455 Bonds...!!
Part 1
Danzo in Hokage garb:
"Huu, Toneru [sic. - "Torune"], stay behind. Terai, I'm leaving Kabuto to you. Go."
3 Root members: "Yes, sir."
One leaves to go after Kabuto (Terai).
Danzo: "Well then... I'll leave here for the Kage Summit.
The summit is exclusive except for two picked men.
I am thinking of one or two from Root. I'll leave it to you two. Masks are forbidden. Take them off."
The two Root members take off their masks.
One, who's name is Huu, resembles Pein's Petra Realm body.
One, who's name is Torune, wears a cloth open only at the eyes.
Both are wearing shinobi garb.
Huu (the Petra-looking one): "To what level should we be armed for escort..."
Danzo: "I don't worry about such things. Huu, I'll leave it to you."
Huu (Petra): "Yes, sir."
Danzo: "Torune, you keep an eye out for subordinates. Sai is acting as if he might betray Root, so be cautious."
Torune: "Yes, sir."
Danzo: "Don't let the Kyuubi leave the village. Be thorough about it."
Turn - Naruto
Karui: "Haa, haa."
Fatigue from hitting.
Naruto's face is beaten and bruised, yet he he still stands up.
Sai is still watching.
Omoi: "..."
Karui: "I said it before! No matter what we do, our feelings will never go away. I'll continue forever until you talk about Sasuke."
Karui raises her hand(s) over her head: "Uaaa!!"
Sai appears in front of Naruto and stops Karui's fist.
Naruto, Karui and Omoi: !! !!? ...
Karui: "Don't get in the way! It's just what this guy was asking for."
Sai strains against her clenched fists.
Naruto: "...Sai... You, fall back."
Part 2
Sai, with a little perturbed look: "Naruto... It's not necessary for you to be beaten up for someone like Sasuke's sake."
Naruto: "Shu'up, it's my way of doing it."
Sai reminisces and remembers Naruto's words:
(A long time ago, I hated everything about Sasuke... But, the time we were together was really a lot of fun. Because Sasuke is my friend. Because I was finally able to create a bond..."
Sai: "Sasuke... Wouldn't he just hurt you (Naruto)? ...If it were me."
Karui: "If you're going to get in the way, then I'll give you some too - here!"
She raises her fist and Omoi stops her.
Omoi: "That's enough, Karui! We won't get anywhere by knocking these guys around. You of all people should understand! He promised us to help rescue Killer B."
Karui: "What's that?! Don't you doubt whether this promise is really true like always? You're always careful yet this isn't like you!"
Naruto sits down. Sai: "Naruto..."
Omoi looks in his direction.
Omoi: "You come this far and don't sell out your friends... Even an enemy. I like a guy like this - guys that don't thoughtlessly say things."
Part 3
Omoi: "No matter how much you hit him, this guy won't sell out Sasuke. He's the type that doesn't bend what he says."
Samui: "Omoi, Karui, what kind of things did you get from your information gathering?"
Omoi: "Ah! Samui-taichou [means "commander", but sounds out of place in Naruto]
Karui: !
Samui: "I take it there weren't any problems or anything."
Karui: "..."
Omoi: "More importantly, we learned that Killer B may still be alive! Let's go save him! First, let's find "Akatsuki"'s hideout and surround it!"
Samui: "And then what would we do? Against those that caught Killer B, only us... Besides, we don't know how many hideouts "Akatsuki" has that we would have to reduce to rubble...
Firstly, lets analyze the information we collected - that'll make it much faster! I don't want to go repeating the same mistake like we did with Yugito.
We'll take the information to Raikage and hand it to him personally! Because we have too much information."
Naruto: "M... Me too... Take me with you... Please...
I'll... Work with you and help be a pillar of strength for you all..."
Part 4
Sai: "Naruto!"
Naruto: "Besides, the Raikage... I have an idea I want to discuss..."
Karui: "The Raikgae?! Don't mess with us, bastard!"
Sai stops Karui. [perhaps she tried to hit him again]
Samui, while looking at Naruto: (This child is Naruto... The one everyone in Konoha is talking about, Uzumaki Naruto...)
Samui remembers a conversation of Konoha citizens.
Citizen 1: "Is it possible that Naruto has come this far..."
Citizen 2: "He's a hero. He's expected to become Hokage (someday)!"
Samui: "I can't do something like take someone without a clear background to see the Raikage when I'm short of hands to guard you at present while on the move."
Naruto: "..."
Samui: "Well, Karui, Omoi, we're going! We've got permission to look at information on Sasuke and "Akatsuki". Transcribing will take time - I'll need your help as well."
Omoi, Karui and Samui leave the place.
Naruto: "Sai..."
Sai: "What?"
Naruto: "Where Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-taichou are... Take me... Please..."
Kakashi and Yamato's tent. [the Japanese says "camp sheet room"... gotta love the Japanese...]
Kakashi and Yamato are watching over.
Sai: "Would it be better if Sakura-san took care of him..."
Naruto, wrapped in bandages: "If she saw me in this condition, things would get complicated again. Besides, the injuries are healing fast so it's okay."
Naruto: "Sai... Sorry about earlier..."
Sai smiles: "Nah..."
Part 5
Kakashi: "That was definitely some beating you took."
Naruto: "Heheh..."
Kakashi reminisces about his conversation with Sai.
Kakashi: "Really... Naruto did something like that..."
Sai: "Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi: "Hm?"
Sai: "This bond Naruto and Saukra have tormenting them between Sasuke - is it really that important of a thing? Why do those two go so far, even though they are hurt..."
Kakashi: "Sai... You're supposed to keep an eye out on Naruto, right?"
Sai: "...Tha... That's...!!"
Kakashi: "It's okay... I know... Stepping in and helping Naruto wasn't something you did to keep an eye on him - you, too, are gradually noticing, I expect... Sai."
Yamato and Kakashi are watching Naruto and Sai.
Sai is tending to Naruto's injuries.
Naruto: "Ow, ow, ow, ow"
Sai: "S... Sorry..."
Kakashi: "Just for a bit, we need to rest or else..."
Naruto: "Let me meet the Raikage!!"
Part 6
Kakashi and Yamato: !?
Kakashi: "When you meet, what will you do?"
Yamato: "The Five Kage Summit is coming up! It's decided that even the isolated villages will refrain from letting anyone leave or sending out missions!"
Naruto: "I need to persuade them to pardon Sasuke!"
Yamato: "Now you don't even have your seal necklace! You, people's pillar of strength, can't expect to go out of the village!
And besides that, you transformed to the Kyubi as far as the eighth tail! You're lucky the seal restrictions activated and checked the Kyubi, but what will happen next time?!
And, I've been assigned to reconstruct the village - I can't always be with you!"
Naruto: "I met the Fourth (Hokage)."
Sai, Kakashi and Yamato: !!? ?
Naruto: "The one who stopped the Kyubi for me before was the Fourth."
Yamato: "Wha... What are you saying? The Fourth is already..."
Kakashi: "The Shikihuujin* is still a sealing style with many mysteries. In the technique's formula, the self's soul energy was locked up in it."
Naruto: "...When that happened, the Fourth told me something - The Kyubi attack of 16 years ago was by that "Akatsuki" guy with the mask. What more, he was so strong that the even the Fourth couldn't best him!"
Tobi's face floats to the surface of Kakashi's mind.
Naruto: "The Fourth said it was that guy pulling the strings!
Pain was being used by that guy.
Sasuke entering "Akatsuki" - even Sasuke is only being used by that guy!"
Kakashi: "It's as Jiraya feared - the incident of 16 years ago... So it was his work. He had the Sharingan. He had bitterness for the village and fell away from it. The Uchiha who's necromancy** could do that with the Kyubi is someone like Madara.
*[could use some help with this - best I get is, lit., "Corpse Demon Seal" - perhaps the seal created by the Death God when the Kyubi was trapped in Naruto]
**[sorry, I like the word - alternative reading: "...who could call up the Kyubi is..."]
Part 7
Yamato: "When I hear Madara... no matter what, because isn't it strange... that he's living..."
Naruto remembers what the Kyubi said.
Kyubi: "The power of those eyes - a Chakura even more sinister than mine... Just like the former Uchiha Madara's..."
Naruto: "Who's this Madara?"
Kakashi: "He fought with the First Hokage.
He died a noble death and was the original leader of Konoha's Uchiha clan.
A man.
This information needs to be told to the higher ups. Sai!"
Sai: "Yes..."
Kakashi: "Contact the second in command of the Hokage."
Sai: "Ah... Yes."
Kakashi: "Naruto! What did the Fourth tell you?"
Naruto: "Huh?"
Kakashi remembers his own father: "A father would have a lot he would want to say to his son."
Naruto: !!
Naruto smiles.
Naruto grabs the covers in his hands [he's in bed, remember].
Laughing: "He believes in me--... He told me!!"
Kakashi, doing a GJ pose [? - "good job", i.e., thumbs up?]: "Alright!"
Kakashi: "You're to go to where the Raikage is! Well, Yamato and I will be Naruto's escort!"
Yamato: "Eh-----!!"
Turn changes
Shinobi from somewhere are following Danzo.
Torune: "Danzo"
Danzo: "Umhm"
Danzo: "It's been a while since real combat... It's a perfect chance for me to wake up my dulled body..."
The unknown shinobi attack Danzo.
Danzo takes the bandage from his right eye: "(Torune, Huu), don't do anything - I'll do it."
The right eye is Sharingan.
Is it possible Danzo has Sharingan...!!
