Chapter 25 - gg

 During the Nine-Tails' Attack… -

A young raven-haired boy sat holding a baby as he heard the first signs of attack. The action wasn't anywhere close, but the boy knew that it was no ordinary attack. An unearthly howl confirmed his suspicions. In that moment, the boy just knew that it was the Nine-Tails.

The boy held his baby brother possessively close. If he could go out and help repel the beast without endangering his baby brother, he would. But there was no guarantee that Sasuke would go unharmed if he were left alone.

Sighing wearily, the boy resolutely sat on the porch, clutching his baby brother like a lifeline. He would just have to put faith in his comrades to deal with the fox, and protect Sasuke with his life.

"Of all the nights for mother and father to be out…" Itachi murmured, rocking his brother back and forth as he wailed. He tried to reassure Sasuke, but he just kept wailing at the loud noises.

Things quieted down eventually, however, and the Nine-Tails was removed from the village proper. Only then did Sasuke finally fall to sleep, and Itachi take him back inside.

- A few days later… -

It took a bit for everyone to settle down, but when they did, they congregated out at the cemetery for the collective funeral of all who perished in the attack. Shinobi and civilian alike were in attendance; Minato was loved and respected by much of the village, and even those who didn't like him were there to pay their respects to the fallen village hero. Hiruzen speculated that the cemetery was more packed than when the First Hokage passed away. It was that full.

Hiruzen, Biwako, Koharu, and Homura stood together off to the side at the and Jiraiya stood side by side in the front row of the crowd, and Danzo wasn't too far away from them. Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko were to the left of Orochimaru and Jiraiya, and Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were to their right. The various Clan Heads were amongst the crowd with their respective clans. Everyone wore the traditional black garbs that were associated with funerals, and the people were now taking turns in bringing up flowers to pay their respects. Everyone at the front had gone at this point, and now the line was making its way from the middle to the back.

"It really is a pity. Little Minato had such great potential… Kukuku…" Orochimaru smirked as he observed the people go up one by one.

Jiraiya elbowed him slightly.

"Don't speak ill of the deceased, Hebi. I know you wanted the job more than anyone, but pleaseshow some respect, at least. He was my student."

Orochimaru chuckled.

"But I am, Jiraiya. Do you really think me so low as to speak ill of a former Kage's power?"

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and turned away from Orochimaru, frowning.

"It's getting harder to tell with you these days…"

Konan placed a consoling hand on Nagato's shoulder; he was being awfully quiet.

"Nagato, are you okay?"

Nagato continued to stare off into space, yet he was still capable of replying.

"Yes…" Nagato replied simply.

"He really was a great shinobi," Yahiko spoke up. "And a fantastic friend. Fantastic individual overall."

Nagato nodded stiffly, finally deigning to let out a shaky breath.

"This really wasn't how it was supposed to end…" Nagato quietly murmured as he bowed his head.

Konan embraced him comfortingly.

"It's what he wanted, Nagato. All we can do is move forward and realize his… our dream of peace."

"It did seem like we were getting somewhere with him in the Hokage's seat," Yahiko noted as he observed the Hyuuga twins walk up to Minato's portrait. "He shared some ideas he wanted to implement with Akatsuki. I'm still going to make those ideas happen, mind you, but now he won't be able to see them come to fruition. It's a shame."

Nagato was silent for a few moments, but then he spoke up again.

"He said… that he wanted to develop a bond with the Hidden Sand Village. He'd hoped to meet with the Kazekage later this month to negotiate a better treaty; he wanted to give more back to them than what was outlined in the hastily written armistice drawn up during the war. He wasn't going to be overly generous, but he was willing to give ground on a lot of things."

Konan released Nagato finally and continued to watch the procession.

"He also noticed the mistreatment of the Uchiha, didn't he? How they were often confined to working with the Military Police? I believe he had plans to offer them more duties to perform, if they were willing."

Yahiko nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah… I remember him talking about that, too. He believed that they deserved the right to choose their individual career paths just like everyone else; that they shouldn't have to work with the Military Police. I certainly thought he was right."

"He also hoped to convince Kushina to introduce Seals as an elective course at the Academy." Nagato recalled. "She was adamant about keeping what Sealing secrets she did know to the Uzumaki Clan, but I'm sure Minato would've made her warm up to the idea somehow."

"He had things planned out, didn't he?" Konan smiled warmly.

"It's too bad there isn't anyone to complete what he could not, eh?" Yahiko nudged Nagato playfully. Hint, hint.

Nagato grinned nervously.

"I still have to meet with Lord Third and talk to him about it. He wanted to wait until this funeral was over before getting to anything else. Selecting the next leader is important, but he wanted efforts to be put into calming the people and in taking the death toll, as there were still a number of victims in this incident. Not as many as there would have been if we were unprepared, but still more than a few."

The three fell silent after that; there would be more time to talk about that later. Now was the time to grieve.

Kakashi, Rin, and Obito were having a discussion of their own, as they observed the proceedings.

"Minato-sensei… he should've been back to work by now, resuming with dealing with the ever-growing pile of paperwork and snobbish nobles," Obito began sullenly. "And Lady Kushina should be at home, caring for Naruto… It's not right!"

The most emotional member of Team Minato clenched his fists and bowed his head in frustration. Rin rubbed his back soothingly.

"Obito…" Rin wasn't quite sure what to say. She was as lost as he was; they would all need to adjust now.

Kakashi, hands in his pockets, gazed stoically at the procession.

"Death is the greatest risk of becoming a shinobi," Kakashi solemnly said, drawing Obito and Rin's attention. "Minato-sensei knew that. If there was another way, I'm certain that Minato-sensei would have taken that alternative; but there wasn't. Killing the Nine-Tails would have only temporarily solved the solution; you know this best of all, Rin."

Kakashi shot her a sideways glance. Rin minutely nodded.

"But still… Why couldn't he take all of that bothersome Chakra with him?" Obito ground out. "If he had to die, why did he have to sacrifice his son, too? Naruto doesn't deserve to have such a burden on his shoulders!"

Kakashi craned his head to face Obito, a stern look in his visible eye.

"You know why, Obito. It's not a pleasant truth, but it's a necessity. The Nine-Tails helps keep the balance between the Five Great Nations; completely removing it would prove to be a bane to us someday."

"But Rin…!" Obito argued in a hushed voice, but was abruptly cut off.

"You know not to speak of that in the open, Obito," Kakashi narrowed his visible eye at him. A few moments later, in a calmer, quieter voice, he said, "I know what you are getting at. But the fact is we would only have one Jinchuriki in that case. Nations would eventually find out, and we would be overrun, if they allied against us. That's seven-to-one Jinchuriki at most, and at least two-to-one, if only Cloud chose to act on our weakness."

Obito took calming breaths, irritated with Kakashi's aloof attitude. He was going to argue further, when Rin clasped a hand on his shoulder warmly.

"Obito… It'll be alright." Rin looked him in the eye as he turned to her. "Whatever happens, we'll be there for Naruto. It's the least we can do for him, right?"

Obito grudgingly let the matter go.

"Yeah…" He sighed, sagging his shoulders. Obito turned back to Kakashi when he spoke up again.

"I'm as unhappy as you are, Obito, but what's done is done." Kakashi closed his visible eye. "Rin is correct, however. I will not allow the son of Minato-sensei to carry the burden alone. And we won't be his only supporters either; don't forget that."

Obito nodded again. He cracked a small grin.

"I guess there's no use in wallowing in the past." Obito conceded. A stubborn look crossed his facial features. "If Nagato doesn't take him in, I'm gonna adopt the kid myself! And I don't care if I barely have enough income to get by!"

Rin gave a thoughtful look.

"I think he's going to be entitled to Naruto. Lady Biwako said that his surname will be Uzumaki, for obvious reasons." Smiling when Obito's face fell, she added, "Sorry, Obito."

Obito quickly recovered, though.

"Well, they're related by blood, so I'm not complaining!"

…

- Later – 

"Nagato, if you're reading this, the Nine-Tails has been sealed away, and you're still alive. Thank you. I can't thank you enough for all you've done. The moment that the Nine-Tails was set free, contingency plans were already going through my mind, and I knew what I had to do to protect the village. I had to use the Eight Trigrams Seal; I had to make Naruto a Jinchuriki. Not only does the Leaf Village still need the power of the Nine-Tails, but Naruto will need it to bring down that man. The instigator behind tonight's tragedy. I know what you're thinking; why not seal it into you, or Konan, or Yahiko? Why, specifically, Naruto? Well, to put it simply… 

You should know the reason. If I wasn't willing to sacrifice my own son like this, then what kind of leader would I be? The three of you are gradually gaining acceptance with the people here. You have enough of a burden in gaining their trust. But more than that, if the next Jinchuriki were to possess the Rinnegan, you would be locked away to be protected at all costs. You would have almost too much power. And I will not turn Yahiko or Konan into the Jinchuriki either; Konan is one of our chief strategists, and Yahiko leads Akatsuki; and there's no guarantee that they would be able to hold the Nine-Tails anyway.

I can't quite explain it – well, put it into words - but I just have this feeling… Do you remember what Jiraiya-sensei said about the Child of Prophecy? He's convinced that you're the Child of Prophecy, or, to a lesser extent, that I am. But what if neither of us is the Child of Prophecy? What if we fail to find the way to peace? After tonight's events, I know I definitely won't. Maybe you will. I'm not saying that I doubt you; you know me far better than that. I'm saying that at least this way, you have my son to aid you later on, should you need it. 

That masked man has thrown a wrench into things, and it won't be easy to end world upheaval with him around. I have a horrible feeling that he's not out to seek just the Nine-Tails, but all the Tailed Beasts, and that means he will hunt Rin, eventually. If you can't take that man down, I want my son to be able to. The Nine-Tails will be of great help when that man returns. 

More importantly, however, I want my son to have family when Kushina and I are gone. If all has gone according to plan, I've used the Reaper Death Seal to take the other half of the Nine-Tails with me. I can safely say that Naruto will be able to handle half of the power; but all of it? Not when the sealing is hastily done. Something needed to be done with the other half, and I absolutely refuse to make another Jinchuriki. Making Naruto take half of that power will be painful enough.

With my death, that only leaves one issue, which actually isn't an issue at all. A Hokage should choose their successor late in their career, when they've had years to guide the village and carefully select that special one. Sadly, most Hokage up until now have not had that option; Lord Third is an exception. Seeing this trend, a contingency plan was set in place, should anything happen to me. Put simply, I have nominated my successor, Nagato. The official paperwork was filled out the day that I took up this position. I was not joking when I told you I wanted you to succeed me. You will be the next Hokage, Nagato. The Fifth Hokage.

I will die today, Nagato. There are no alternatives. You know what they say: great men are forged in fire; it's the privilege of lesser men to light the flame. I've taken everything into account. What I signed was not just a simple nomination, but an order, if it comes to that. It is to be treated as a nomination, but if the Council somehow tries to subvert me, I have attached a document that will make it an order. My last order, in case something happens to me. There are witnesses; Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were all there, in addition to Jiraiya-sensei. Obito can confirm it was not someone under a Transformation, and if the word of my students is not enough, then the word of my Sensei, of one of the Sannin, should be enough to satisfy everyone.

You're the unacknowledged choice, Nagato. The unacknowledged, best choice. You won't admit it, but you're stronger than me. And while you lack some leadership skills, Lord Third, Jiraiya-sensei, Yahiko, and Konan will be there to help you out. You'll get the gist of it in no time. And before you argue about your citizenship, you are an Uzumaki, an ally of the Leaf since its conception. We still bear the crest of your fallen clan on the back of our uniforms, and many of our clothes also have the symbol embedded in them. And now we have properly given you a Compound in the village, which should have been done a long time ago. The least the Hidden Leaf Village can do is give one of the final Uzumaki the benefit of a doubt, origins be damned.

Well, that's about all I have to say on the matter. My Shadow Clone should have conveyed this perfectly. Nagato, there's no doubt in my mind that the future is bright for the Leaf Village and for you; as long as you're in charge, I can rest in peace. Take care, Nagato! Finish where I left off.

~Minato Namikaze, Fourth Hokage"

"… And then Minato sealed the Nine-Tails into Naruto. That about covers the events as I know them. I do not know how Minato forced the masked man into retreat." Nagato finished his explanation, gazing neutrally at the four others in the Hokage's office. Hiruzen sat behind his desk, Homura and Koharu stood on one side of his desk, and Danzo on the other; Nagato stood at attention a few feet away from the desk.

Hiruzen stroked his beard and continued smoking his pipe as he contemplated Nagato's report.

"With that man still out there, I fear for the precarious peace that we have now…" Hiruzen murmured.

"We must find this man immediately," Koharu insisted. "The Sharingan belongs to the Leaf Village. If this man stirs up trouble, he will be traced back to us, and we will most certainly have another war on our hands."

Homura shook his head slowly.

"We will have to investigate the Uchiha thoroughly, before claiming total innocence. If this attack was premeditated by them…" He trailed off.

"I propose that we observe them for now," The one-eyed councilor, Danzo, smoothly cut in. "If they are behind this attack, they will be expecting us to do such an action, and act appropriately; if they are not, then we would only agitate them and stir up traitorous thoughts among them."

Hiruzen nodded in agreement.

"Observation is clearly the safer decision. The Uchiha helped create this village; let us not jump to the worst case scenario just yet." Hiruzen puffed out some smoke.

Danzo gazed calculatingly at Hiruzen.

"I also propose we isolate them, should our fears be very real."

Hiruzen returned his gaze sternly.

"Denied, Danzo. Did you not just argue against 'agitating' them…?"

Danzo closed his one eye solemnly.

"I merely want what is best for this village, Hiruzen. Do as you wish."

Hiruzen nodded, and any tension that had arisen dissipated quickly. Homura straightened his glasses before he spoke up again.

"Now that that matter is settled, we have something else that needs to be decided now."

"With Minato gone, we are leaderless." Koharu concurred. "Hiruzen, will you be taking up the hat again?"

Hiruzen sighed and closed his eyes.

"That appears to be the best course of action. No one has been nominated by Minato, and only a few are at the level of Hokage… A familiar face should quell the fears of the people."

Danzo frowned.

"Hiruzen, allow me to take over. I will prepare us for any eventuality."

Hiruzen let out a soft laugh.

"Indulge this old man, Danzo. I'll fill in until we can groom the next one." Hiruzen assured his old friend; though Danzo appeared surly at Hiruzen's denial of his request. He turned to face Nagato. "Thank you for your report, Nagato; you are free to go."

Nagato hesitantly pulled a scroll out.

"Actually, Lord Third… On the topic of nominations, Minato…" Nagato trailed off, handing Hiruzen the scroll for him to see. Hiruzen took it and unfurled it. Hiruzen's eyes widened upon reading its contents.

"This is…"

"Hiruzen?" Koharu questioned.

Hiruzen gazed up at Nagato like he'd seen him for the first time.

"Nagato, is this authentic?" Hiruzen asked honestly.

Nagato nodded.

"In a note left to me, Minato said that, should witnesses be needed, we can call on his team – Kakashi, Obito, and Rin – as they were all present when he signed the nomination. And should their word not be enough, Jiraiya-sensei was also present. He was very careful, apparently."

Hiruzen stroked his beard again.

"Indeed. He selected the perfect witnesses, and a worthy candidate," Hiruzen murmured. He allowed Koharu and Homura to take the document to see its contents.

Danzo narrowed his eyes.

"Who did Minato select as his successor…?"

He got his answer when Koharu handed him the document. Koharu turned to Nagato scrutinizingly.

"Surely you aren't going to consider Minato's nomination, Hiruzen? It's absurd!"

Homura shook his head.

"Minato chose him for a reason. I am not sure of the wisdom of his choice myself, but I do believe in giving him a chance." Homura argued. "Though there is a glaring problem with his nomination…"

"He is not even a native citizen of this village!" Danzo cried, outraged. He didn't even bother to read the whole document.

Hiruzen laced his fingers together and looked at Nagato thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you should read Minato's reasoning, Danzo. I, too, think the nomination has merit." Hiruzen remarked. "The least we can do is give him the benefit of a doubt."

Koharu's frown deepened.

"He is an Uzumaki, an ancient ally of the Leaf, I will grant him that," Koharu conceded. "And I do not doubt his strength. My problem lies in his leadership experience; after all, leading an entire village is so much different than leading a team out on a mission. He needs proper training for that!"

Homura nodded in agreement.

"That is the issue I have with Nagato." Homura pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I, too, will concede that, though he is a foreigner, Nagato is a… special case. Nagato is a splendid shinobi; he has proven that over the years. But one needs more than a reputation and an arsenal of Jutsu to become Hokage; one also must have the mindset, and be able to learn the inner workings of the village fairly quickly."

Danzo, not liking Koharu and Homura siding with Hiruzen over him, silently fumed. This was a farce!

"… Nagato, what is your opinion on this?" Hiruzen asked neutrally. "You are the nominee, after all."

Nagato did not reply right away. He considered arguing against his nomination, but most of his arguments had been rendered null and void with Minato's last letter. In addition, arguing against his brother-in-arm's dying wish spat on his sacrifice.

"Well, Lord Third… I do believe in honoring Minato's dying wish," Nagato began. All eyes were on him now. "I loved Minato like a brother, and he had a reason behind everything he did. He confided in me, Yahiko, and Konan many dreams and ambitions, and Minato made me his right-hand man when he became Hokage.

Nagato looked from Hiruzen, to Koharu, and then to Homura.

"I won't deny that I'm not as experienced as he was. I'm not totally familiar with all the inner workings, the ins and outs. However, Minato did have me accompany him a lot. I essentially know how to file most of the paperwork; I know that the Hokage must inspire the people and that he has many tasks to attend to around the village, having seen Minato perform his duties firsthand on many occasions; and I have attended a number of meetings with nobles and leaders of foreign nations, so I am aware that the Hokage will get called away a lot as well.

Nagato paused here. No one bothered to interrupt him, not even Danzo, who appeared more quelled now.

"Minato did not elaborate on all the things that a Hokage has to do," Nagato conceded. He finally looked Danzo straight in the eye. "I can't promise I'll be in my element immediately, but I can promise that I have slightly over three years of practical experience serving as the Fourth Hokage's right-hand man. I think, in a slightly convoluted way, Minato was preparing me should I need to step up. As Minato's official nominee, I am prepared to step up, if you will allow me to."

Nagato concluded his speech and allowed his words to sink in. Homura and Koharu appeared much more at ease, and even Danzo looked somewhat placated, if not still a tad irked. A small smile made its way to Hiruzen's face.

"Well, it appears Minato may have selected the correct successor after all." He turned to his teammates. "What are your opinions now?"

"He will need to be given more in-depth training… But I am satisfied," Koharu spoke up first.

Homura pushed up his glasses.

"It may be prudent to have you guide Nagato for the first few months, Hiruzen." Homura pointed out. "And Koharu and I will advise him, of course. But I will offer my support for his nomination as well."

Hiruzen now turned to face Danzo.

"And you, old friend?" Hiruzen asked. When he didn't get a reply, he added, "Your opinion matters as well. But do at least consider Nagato's arguments."

Danzo closed his visible eye after shooting Hiruzen a glance. He did not speak up immediately, but when he did, his tone was much more subdued.

"I still do not like making a foreigner the leader of our village… But his words do hold merit, if they ring true." Danzo conceded. But then he turned a scrutinizing gaze onto Nagato. "However, should he prove to be anything less than what he says, I demand he be deposed, and for you retake the position or for there to be a new successor, Hiruzen."

Hiruzen nodded in acceptance.

"That is reasonable. I do not think that we will have that problem, however." Hiruzen turned back to Nagato. "Very well. Henceforth, you will pick up from where Minato left off. There is much to do, and we will need to meet with the Fire Lord to confirm your appointment. But for the moment… Congratulations, Lord Fifth. May the Will of Fire continue to burn brightly in you."

Nagato was awestruck at the declaration. He stood there, mouth agape, and still and rigid as a statue. He eventually recovered from the initial shock, however, and bowed deferentially to the Third Hokage.

"Thank you, sir. I am humbly grateful, and will strive to go above and beyond your expectations."

Hiruzen grunted and nodded.

"You will do fine, my boy. Do not worry needlessly over how you will do." Hiruzen picked up his pipe and began to refill it. "This meeting is adjourned."

Homura, Koharu, and Danzo filed out of the room together, leaving just Nagato and Hiruzen.

"Um… Sir, if I may just ask for one more favor…" Nagato tentatively spoke up after the Councilors were gone.

Hiruzen turned his gaze toward him again.

"Hm?"

"It concerns my new nephew…"

- A week later… -

The Third Hokage stood atop the administration building, overlooking the assembled civilians and shinobi that were present to witness the announcement of who the next Hokage would be. Everyone was muttering, speculating who the next Hokage would be – everyone below, that is. Those assembled on the roof, however, knew who the next candidate was; much like Minato's installation, the Elders, Danzo, the Clan Heads, and Yahiko and Konan were present to swear Nagato in.

Down below, those of Kakashi's generation were chattering amiably. The death of the Fourth Hokage had come abruptly, and he only had the job for a few years. They all rather liked Minato as the Hokage, but rumors were circulating that a new Fifth Hokage would be stepping up, and they all wondered who it would be.

"A Fifth Hokage…" Genma uttered. "Do you guys really think one of the Sannin was selected? I dunno… Seems to contradict their earlier choice; Minato was young, and the Sannin are of an older generation…"

"I'm just saying it would be nice to have Tsunade sworn in!" Kurenai piped up. "Imagine, a woman as Hokage!"

"But Lady Tsunade is away presently…" Ebisu straightened his sunglasses.

"I can see Jiraiya or Orochimaru taking up the hat…" Raido remarked.

Ibiki shuddered at that, if only a little bit.

"Anyone but Orochimaru…" He muttered quietly.

"What if it's one of the Clan Heads?" Hayate speculated. "They're strong…"

"Fugaku's a real stick in the mud," Obito groused. "He better not be Hokage…"

Rin giggled.

"He would definitely make your life… interesting…"

Obito groaned.

"He can't do much as Clan Head, since I left the Compound… But if he ever became Hokage, I'd have to go Missing-nin, and I like it here…"

Kakashi rolled his visible eye.

"Don't be so melodramatic. We all know things between you and the clan are getting better. Besides, it's doubtful that a Clan Head is the Hokage. None particularly stand out as Hokage-material; they're strong, but not overly strong."

"I don't like the thought of Orochimaru-sensei stepping up either… He's changed." Anko finally spoke up. "Still, it's either him, Jiraiya, or one of those old prunes."

"Don't be disrespectful of the Hokage's Councilors!" Kurenai chastised her friend. "Why are you guys so against it possibly being Tsunade, anyway? She could've been called back."

Asuma shrugged nonchalantly.

"Dad's been trying to get her to come back for years. If he couldn't get her back before now, there's little to no chance she's back now."

Guy bounded over to everyone.

"Guys! Guys! I know who-"

Just as Guy was about to spoil the surprise for everyone, there was movement up above, and the Third Hokage's declaration drew everyone's attention to the roof.

"We are all much grieved by Minato's passing…" Hiruzen's voice rang out over the quickly quieting people of the Leaf. Hiruzen's face was determined, and his voice was full of conviction. "Yet the Will of Fire is not lost! Minato named a successor, and he is willing to step up for the sake of the Leaf!"

Boisterous applause greeted that declaration. As the cheering died down, Hiruzen took off the Hokage's hat.

"I will now present to you your Fifth Hokage! Receive him well."

Hiruzen walked across the roof to Nagato, who was now decked out in a Hokage haori similar to that of Hiruzen's – with the exception that Nagato's kimono was of a darker, richer red, and Nagato still wore his traditional karate top and pants underneath. Nagato accepted the conical hat, donned it, and bowed respectfully to Hiruzen. After displaying his reverence to the older Hokage, Nagato strode over to the edge of the roof, where he could be seen. The people below waited with baited breath, and when he lifted the hat off his head to reveal his crimson red locks, the people stared on in awe. This was quite unprecedented.

However, the shocked silence soon gave way to applause from Kakashi's generation, then from the clans that had befriended the Orphans from the Hidden Rain, and eventually, everyone else tentatively cheered to show respect for their newest leader – though it was obvious some were unsure about Nagato's right to the position.

After waiting for the moment to sink in for everyone, Nagato smiled and placed the hat back on his head. Then he began to speak, and the applause died down once again.

"We have a long and difficult road ahead of us," Nagato declared. He swept his arms outward, gesturing to all the assembled people. "But with your help, we can recover. We will recover! The Will of Fire burns brightly in you all!"

Applause met that declaration, and Nagato held up his right hand to quiet the people once more.

"I will not deny the damage is extensive, both physically and emotionally. A great tragedy befell us, and we lost good friends and family; we lost a wonderful leader, and some of us have lost homes and businesses. Thankfully, through the efforts of our former leader and myself, we were better prepared, and the damage was minimized from what could have been a greater tragedy. Yet we can and will rebuild together; no one will be left alone or abandoned, ever. The deceased who sacrificed their lives to keep this village standing will never be forgotten. Victims alive and passed on will be honored, compensated, and comforted. I only ask for you to lend me your aid, because I can only do so much as your Hokage. However, I assure you that I will do everything in my power to bring us to a smooth and speedy recovery; my door will always be open to anyone.

Thunderous applause met Nagato this time; this is what the villagers wanted to hear. A strong, capable leader was needed in this trying time; even those who questioned the validity of Nagato's nomination joined in with the boisterous reply to Nagato's speech. He would need to work hard in order to gain everyone's implicit trust, but for now, he appeared to be what the village needed after all.

At least, that was the general consensus before his next announcement.

"Many of you now know of Naruto Uzumaki. I feel I should let you all know that Naruto will be under my care from now on, as he is indeed my nephew. If anyone should try to harm him, they will be held accountable and given a proper penalty for their actions against him. Contrary to some of your thoughts and feelings, Naruto is not the Nine-Tails; he is merely its jailor. Minato – your beloved Fourth Hokage, and my brother-in-arms – wanted him to be seen as a hero. If you cannot accommodate to that request, I ask you only to leave the boy alone. My nephew will not be made a scapegoat. Anyone that tries to spread the news of his Jinchuriki status to their children or to Naruto's generation and beyond will be given the death penalty. Such an act spits on Minato's sacrifice at best, and commits treason at absolute worst.

Hiruzen cringed at the harsh tone in Nagato's voice. But then, he was partially to blame for having revealed Naruto's status to the village. And while that was intended to quell the people's fears, he did not take into consideration how the people would react. Nevertheless, he believed in some leniency with the people; they had all been through a great tragedy with this attack, and now they had to abide with a harsh law such as this?

As if to reflect Hiruzen's feelings on the matter, Nagato's face softened and he closed his eyes.

"You have not had much experience with Jinchuriki, or so you think. The late Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage, was the first Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails," Nagato stated, which elicited some gasps from the people. He continued on, "And the previous Jinchuriki was Kushina Uzumaki, who you all remember as a hellion, I'm sure. Was she any less human than you? By no means. She merely kept you all safe without you knowing it; and Naruto is doing the exact same thing.

All those on the roof were shocked that he would part with such secrets; but he was the Hokage now, and so it was his choice. Nagato opened his eyes again to evaluate the peoples' responses. His words were still sinking in.

"I'm not asking you to immediately comprehend a Jinchuriki's role. But do differentiate between the prisoner and the jailor. Think of it this way: If Naruto wasn't doing his job in holding back the Nine-Tails, we would all still be fighting the fox, or we would be waiting for it to resurface later down the road, because Tailed Beasts cannot be killed." Nagato looked up at the blue sky as a soft wind blew past. "Should you be discontent with me as Hokage, I will step down. But only after I have helped the village to recover. Because Minato has entrusted me with your care and safety, and I have every intention of fulfilling his last wish. Even if you hate me, even if you despise me, I will still do everything that is within my abilities to assist you. That is what a Hokage does."

Having spoken his peace, Nagato dismissed the people. He leaped down to personally see them off, if they had any pressing questions or concerns. This forwardness confused many, but it was not unwelcome. When it became clear that there was more than a few dozen people with concerns, Nagato accommodated everyone by creating Shadow Clones and met with every last civilian and shinobi. This garnered smiles from all of Nagato's friends and acquaintances, and earned some respect back from those who questioned his decisions about Naruto.

Nagato would be a strict Hokage, but not an unkind one. Hiruzen beamed at the sight of the second one to succeed him conversing with the people.

'Minato, you selected a fine successor…'

Danzo, meanwhile, was narrowing his eyes. Nagato was showing shameful favoritism, and he had revealed secrets that should not have been revealed. Ever. What if spies were in their midst this very moment? If Nagato was allowed to continue on as Hokage, then the Hidden Leaf would surely perish. A leader had to be detached, favoring no citizen over another, even if that citizen was family. And most of all, a leader could not recklessly reveal village secrets so easily. So openly.

Something would have to be done before it was too late…

- Hours later… - 

Nagato sat in the Hokage's office, alone. Night was descending, and his honeymoon as Hokage was almost over; tomorrow, he would officially begin to carry out his duties as leader of the village – begin to fulfill his promises. The first day had been filled with much celebration and contentment. Tomorrow would be the exact opposite; Nagato knew.

But before he got too far into the position and became too busy… There was something Nagato had to do.

Homura shook his head slowly.

"We will have to investigate the Uchiha thoroughly, before claiming total innocence. If this attack was premeditated by them…" He trailed off.

"I propose that we observe them for now," The one-eyed councilor, Danzo, smoothly cut in. "If they are behind this attack, they will be expecting us to do such an action, and act appropriately; if they are not, then we would only agitate them and stir up such thoughts among them."

Hiruzen nodded in agreement.

"Observation is clearly the safer decision. The Uchiha helped create this village; let us not jump to the worst case scenario just yet." Hiruzen puffed out some smoke.

… He would have to deal with the Uchiha 'problem' before Homura and Koharu started filling his head with doubts about that clan. He absolutely needed to investigate the matter himself, or the investigation would not be carried out objectively; it would push the Uchiha further and further away, if the investigation was allowed to be fueled by paranoia. In order to prevent future bloodshed, Nagato needed to inform the Uchiha about the suspicion of the Elders; inform them, and clear the air up now.

The door to the Hokage's office creaked open, and Nagato stared neutrally at his invited visitor.

"Fugaku, please, come in." Nagato greeted the Uchiha Clan Head, gesturing to an empty seat in front of his desk.

Fugaku closed the door behind him and strode up to the desk, choosing not to sit right away.

"What is this about, Lord Hokage?" Fugaku asked warily.

Nagato clasped his fingers together and leaned into his hands, frowning contemplatively.

"There is a side to the Nine-Tails' attack that very few are aware of, Fugaku. It would be best if you stayed seated until I relayed to you all of the relevant information.

Fugaku grunted affirmatively and complied. Nagato continued.

"I will preface this conversation by saying this: You and I are alone here," Nagato revealed to Fugaku. "No Anbu lying in wait; and no one listening in on our conversation. This is strictly confidential between the two of us. I will not breathe a word to anyone else."

"You have my undivided attention, Nagato." Fugaku narrowed his eyes.

Nagato gazed back unwaveringly.

"The Nine-Tails, when it is sealed in a Jinchuriki host, cannot escape through conventional means. The beast cannot force its way out on its own power, despite the tremendous, powerful Chakra that it possesses. And the Jinchuriki cannot accidentally let it loose, either; unless they were a Seal Master, they would not know how to even undo the seal. Kushina was good, but she did not know enough about her Seal to be able to unleash the Nine-Tails.

Fugaku perfectly understood the implications. This attack was not some random tragedy.

"But." Nagato stared intensely at Fugaku. "If the Jinchuriki is a woman, there is one time when the Seal weakens. If one isn't careful, the Nine-Tails can be released at that opportune time."

Fugaku's eyes widened.

"During childbirth…"

Nagato nodded gravely.

"Up until this time, there was only one precedent; after all, Lady Mito was the only previous container of the Nine-Tails. But that was all it took for the Hidden Leaf to become vigilant. That being said," Nagato went on, "The seal indeed broke this time. And it was no fault of the supervisors of the delivery of Kushina's child; Minato was there to keep the Nine-Tails at bay, and to re-strengthen the seal when the delivery was over with. In addition, I was there, and a good number of Anbu had set up a perimeter. Nothing should have gone wrong… But it did."

Fugaku frowned.

"An intruder managed to slip in…" He deduced.

"I'm afraid so," Nagato confirmed. "This intruder promptly kidnapped Kushina's child, and managed to escape with Kushina when Minato and I were sufficiently distracted. The Anbu outside had been slaughtered, and Lady Biwako nearly lost her life as well. Minato took Naruto to a safe location, and I went by myself to confront this masked man that dared to assault our home. He had grandiose goals that would shake not only the Land of Fire, but all of the Hidden Villages and Lands to their very core. I could not stop the man from releasing the Nine-Tails, regrettably… But one thing became crystal clear…

Fugaku listened with rapt attention. To think that all of this had occurred…

"He possessed the Sharingan." Nagato finally came out with it. The reaction was immediate and predictable; Fugaku stiffened, and then bit back a reply.

"So you suspect my clan, is that it, Nagato?" Fugaku all but yelled. "We led the evacuation of the civilians upon the order from the higher-ups, and this is how you repay us?!"

Nagato shook his head.

"No, I…"

"Then please, enlighten me, Lord Hokage, because this sounds like an inquisition to me," Fugaku bitterly snapped.

Nagato could only smile wryly at Fugaku's tone; it was to be expected.

"Fugaku, you have to know that I myself do not possess any suspicion in regards to your clan. These past few days, I've been helping to calm and reassure the people, and have not had a time to properly sit down and reflect on the tragic events of that night." Nagato was pleased to note that Fugaku's surly glare let up a little at that. "One reason I decided to approach you as quickly as I have is the fact that the Elders doubt your clan's innocence in the matter; I heard them debating over it right in front of me. They intend to spy on you."

Fugaku snorted, but the glare had softened considerably now.

"But not you?"

"No," Nagato denied. "I told you from the start that this conversation is strictly between us; the Advisors have not appealed to me yet to set up surveillance. I am only just now instated, after all; it may be some time before they actually approach me on the matter, and attempt to persuade me to err on the side of caution. I do not intend to do anything that will affect your clan's relationship with the village without first approaching you about it. As you have said, you and your clan aided in the evacuation of the civilians; some even joined in pushing the fox outside the village walls. At the very least, you deserve the benefit of a doubt. But I intend to help you, rather than side with the Elders on this matter; I promised I would help any of the people of this village that are in need, and I will keep that promise."

"Why jeopardize yourself now?" Fugaku asked suspiciously. "As you have said, you have only just become Hokage. This would run counter to appeasing the 'people'. What's in it for you?"

Nagato closed his eyes.

"I do not profit from this in any way. My one desire is preserve the peace; after all, the peace outside the walls of this village is shaky enough… But if the Hidden Leaf became embroiled in a civil war, we would be overtaken instantly. That benefits no one but our enemies."

Fugaku mulled over Nagato's words, and scrutinized his Hokage with a keen eye.

"We have not exactly been… on the best of terms," Fugaku allowed, tone shifting from one of suspicion to one of neutrality once again. "Excuse my impudence."

"Not at all," Nagato offered a small smile in return. "You are only looking out for your clan, and that is respectable. I know that my approach is most… unusual... But I preferred to be forward with this as soon as possible. You have every right to know about what happened that night; and I thought you should know that I very much doubt that any one of your fellow clansmen was behind the attack."

"Oh? And why is that…?"

"… Let me answer that question with a question: To your knowledge, has there been anyone so proficient with the Body Flicker that they can do it without hand signs?" Fugaku's silence was answer enough. "The man that Minato and I staved off… He was beyond exceptional. Even if one of the Uchiha covered up their skills, we would have heard something akin to that ability by now, even if it was just a mere hint of it. But more importantly…

"He claimed to be Madara Uchiha." Nagato said.

"That is impossible…" Fugaku refused to believe it. "Madara…"

"Died at the Valley of the End by Lord First's hand, yes," Nagato smoothly finished Fugaku's thought. "But even if the man lied about his identity, one thing has become abundantly clear: This man has the power to influence and control the Nine-Tails. And he managed to flee, so he is still at large."

Fugaku raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Nagato.

"Any Sharingan is said to be able to control the Nine-Tails," Fugaku explained. "Would it not be easy to establish that any Uchiha would be able to control the beast and use it against the village?"

Nagato shook his head negatively.

"I'm not so sure about that… The Sharingan is extraordinary and powerful. But do you really think that any one of you, even the youngest child that awakened your Dojutsu, could have calmly walked up to the Nine-Tails and hypnotized it? You were personally there; you felt the overwhelming amount of Chakra and Killing Intent. Would you have been able to approach the fox, alone?"

Fugaku took a moment to consider that. He narrowed his eyes.

"What are you suggesting?" Fugaku queried noncommittally.

"The Uchiha are splendid shinobi of this village," Nagato explained. "But I don't think any run-of-the-mill Uchiha would have been able to accomplish the Nine-Tails' attack – not on their own. I know for a fact the masked man was alone that night, as you are aware that I'm a sensor. This leads us to the conclusion that the man would have to have been an exceptional Uchiha, one who can wield their eyes far better than a good majority of your clan. We both know it couldn't have been Obito; he aided the evacuations, and we've found out that Kamui cannot be duplicated. You yourself had little to no motive to stir up this incident; Minato was beginning to extend more liberties to your Clan – and I fully intend to keep doing that.

"However," Nagato continued, "That leaves us with a problem. We don't know who orchestrated the attack. He was powerful enough to tame the Nine-Tails, and still keep up with me and Minato, even if his tactics were more deceptive and underhanded in nature, rather than a traditional powerhouse. I will admit that your clan is strong and capable, but this was one man."

"And so you speculate it really was Madara." Fugaku snorted.

Nagato shook his head.

"I don't know what to think, Fugaku, which is a reason why we're having this conversation. The only other alternative is a Rogue Nin, but…"

"My clan guards the Sharingan zealously." Fugaku confirmed. He appeared thoughtful for a moment. "What would you have me do? Reveal my clans' secrets to appease the Council?"

Again, Nagato shook his head in the negative.

"Even if you did that, you and I both know that the Council would still retain suspicion on some level. Revealing your clans' abilities and secrets would also play right into Danzo's hands, anyway – his Root would exploit your weaknesses should another 'incident' arise. No, I think I would like you to cooperate with me and investigate this matter privately. I personally do not harbor any doubts about the Uchiha Clan members that I do know of, but perhaps you have seen something I haven't. In the meantime, I will do all that I can to ensure that the Uchiha Clan is never ostracized.. You were right in saying that we haven't been on the best of terms, but I do not believe that the lot of you will turn out like Madara. It is unfair and wrong to make such an assumption."

"Perhaps," Fugaku allowed. "But you do speak idealistically, Lord Hokage. How can you possibly guarantee that my clan's standing in the village will never be jeopardized?"

"You're right." Nagato nodded. "On my own, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to protect the Uchiha Clan. However, whoever said I'd be alone in this endeavor? I will enlist people who I trust personally to assist us – Yahiko, Konan, Jiraiya-sensei, and perhaps even Lord Third. I will keep this as quiet as possible, but we can't deny that we need help here. More eyes and ears."

Fugaku nodded.

"You do play a risky and dangerous game, though, Lord Hokage. If word of your actions ever reaches your Councilors, they may conspire against you."

Nagato cracked a smile.

"You don't have to worry about that. Truth be told, I never wanted the position in the first place; but more than that, a leader should aid his citizens before worrying over his own standing in the village. I don't intend to step down just yet, but I will, if it helps prove the innocence of you and your clan, Fugaku."

Fugaku closed his eyes and pondered all that had been said throughout the course of the meeting. Nagato had been consistent throughout, no matter how many times Fugaku reminded him that this endeavor might compromise his position as leader, and he gave no telltale signs that he was lying about a single, tiny thing. The man truly, honestly, virtuously wanted to extend the hand of friendship to get to the bottom of a tragedy that should not have transpired.

"Very well, Nagato, you have my support." Fugaku opened his eyes and even gave a small smile. "Thank you."

- Months later… - 

Nagato had another restless night. These were becoming more frequent, as the fact that Minato and Kushina were gone was beginning to settle in. It was easy to deal with at first because of being new to the position of Hokage, but Nagato was beginning to take to the position like a fish to water, now that he was learning the ropes. Now he could start to reflect and properly grieve over his loss, and it was unbelievably painful to do so.

It was still a few hours before morning, and Nagato had donned his karate top and made his way out of the village proper by this time. It was unusual for him to do, but it had become a habit; going to unleash his anguish at a training ground aroused the nearby villagers, and Nagato did not want anyone to worry over his wellbeing. He was dealing with his grief in his own way.

"I still can't believe you followed me to the village!" Jiraiya gave a boisterous laugh. "I honestly didn't think I was that good of a guardian to you three…"

Nagato sped up ever so slightly in his haste to get out of the village to train. If that memory was coming to mind, then tonight would be worse than the restless nights before it. He didn't bother leaping from roof to roof; that would draw attention to himself, and Nagato was keen to go and train as quietly as possible.

"Still, I'm glad you came," Jiraiya went on. The sun was setting, and Jiraiya and Nagato were making their way to a training ground. "There's someone I want you to meet, and I invited him to come to this evening's training session. I think you'll get along great."

Nagato gazed at his now-secondary Sensei quizzically. But before he could ask, they'd arrived at the training field, and Jiraiya called out to a blond kid that was practicing kunai throws at a stump.

"Oi! Minato! Come over here and meet one of your new sibling students!"

Minato threw one more kunai, perfectly landing on the bull's eye, and turned and strode over to Jiraiya and Nagato. 

"So you must be Nagato," Minato beamed. He extended his hand in greeting. "My name's Minato Namikaze, and Jiraiya-sensei hasn't stopped talking about you since he got back!"

By this point, Nagato was relieved to have made it outside the village walls. He could tell he was becoming agitated, and that was never good. If he was already becoming unnerved, this would be hands-down the worst night by far. Nagato quickly made his way further and further into the surrounding forests, getting as far as he could from the village. Nagato squeezed his eyes shut tightly as another certain memory surfaced.

"The test results came back positive, Nagato," Hiruzen smiled warmly at the boy. "You are truly an Uzumaki. Congratulations."

Kushina gasped deeply from beside Nagato, and abruptly threw her arms around his neck and glomped him. 

"Cousin!" Kushina screeched in delight.

Nagato was slightly gobsmacked with Kushina's immediate response, but he couldn't deny the warmness that welled up in his own heart. It felt so nice to finally know he had living family that were still around, no matter how distantly related they were.

"Th… Thank you, Lord Third." Nagato said after finding his voice again. He finally returned Kushina's embrace, and stroked her hair affectionately. This had the unintended effect of Kushina reinforcing her choking, bone-crushing hug. 

"I'm never letting you out of my sight, y'know!"

Nagato stopped in his sprint through the forest to lean against a tree. He took a shuddering breath and tried to think of something, anything else. But his mind wasn't having any of that.

"It's good, isn't it, Nagato?" Kushina asked about a meal that she cooked for the three of them – she, Minato, and Nagato. Nagato could only nod; it was just as good as any dish his mother used to make. 

"Yeah. If nothing else, the Uzumaki will be remembered for their Seals… and their cooking." He laughed lightly. 

Kushina crossed her arms and gave a pouty look.

"But before that, we need to get you more acquainted with the kitchen, y'know… All you can cook is ramen! And even then, you still manage to overcook it! It's ramen sacrilege!"

Nagato rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"S-Sorry… I haven't had the chance to properly learn the art…" 

"Your lessons start tomorrow, y'know!"

Memory after memory came to him…

Minato leaped behind the barricade and gave Nagato the go-ahead.

"Nagato, now!"

Nagato leaped up into the path of the oncoming attacks, and held out his open hands.

"Almighty Push!"

The attacks were either neutralized by the gravitational force, or they were repelled back at the enemy-nin. Screams rent the air, and Minato took this time to slaughter those that were still standing, but distracted because of Nagato's counterattack. The enemy didn't stand a chance. 

After the battle, Minato and Nagato headed back to the Leaf with their allies.

"Another successful mission, Nagato! I know it must be hard for you still, to take the lives of enemy shinobi like that… I'm sorry."

Nagato shot a meaningful look Minato's way and then went back to facing forward as they leaped from tree branch to tree branch.

"Yahiko and Konan used to be the ones that I wanted to protect the most…" Nagato confessed. "But now I have many precious people that I want to protect… You, Kushina, Jiraiya-sensei, Tsunade-sensei, Yahiko, Konan… All I want… is to protect you all… Even if it means forfeiting my life…"

"Don't say that!" Minato smiled warmly. "Your life is just as precious to us, Nagato. I'd do the same for you; and I'm sure the others feel similarly. And that sentiment extends to Nagato, not just the Wielder of the Rinnegan, or shinobi of the Leaf."

Nagato looked to Minato once again, wanting to dispute what was said, but he didn't; and so the two of them, along with their battalion, headed back home in silence.

…

"Hokage?" Minato did a double-take as Hiruzen announced it to him; Nagato was standing off to the side, as Hiruzen had him summon Minato, and he was curious about what the Hokage wanted.

"Yes, Minato, you will be the next Hokage. The Fourth Hokage." Hiruzen confirmed Minato's hearing was correct. A smile broke out, and his eyes crinkled with amusement. "Congratulations, my boy!"

"But I'm not…" Minato trailed off, unable to believe this news. He spun around abruptly and pointed accusingly at Nagato. "Nagato's more qualified than I am! He's so much stronger, and…"

Hiruzen stopped Minato's frantic gesticulations.

"I understand your opinion on the matter, Minato, but the fact remains that even Nagato supports your nomination."

Minato looked to Nagato with surprise evident in his eyes. Nagato nodded slowly.

"You possess more leadership experience than I do, Minato. And the 'stronger than you' part is debatable," Nagato gave a thin smile. Minato didn't like this at all.

"No, no, no, no, no…" Minato waved his hands at the Hokage. "You've got the wrong man, Lord Third! I… Nagato… There's no comparison at all!"

Hiruzen raised a curious eyebrow.

"Why are you so insistent in this, Minato? Becoming Hokage… That was your dream, was it not?"

Minato nodded with certainty.

"It was. But then Nagato came to our village, and… I just know he's the better man for the job! He's got so much kindness, so much heart… So much heart… He doesn't even hate the Uchiha Clan for giving him the cold shoulder! He doesn't hold the death of his parents over us anymore. On top of that, Nagato's pursuit of peace extends to a worldly one! My initial vision centered on the village; but Nagato would find a way to secure the village and extend the hand of friendship out to other Hidden Villages.

Minato took a deep, calming breath. He knew he was being emotional about this, but he felt very strongly on the matter.

"Nagato is the one to bring peace to the world. I can't explain it, Lord Third, but there's just something about him. Something that makes me want to follow him; to help him. And I'm not the only one!"

Nagato spoke up once again.

"Minato… You're what the people want. It's okay!" Nagato gave his best friend a reassuring smile. "I don't even want to be Hokage. After all, it takes acknowledgement from followers for a leader to exist; you have far more of that than I do."

"Nagato is correct, Minato," Hiruzen concurred, smoking on his pipe. "It is not those who become Hokage who are acknowledged, it is those who are acknowledged that become Hokage. Like it or not, you are the acknowledged one…"

Minato's head bowed, and he adopted a slight grimace. 

"I shouldn't be…" Minato clenched his fists, and then released the tension. "I may be what the people want, but Nagato is what the people need…"

…

"You're going to be an Uncle! Isn't that great, Nagato?!" Kushina gushed.

Nagato's mouth quirked up a little bit. They'd been over this not that long ago.

"I look forward to the addition of the family, Kushina." 

Kushina huffed.

"You're still hesitant, y'know! Just listen to you! 'I look forward to the addition of the family, Kushina.' You don't have to be so formal about it! You're going to be able to teach him Jutsu, play with him, and do a million other things! He will be family!"

Nagato held up his hands placatingly, sweat forming on his brow.

"I know, Kushina, I know!" He nervously laughed. "I'm just not sure if your kid would want to interact with his 'Uncle Nagato'."

Kushina visibly twitched as Nagato subtly air-quoted his Uncle title, but chose not to chastise him for it. This time. She placed her hands on her hips and fixed Nagato with a stern look.

"Of course he will! My boy will value family like no other!" At Nagato's speculative glance, she added, "I know… Because I'm his mother. I just know the type of boy he's going to grow up to be! He'll be exactly like his mother, and won't heed the words of others as he pursues the Hokage title! He's gonna be impatient, and I just know he's gonna inherit my verbal tics, y'know!"

Nagato stared at Kushina for a good while after that. 

…

"I don't even know why you need me," Nagato said with a wry smile, as he observed Minato handle a couple of assassins, barely missing a beat.

"Don't play that game with me, Nagato," Minato teased lightly. "You're the person I trust the most, and by being at my side, I'm going to make the people acknowledge you!"

"Make them… acknowledge me…?" Nagato stared at his friend in confusion.

Minato beamed.

"Someone's gotta do it! And you're not going to do it willingly, so I'm just giving a helping hand at the beginning. That's all."

Nagato was not sure how he felt about Minato taking the initiative for him…

… 

"Nagato…" Kushina weakly let out as the barrier dropped and the Third Hokage and those with him prepared to make a beeline directly for them once the barrier was dropped on their end. 

"Kushina…" Nagato knelt down to Kushina's level and supported her as she sat on the ground.

"Please don't be sad for me and Minato…" Kushina attempted to crack a grin, but it didn't come out looking that way. "We put a lot on your shoulders, and I know you're going to be super-vigilant in trying to keep your promises to us… But just remember… We will always love you, no matter what…"

Nagato's eyes welled up with tears, and he numbly registered Hiruzen, Yahiko, and Konan running over to him…

Nagato couldn't take it anymore. The memories were still flashing through his mind as he slammed his palm down on the ground and cried, "Summoning Jutsu!" The first indication that this would not be a normal Summoning was evident in Nagato's face; he had a wild look about him, and his body was twitching and showing signs of uncontrollable spasms, slightly. Nagato wasn't even fully registering what he was doing because of his overwhelming memories; and by the time he registered what he had done, the creature that was summoned let out an unworldly roar, and Nagato was forced to turn his attention to the beast before it impaled him unexpectedly.

When Nagato got a good look at the creature, he froze; this was unlike anything he had summoned before. For one, it lacked the Rinnegan; two, it seemed to attack him the moment it was summoned; and three… This was not an Animal Summon…

"Just what are you…?" Nagato asked even though no one would answer. The creature before him was more statue-like in appearance; it had the appearance of a man with two arms, two legs, and a torso, but the similarities pretty much stopped there. The head… The mouth had sharp fangs; and though the eyes were covered, Nagato could barely make out the outlines of more than two eyes in the cloth that covered that part of the head. Furthermore, there appeared to be strange protrusions in its back that ended in stumps… A total of ten of them, Nagato counted mentally.

But the strangest part of all was the protrusion coming from its chest. The pike was not made of similar material – Nagato could tell that in one glance – it was black, and had many, many spikes to its structure. After a while of simply observing the seemingly living statue, which hadn't moved since the black spikes had emerged, Nagato dared to go in for a closer inspection. Tenderly touching one of the small spikes, Nagato noted it felt very cold, and was evidently made of some kind of bizarre metal. The creature had yet to move, so Nagato got bold and snapped off the spike he was inspecting; it wasn't that easy to snap it off, but somehow Nagato managed to do so. Spike in his hands, Nagato turned it over; it still felt so cold, and, Nagato wasn't sure why, but there resonated a sense of familiarity to the strange item. Nagato pinpointed the sense of familiarity to his Rinnegan, but he was no closer to finding out what the black spikes were, let alone the statue/creature that it seemed to be a part of.

Now, a part of Nagato wanted to drop the investigation immediately and get as far away as possible from the anomaly; but his curiosity got the better of him, and Nagato couldn't help but snap off more of the black spikes for scientific investigation. Nagato wasn't sure how he summoned the creature, or how to make it go away, but there was a part of Nagato that was determined to get to the bottom of this phenomenon, and that was the part of him that won out, and made him diligently harvest a good many of the black spikes and break some of them up into smaller pieces, utilizing his Shadow Clones as he did so.

Eventually, however, the creature abruptly disappeared, and Nagato was forced to halt in gathering more black spikes. Looking at the vast collection he did manage to retrieve, Nagato nodded in self-satisfaction, took out a sealing scroll that he always had on hand, and stored them inside. Once that was accomplished, Nagato took one last look around to make sure no one else was around, or that the statue just somehow moved a distance away. When he felt the presence of no one else, Nagato double-timed it back to the village; despite the late hour, there would be work to be done. And the first order of business would be looking into the black spikes he had harvested…

- In an underground cavern in the Land of Water… - 

The man calling himself "Madara Uchiha" was not happy. He'd been going over his plans for the next few years, when Zetsu had come to alert him to an emergency down in the cavern. Madara already had an inkling as to what the 'emergency' was. And he was right: When he looked to the corner where the Gedo Mazou normally sat, the statue was gone.

Needless to say, it wasn't very hard to work out what happened to the thing. Only Madara and the Zetsu Clones knew of the statue's existence, and even if someone else did, they would have to know where the statue was located to even attempt to steal it. 'Attempt', because there were Zetsu Clones on guard all around the surrounding general area of the cavern. There was no sign of a struggle, and not a single Clone had reported about an intruder.

That meant Nagato had finally stumbled upon the fact that he could summon the Gedo…

"What now?" The original White Zetsu asked as he protruded from a nearby wall; his Black half stayed silent for now.

Madara let out a breezy sigh. He walked to the middle of the cavern and made a hand seal after a few moments of silent ruminations.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A few seconds later, the Gedo reappeared; the Black Rod that physically represented Madara's Will was sticking out, and one didn't have to look very hard to see that a certain someone had been nosy…

"Damn Nagato…" Madara cursed under his breath as he used the same hand seal to make the Black Rod recede back into the statue. This complicated things further.

"Nagato will have to be killed if he won't be persuaded," The gruff voice of Black Zetsu finally spoke up. "The Gedo is not a normal Summon; there is not a Summoning Contract for it. Only you and Nagato can use it, and it would be very inconvenient if he continued to stick his nose where it doesn't belong…"

"No," Madara firmly denied. "It is too late to attempt to do that… Nagato Uzumaki knows that I exist, and he knows a number of my abilities already. Even if I were to isolate him from his precious village, he would force me into retreat. He is becoming adept at using the Rinnegan."

"So what do we do?" White Zetsu repeated his query.

Madara closed his eyes and walked up to the statue. He hopped atop the head of the statue, and a tube-like object slithered up and connected with the backside of the masked man.

"There is only one option…" Madara declared, but he did not elaborate further, knowing that he did not need to.

"There is a chance that being synced to the statue will override Nagato's ability to summon it…" Black Zetsu mused. "And even if the Summoning cannot be disrupted, you will be summoned along with the statue, and have its power at your disposal. Wise."

White Zetsu, meanwhile, looked nonplussed.

"This will stall your plans, you know."

"This is a setback," Madara acknowledged. "But it is necessary to stop a problem before it can fester… In the meantime, you will continue to maintain the spy network and bring recruits to me. I will ensure their loyalty to the Moon's Eye Plan."

"So bring Mangetsu here instead, tomorrow?" Black Zetsu asked for confirmation.

"Indeed."

- Several weeks later… - 

Nagato accomplished what he set out to do – the morning after that fateful night, he rounded up the greatest scientists that the Hidden Leaf had to offer – minus Orochimaru – and had them sign waivers that swore the utmost secrecy in regards to what they were to examine. In return, they were promised a sizeable income for however long it took their scientific tests; it didn't matter if the results were good, bad, conclusive, or inconclusive, Nagato just wanted to know what the black spikes were, or at least figure out as much as possible.

Naturally, he confided in Yahiko and Konan about the secretive tests, and they agreed it was a good idea to keep quiet about the mysterious discovery. If word ever got outside of the Hidden Leaf that they were in possession of these strange black objects, there was no telling what could happen; somebody could possibly know what they were and attack them in an attempt to retrieve the objects; or rumors could twist the facts, and make the objects sound like weapons, and they could still end up being attacked. At the moment, they did not know what the black spikes were, so they could be weapons, or they could be a part of some grander design that they were not aware of.

In any event, discretion was the better part of valor. Naturally, when Nagato explained the part about his having many a restless night, both of his oldest and dearest friends berated him for keeping quiet about that part.

"You should have said something sooner," Konan had said, her voice rife with worry and conviction.

"Yeah, why didn't you say something, Rings?" Yahiko confronted his friend as well. Somehow, he'd known that he already knew the answer to that. "I can understand putting up a strong front to keep the people at ease… But we would've noticed how troubled you were eventually! We're your friends, Nagato!"

Konan gave Yahiko a slightly reproving look.

"What Yahiko means, Nagato, is that we don't want you to suffer – not alone. We can help shoulder the pain for you; no one should have to bear that burden alone…"

Nagato's reply had been quiet and remorseful.

"I know…I'm sorry…" There was really not much more he could do; they had outlined and deemed his reasoning insufficient. What more could he say?

"I'd be lying if I just said, "That's okay." It's really not." Konan informed their redheaded Hokage. At his deepening frown, she went on, "You can't do everything by yourself, Nagato. Don't try and pretend everything is fine when it isn't; let us help."

"I know I can't do everything…" Nagato quietly let out. "I just personally believe the village's wellbeing is paramount in comparison to my troubles…"

Yahiko clapped him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Well, we're gonna fix that mentality of yours! It's all well and good to think so highly of the village, but you can't defend the village if you're incapacitated because of your 'troubles', right?"

"I guess so, but…"

"We're only going to stay with you at the Uzumaki Compound until you stop having these episodes, okay?" Konan gave him a reassuring smile.

Nagato's eyes widened in surprise at that snap decision. He wanted to argue, but knew that was what made them so worried about him. Instead, he went along with it for now.

"… I understand. Thank you. Thank you so much…"

And that's how Yahiko and Konan came to live at the Uzumaki Clan Compound with Nagato, out of concern for their friend. Nagato was hesitant at first, but came to realize that they would resort to other measures to check up on him constantly, and so Nagato allowed it, if only to appease them and give himself some comfort with their constant presence.

While the secret tests were being conducted, Nagato carried on; business as usual. Danzo was keeping a keen eye on him, and Koharu and Homura were adjusting to the new Hokage and easing up a bit on him, now that Hiruzen's mentoring was taking effect and Nagato was taking to the position like a fish to water.

On this day, Nagato sat in the Hokage's Office, awaiting the arrival of a certain team of Anbu that was due to return that afternoon. Earlier, the Daimyo had come for one of those rare visits, and he was quite pleased with how the village was recovering; and even moreso when Nagato assured him that they could afford to ease up on the spending for reconstruction. It helped when Nagato had droves of Shadow Clones helping out all over the place; aiding construction, getting businesses to sign certain documents, filing paperwork, etc. Naturally, Nagato still had many a shinobi doing all of those tasks as well, but because morale was low for a time after the attack of the Nine-Tails, Nagato deemed it necessary to help do as much work as possible. Reactions were mixed, at first; if Nagato could do all that, then what was the point of having an organized body of soldiers? But at the same time, it spurred many of the Chunin and Jonin on to work as hard as they could; if their Hokage, who was typically delegated to a desk and podium, was doing all of these menial tasks, then couldn't they do likewise?

And so, the Hidden Leaf Village was making a slow but steady recovery – both physically and emotionally.

A knock sounded at Nagato's door, and then it opened as six members of Anbu filed in. Nagato didn't have to know who was assigned each mask to pick out who two of the Anbu before him were; one had slanted, spiky white hair, and the other had a shock of black hair. Nagato felt conflicted about those two…

"Report." Nagato instructed in a neutral manner, once the door was closed and all the Anbu were kneeling before him.

The Anbu with the Dog Mask was the one to speak up.

"Team Ro reporting in, Lord Hokage," The white-haired man spoke succinctly. "Mission completed. Upon reaching the border to the Land of Wind, we successfully penetrated into the Land of Wind and tailed our ambassador, and did not have to step in. Lord Kazekage personally accepted your proposal to meet, as will no doubt be reported to you later today by our ambassador."

Nagato nodded sagely. Standing up from his seat, Nagato clasped his hands behind his back.

"I am glad that everything went smoothly. Is there anything else to report?" When he received no response for several moments, and no one had given any indication they wished to speak up, Nagato continued on, "In that case, you are dismissed until the briefing of your next assignment. I will await your official written report, Dog. Thank you for your maintained vigilance."

With the Hokage's dismissal, the Anbu exited the room in single file – all of them except for one, who stood at attention, once he was alone with the Hokage.

"Sir."

Nagato gave a small smile; the man before him with a shock of black hair had a mask in the shape of a hawk.

"Hawk… So what's the word?" Nagato queried curiously. And almost as an afterthought, he added, "You can take off your mask; we're alone here."

Hawk did so; Nagato couldn't help but reminisce about how much the boy, now man, was growing.

"The rumors about the new Jinchuriki in the Hidden Sand seem to be correct, Lord Hokage," Obito stated, his facial features set in a stoic manner. "The Kazekage seems to have turned his youngest child, born only recently, into a Jinchuriki. I had my Sharingan active, as you suggested, and I didn't have to look far to find him. Even the One-Tail appears to have massive Chakra Reserves…"

Nagato frowned minutely at that. Of course the Kazekage would make a new Jinchuriki eventually; the Tailed Beasts' original purpose from when Hashirama distributed them amongst the Nations was to be the equalizers; each of the Five Great Nations had at least one; but Nagato never thought the Kazekage would try to 'weaponize' one of his own flesh and blood. It's true that Minato had done the same to Naruto, but… from the sounds of things, the circumstances in the two cases were practically polar opposites.

"Thank you for doing this additional task for me, Obito," Nagato gave his gratitude. "Was there anything else troubling you?"

Obito slightly hesitated, but then he looked Nagato in the eye.

"What is your plan for dealing with the Hidden Sand Village, Lord Hokage? I know they're supposed to be our ally now, but… Is it really possible to get along with them?"

"I suppose you are referring to their detached attitudes, which is present in many of their shinobi, and even their citizens?" Nagato asked for confirmation. Obito's silence was answer enough. "The people of the Hidden Sand have always seemed to lead a harsh life in the desert… They are looked down upon as the weakest of the Five Great Nations, and continuously seek to prove their worth as one of the Great Five. I suppose you can relate to them somewhat in that way?

Nagato cracked a small smile at the brief flash of realization that dawned on Obito, and then disappeared just as quickly.

"You might say that's why I am reaching out to them," Nagato explained. "Having been born and lived my early years in a minor country that was pushed around by three of the Great Nations, I feel for the Hidden Sand's plight. However, we must tread carefully; the Hidden Sand is also proud, and would not accept our help if they thought it was merely offered out of pity, which it is not. Therefore, I intend to give them more opportunities to work towards proving themselves. Merely giving them provisions that they need would only distance us from them; the Kazekage might even see the gifts as items that they deserved long ago, but were never granted. I do not wish for there to be a misunderstanding between our two villages."

Obito schooled his features back into a neutral expression, after appearing to mull over Nagato's words.

"And the Jinchuriki? Why spy on a future ally?"

"I wanted confirmation," Nagato confessed. "But it is not for malicious intentions, as you might think. If the Jinchuriki was truly a blood relative of the Kazekage, then he would no doubt need to be treated with utmost care, lest he grow to hate the very village he was meant to protect. I will not lie – I will be keeping an eye on the Kazekage's youngest child. But it is because I wish to look out for our new ally and see them prosper, rather than look for a chance to see them ruined beyond recovery. You and I both are well aware of the burden that Jinchuriki are forced to bear; they need as much support as possible."

Obito looked to the side as Nagato brought that fact up. Of course they did.

"Minato-sensei would be proud of what you're doing…" Obito murmured.

Nagato could only give a weary smile.

"It was Minato's plan to reach out to the Hidden Sand, actually. I am just fulfilling what he could not; I'm not deserving of praise for something he intended to happen…"

"No, you don't get off that easy," Obito smirked at Nagato. "If it was just a sense of obligation, you wouldn't be nearly as dedicated as you are now. You truly want this alliance between us and the Hidden Sand. And I don't think you're the only one. Your idealism won't always be understood, but it should win out, in the end; you've got nothing to hide in extending the hand of friendship to these people."

Silence reigned for a long time after that, as Nagato stared at Obito. After a while, he managed to utter a, "… Thank you…" After that, Obito was dismissed. Despite Obito's little pep talk, however, Nagato was not deterred from feeling concern for the Black Sheep Uchiha and the son of the White Fang. The two of them would have taken a higher ranked mission, if Nagato hadn't assigned them to this one…

- A month later… - 

Nagato idly fiddled around with a small piece of the black steel spike that was currently still being examined, but was not yielding answers yet. There was still something eerily familiar about the object he was twiddling around in his fingers, but Nagato wasn't sure what. He highly suspected the familiarity resonated with his Rinnegan, but there wasn't confirmation either way yet.

Just as he was about to set the item down, he unwittingly pierced his palm. That garnered a most odd sensation, and Nagato initially winced as the object pierced his skin. Nevertheless, Nagato leaked a little bit of his Chakra into the spike; and not too long after that, one of the scientists burst into the room and reported that the other spikes were strangely reacting to something. When he saw Nagato's hand with the black spike still lodged in, the man concluded it was somehow reacting to Nagato's Chakra, and it was transmitting to the others.

They were Chakra Receivers.

"Do you know what purpose these Chakra Receivers would serve?" Nagato queried.

The scientist shook his head.

"It's too early to tell, Lord Hokage; we will need to conduct further tests. Would you be alright with assisting us?"

Nagato nodded.

"That won't be any trouble at all. Will you need any other materials?"

The scientist shook his head.

"You have supplied us with an abundance of supplies, which we're grateful for, Lord Hokage. We will let you know if we are in need of anything; but that's looking to be unlikely in the near future."

"I'm glad," Nagato gave a small smile. He removed the spike from his hand, leaving a small trail of blood in his palm. Then he wrapped the wound up with a very tiny amount of gauze, and went to the lab, where everyone else would be waiting for them. Nagato didn't know what the tests would yield, but he did have a foreboding feeling about these items. Only time would tell how they would be used, if they were to be used at all.

Unbeknownst to Nagato, a certain Sannin had been eavesdropping – within the Hokage's Office no less. The Sannin released his Camouflage Jutsu once Nagato and the scientist were long gone; it was far too easy to stay hidden when Nagato was completely distracted. His long tongue slithered out as he wet his lips and grinned wickedly.

"Kukuku… Little Nagato is proving to be more interesting with each passing day… I can't wait to study those gorgeous eyes blessed with magnificent power. And these Chakra Receivers… I look forward to what you find out, young Nagato."

Orochimaru let out a throaty chuckle and disappeared into the floor. After all, no matter how amused he was, Orochimaru still had tasks to accomplish… He had more freedom than ever, what with the Hokage preoccupied with his own 'secretive' tests. Nagato wouldn't remain absorbed in his research of the black spikes forever, but Orochimaru would take advantage of the distraction, and conduct his experiments hassle-free. Like wringing a cloth dry, Orochimaru would use all the resources that the Hidden Leaf had to offer him; every last drop would be used.

Every. Last. Drop