Naruto Senju Shippuden

Chapter 25

Naruto was saying his goodbyes to the toads. He wasn't sure if what the Ōgama Sennin said was helpful. What type of help was he supposed to get from an octopus anyway? He sighs deeply. "Is there something on your mind?" Fukasaku asks. "No. It's nothing. Please send me back. I'm sure Ba-chan is worried," Naruto says. "Okay. Don't be afraid to summon us in the future," Fukasaku says with a smile as he puts his hands together. "I will," Naruto says with a small smile and wave. He disappears in a poof of smoke.

Naruto pops up in the meeting room he disappeared from a few hours ago. He looks around and sees the shocked looks on everyone's faces. "Sorry I disappeared like that. The frogs wanted to talk to me," Naruto says with a bow towards Tsunade. "That is fine and all, but tell them that they should warn me if they want to summon you again," Tsunade sighs. "Ahaha. I will..." Naruto chuckles awkwardly as he rubs the back of his head.

The room had cleared out for the end of the meetings. Only Naruto and Tsunade remained. They stood opposite each other in tense silence for several moments. The war was eerily close now, and it felt real for the first time since its declaration. "So what did the toads want?" Tsunade asks to break the silence. "The great sage wanted to warn me of the coming war and my fight against Sasuke," Naruto sighs. "Nothing else? I can tell you are hiding something," Tsunade tries to coax him. "They may have also given me the key to the seal for the Kyuubi," Naruto says, trying to shrink down as much as possible. He just knew Tsunade would blow a top over this... "Good we need all the power we can get," She says. Naruto looks up at her in shock. "You need to find a way to harness that power before the war breaks out in earnest. The rest of the villages will hold them off as long as we can," She adds. Naruto didn't know what to say.

On the one hand, he was grateful to Tsunade that he would get the chance to tame the incredible power of the Kyuubi. But, on the other, he felt like he should stand on the front lines with his comrades. Tsunade then shooed him out of her office. Saying that she needed to prepare for her trip to the Land of Lightning with Shikaku on the behest of the Raikage.

Naruto was walking down the streets of Konoha. The early summer evening was warm and pleasent. Much more so than the unbearingly hot days. And not as hot as it is going to become. Naruto is sure. They are escecially hot since they spent those days inside in small rooms with lots of peolpe inside. Naruto took in a deep breath. It was nice to enjoy thge cooler tempratures whenn he had a chance.

Anko and her team had not found the location of Kabuto. Neither had they had any luck in finding Madara's hideout. No one liked that fact when the persistent talking point made its way up the agenda during the war meetings. He clears his head by shaking it—no use in thinking about it now. 'I just need to smash through anything in my path like always,' Naruto tries to calm himself down. But deep down, he knew this war was nothing like anything he had fought or lived through before. The villagers seemed to understand Naruto was thinking about something and took a respectful distance away from him and tried not to disturb him. Something he wasn't sure if he liked or not.

He soon found himself in front of the somewhat makeshift Yamanaka complex. The buildings he had made were far from perfect, and it was clear that the houses lacked individuality. Some villagers had complained to him when he was acting Hokage that it was easy to get lost in the maze of similar houses Naruto had built. Naruto tried to reassure them that new homes were on the plans and that the buildings he had made were just for immediate shelter from the elements.

He knocks on the door after realising he has stood still in front of it for quite some time. Inoichi was the one who opened the door. He was visibly tired from all the war meetings. "Don't tell me Hokage-sama has summoned us again... I'm too tired to think logically right now," He sighs. "No need to worry... She and Shikaku are on the way to the Land of Lightning. I came here to see Ino," Naruto answers with his hands waving in front of him, trying to ease the older man. "Good. She has missed you quite a bit if her talking about you were any indication," He says before leaving the doorway to look for his daughter.