted me as far from my brother as possible, fearing that I might slip some information out to him. That, or she just wanted to make a diplomat out of me, which wasn't so bad in the long run, but right then I wanted some more action.

One night, as I was going home to my newly acquired apartment, I passed by the park. There, I spotted Tsunade and a white haired man conversing on a bench. I hid in a tree to conceal my presence, as I eavesdropped on the two.

"So, I noticed your new right hand, Tsunade" the man said.

The blonde seemed a little pissed. "Jiraiya, if you dare lay your perverted hands on Naoto, I swear..." she spat out angrily, but Jiraiya cut her off.

"Chill out, Blondie" he cut her off. "She looks exactly like her mother. Fiery, just like her"

Tsunade looked shocked. "How the hell..." she started.

"I've known the two of them since they were Academy kids. I've spent more time with them. I've been there for their wedding and Kushina's pregnancy; I'm the twins' godfather. I'm just glad that she's ok, growing up nicely, just like her brother" Jiraiya nostalgically said. "Does Naruto know?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No, he doesn't. Naoto is more mature than him, she left the place she called home, came here knowing nothing and got used to the fact that her brother is still alive rather quickly. Naruto has lived his whole life knowing that his family is dead. The news of a long lost sister might set of the beast, and with the seal so frail I can't risk telling him. Rebuilding the village after a Tailed Beast rampage is the last thing we need, with the Akatsuki after Naruto and all" she explained, gazing at the bright stars.

The old man sighed. "Look, Tsunade, I am leaving to Amegakure tomorrow and I might not come back. The situation with the Akatsuki is a bit out of hand, so I'll see what I can find in the birth place of the organization" he laid out his plan to her.

"What? No, you're not going anywhere!" Tsunade countered. "I need you here!"

"It's already settled. Listen; if I make it back, I want to tell Naruto about his sister myself. If I don't, have Naoto tell him herself. She is able to calm him down if the beast attempts to go on a rampage. She's done it twice already. He needs to know soon" Jiraiya said and stood up, leaving the park and Tsunade to sob by herself.

Even from where I stood, I could see the torn up look on the man's face. I knew they were old teammates and that Jiraiya had had feelings for her since forever, but I never thought that she shared some of his feelings at least. Maybe it was just because she was losing her last teammate, or her old friend, but one thing was for sure: it broke her heart to see him march on to his probable death.

"Jiraiya is dead" an old toad croaked out sorrowfully, standing on a pile of paperwork on Tsunade's desk.

The blonde's eyes welled up with tears. "What? Why? Who?" she started asking, panic in her eyes.

"Six guys that call themselves Pain" the toad responded. "Apprentices from the Hidden Rain during the War, I presume"

Tsunade seemed to recall, but she still had water in her eyes. "Where is his body?"

"At the bottom of the Amegakure waters" he said. "He did leave a message for Naruto, and he killed one of them in battle, sending him through Lady Shima"

Shizune stepped in. "We got the body last night" she said.

"Thank you, Lord Fukusaku. Shizune, take him to the Decipher Corps and send for Naruto" Tsunade's voice was breaking.

When we were alone, she barely could stand still. She sobbed so hard, that it broke my heart.

"Naoto" she managed to say. "Tonight, after Naruto calms down a bit from the dreadful news, tell him everything. It's time he knows" she choked out.

I nodded and left her be. She needed to get everything out, and she probably didn't want me to watch my higher-up in such a vulnerable state.

Her words ran through my mind the entire day.

That night, walking home, I saw Naruto distracted, sitting on bench. The voice rang through my head as I walked up to him.

"It's time he knows"