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A Darker World	By : bob665 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2252 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer I do not own Naruto, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 23
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Unneeded- sorry for not updating regularly.
Filka- thanks for reviewing it means a lot!

Fear shot up Jiraiya's spine. It was not fear for himself but for the group. He was convinced he could fight his old friend to a standstill at the least, but there were too many people here that would be so much like annoying flies to his old teammate. Then Orochimaru offered an alliance and Jiraiya almost laughed.
"Orochimaru, you're a snake in the grass. Why would anyone trust anything you say?"
His former friend's annoying laugh echoed. "Jiraiya, I have never lied to you. There have been times when I have not told you things, but I have never lied. And now I tell you, joining forces will be mutually beneficial for both of us."
There were few words that could hurt Jiraiya's pride, but reminding him that it had been his own willful blindness that made him overlook much of Orochimaru's behavior, especially towards the end, was a memory that cut deep. As morbid as the thought was, Orochimaru had only ever lied to him by omission. He suspected that if he had confronted his friend before leaving the village the man would've been equally truthful with him. Jiraiya suspected that, in his own twisted way, Orochimaru would've enjoyed it.
"All right, we'll meet. Two hundred yards to the east, I'm coming alone." He pinned Anko, who was still standing on the tree, with his gaze.
"Oh, do let Tsunade join us. The team hasn't been together in so long."
Jiraiya glanced over at Tsunade who looked away. "That's up to her."
No answer came, and after a moment, Jiraiya turned towards the east and started walking joined by Tsunade. After a hundred yards, Jiraiya looked back and could not see anyone from the clearing. He thought about listening to see if a third-party was secretly following them but that would've done little good.
When they came to a stop neither of them spoke, even as the ground slowly began to bulge outwards. At about waist height they could begin to make out the features of a man, but not until at its full height did it look like Orochimaru.
"You were always one for the dramatics." Tsunade said in a disapproving tone.
"I am not the only one of us you could level that accusation at."
Orochimaru's smile made Jiraiya want to hit him. It wasn't because it was creepy but simply because it had not changed much since their first meeting. "What are you offering?" He cut right to the point.
"Well, I'm sure you're aware that Danzo is expecting something."
"That's what you're offering?" Jiraiya said dismissively. "Hosting the final is a major pain. Over the course of a few days there will be more visitors to the village than they would ordinarily see in a month. It's the perfect opportunity to slip some people in and that's one reason I almost chose not to do it."
"Yes, and I'm sure you're aware that your acquisition of two of the Hyuga clan also has not escaped his notice." Orochimaru shot back.
"Of course," Jiraiya answered. He had always known that Hinata and Hanabi were serving as a red herring. The Hyuga clan was now a strong supporter of Danzo, but those who were of fighting age still could be neutralized by the two young girls.
"And that he has begun to suspect Shikaku as your spy? At least Danzo would if my man wasn't running interference."
Jiraiya kept his facial expression neutral. He found it hard to believe that Orochimaru was working with Danzo, and if he was working as an agent this would be a terrible approach. "Your man is that well-placed?"
"He is that unnoticeable." Orochimaru replied.
"This is a waste of time. He has not offered us anything." Tsunade said.
"So hasty," Orochimaru hissed. "I'm offering his defense plan against your inevitable attack. Not the one that you know, but the one he has only shared with his diehard loyalists. He is fully aware that most of the village won't take sides when you make your push."
"And what is your price for this information?" Jiraiya asked, honestly curious.
Orochimaru held out his hands to either side as if it was almost not worth mentioning. "I ran some experiments on Danzo several years back. I'm curious to see how they have taken. You know how I am with research." With his lips pressing against each other, Jiraiya had the eerie impression that Orochimaru was now more snake than man. "You can even keep his head and all the secrets it has."
An experiment, Jiraiya thought. Yes, he could see his old friend siding with them for that purpose alone. "What type of experiments? We will be fighting him and I don't want any nasty surprises."
"So, we are in agreement? The three Sannin shall once again fight on the same side for one final battle."
"Jiraiya, we can't trust him. He's an anarchist at heart. If the political situation of our village is what you say it is, he could grab the body soon enough. He could get what he wants then with a lot less fuss."
For the first time Orochimaru turned his full attention on Tsunade and gave her a pitiful look. "If Danzo is removed or not, it will not stop the war on the horizon. If it's not the villages attacking, it will be my old friends. Don't you agree, Jiraiya?"
"I have not forgotten the Akatsuki," Jiraiya answered. He didn't add that he had redirected many of his resources over the last couple of years. "I'll accept your offer Orochimaru. However, you cannot summon Manda. I don't want that thing loose in the village. In return, you can have Danzo's body." Jiraiya didn't add that he didn't intend for there to be a body to hand over.

Naruto was sort of used to not knowing what was going on. Usually he had a general idea, but he wasn't a detail kind of person. He knew something was up and that something was bad. The creepy voice had startled him, but he didn't understand the fear that had spread through the group. When Jiraiya had gone off for a meeting with the voice he had not known what to do. When he had come back there had been more talking and some arguing. It was all over his head and he just wanted to get going to the House.
When the meeting had broken up, he had a sudden fear that something had changed and that they would not be going to the House. That fear was quickly put to rest when Jiraiya summoned three large toads and told him to get on. There would be ten of them attacking the House, and besides Jiraiya, the only one he recognize was that guy with the weird eyes who could create buildings from the ground. He hoped it would be enough.
Nothing looked familiar from the back of a jumping toad, but Jiraiya seemed to know where he was going. They stopped as the sun had just finished setting. At first Naruto wasn't sure if they were breaking for the night or what. He looked up at Jiraiya, and in the sparse light, the man's face looked like it was carved from stone.
"Naruto," Jiraiya spoke, his voice as hard as his face. "Our destination is about a half a mile straight ahead. This is your last opportunity to back out. If you don't want to do this it's all right."
"I want to." Naruto answered instantly.
"Tell me the plan. What is going to happen?"
For a split-second, Naruto was silent. It felt like a brick was lodged in his stomach. "I'm too go on ahead. My part of the mission is to break in through a window and make my way to the dorm in the attic. I'll explain what's happening to anyone there, keep them calm. If I'm seen by a guard, I'm supposed to go quietly and wait to be rescued."
"The rest of you will take out anyone in the outlying buildings before moving on to the House itself. The nine of you will secure the ground floor where the bulk of the clients will be. There might be some fighting and no matter what I hear I have to keep everyone in the dorm. You will work your way up floor by floor until you reach the attic."
"Once the building is secure, we gather the clients on the ground floor and everyone else gathers in the dorm. I explain what's happening again and then they're reverse summoned to where the toads are from for their safety. The clients are told they are to be ransomed and we'll have them leave the building one by one. You kill them, then we burn down the House and we leave."
At some point during his recitation Naruto had closed his eyes to remember better. Not all of his personal time with Jiraiya had been physical or spiritual training. He had to remember more details about the House than he thought he had known in the first place. When he had first announced that he wanted to go on the mission, Jiraiya had bluntly explained what he intended to do to the clients. Back then it had all been in theory, but right now it was real.
It was strange. He had feared the clients, he had hated them, a few he had almost liked and now he wasn't feeling anything. "Mitate doesn't die." Naruto had not thought before he spoke. Speaking the medic-nin's name caused a rush of good memories. It wasn't just the fact that he had been in charge of keeping everyone healthy. The man had just been there when anyone needed him.
"No guarantees, but we will try our best."
Naruto nodded and slid down the side of the toad. Now at ground-level, he could see some lights in the distance. Without another word, he started to run forward.
It felt like he covered the distance in a heartbeat. He was at the wall that surrounded the House and realized it didn't look familiar. The side that faced the House was kept clean, but this side that no one ever saw was covered in moss. He only vaguely remembered leaving this place with Konohamaru and at that time he had not looked back.
Naruto counted to twenty, straining his ears to hear anything from the other side of the wall. Besides the noisy crickets, he couldn't hear anything. Channeling chakra to his legs, he jumped on top of the wall, perching like a bird for a second before hopping down and rolling in the grass. Staying low, he crept along the building, going under several windows. He knew exactly which window he wanted to use and it wasn't on this side.
Jiraiya had taught him several ways he could peek around a corner and he used the simplest. Keeping his head so low that the grass brushed up against is hair, Naruto peeked around the corner. He wasn't expecting to see anyone and he wasn't surprised. Unfortunately, the window he was going to use wasn't open.
The blonde approached cautiously, peering into the window at an oblique angle, trying to see inside. His luck held as the room appeared to be empty. Drawing a kunai, he used it to pry the window open. He had to dig into the wood a little but he was in.
Naruto crawled into a very familiar room. It was where they prepared before going on stage. It seemed smaller than how he remembered it. The door to the staircase had not changed. It even squeaked a little like he remembered. He made his way up the narrow staircase hyper alert.
Thousands of memories overlapped each other. Past the second-floor, it's entrance door tightly shut. When he reached the third floor, he paused. There was a lot of noise coming from the door, but that wasn't his destination. Then he was at the top and he hesitated before pushing on into the room he had shared with others for the good portion of his time at the House.
At this time of day the dorm room should be at least partially full. It was still early work wise, but the room was eerily silent. The curtains that could provide a little privacy were all open, revealing the beds to be empty. There was not a single person, and, for a minute, Naruto was at a complete loss of what to do. The bathroom door then opened and Sakura walked in. She took several steps before pausing and looking over at him, her face going slack.
Naruto rarely thought ahead but this was something he had prepared for. He wanted to say he was a ninja now. He wanted to say how he planned to take them away from here so they could find something better. He wanted to tell them how nice it could be and how great it was to not have to do those things. In his head, it all made sense, but as he stared at Sakura, it vanished.
Sakura recovered first. She ran over to Naruto, throwing her arms around him and squeezing tight.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say all that stuff. I didn't want you to run away. I knew you weren't dead."
For a moment, Naruto had no idea what she was talking about it. He had no idea what stuff she was referring to and he had even less of an idea of why she thought he might be dead. Then a more pressing concern entered Naruto's mind.
"Sakura," Naruto hissed out, "I need to breathe."
Sakura broke the embrace immediately and took a step back. "Sorry."
She used her towel to wipe away a tear, flashing Naruto a little. His face warmed a bit and caught by surprise. He had seen a lot more than that, but he wasn't used to it anymore. "Why did you think I was dead?"
Sakura smiled. "When you first ran away with Konohamaru, no one knew what was going on. Then we were told you ran away. It kind of excited everyone and I think some people ware thinking of doing the same. Then the next day they said they found both of you dead. Some people believed it and others didn't. I didn't, but no one was talking about running away after that."
Naruto nodded. He guessed that made a sort of sense. "Well, I'm not dead and neither is Konohamaru. He is safe and with people I trust." Naruto's own words surprised him for a second, but he shrugged off. "Where is everyone?"
Sakura shrugged. "In a few days we are expecting a lot of high paying clients. We're going all out for them. New shows, new costumes and, well, everything else. We kind of took over the third floor as a workshop. We still have a few clients, though, and I have a show I have to put on."
She began to turn around and Naruto realized she really didn't understand what was going on. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Sakura, you don't have to." She looked at him uncomprehendingly. "I'm a ninja. Someone trained me to be one. He is here with some friends. We want to take you away from here. All of you."

There comes a time when every teacher has to let their student choose their course. Jiraiya knew that the ninja profession was no different. Train someone all you want, but at one point they had to decide to use that training. Sometimes it was a fight or flee situation and sometimes it was simply moving forward.
It was a hard decision to watch. Ninja killed and died. The good ones did it for the sake of others and the bad ones for themselves. For Jiraiya, the line was that simple. As he watched Naruto disappear into the woods, he felt pride. Naruto had many faults, but he had a heart. Tonight would not be about revenge for Naruto, but simply helping out his friends. He had chose responsibility when he could've walked away and Jiraiya would not have faulted him if he had. He was proud of him, he had been right to train him.
After a moment, he gestured for the others to follow him as he dismounted from his toad. "You know what to do."
In the weeks leading up to tonight, Jiraiya had rung Naruto for every piece of inside information that he had. It painted a rather depressing picture. He had known that the guards were fake ninjas, but the overall lack of security was depressing. The guards were not there to keep the children in line, but simply to keep clients from exceeding the boundaries. They didn't even bother to lock the windows. The children were kept there because they didn't know anything else. Naruto's initial escape had been an act of desperation.
The House, as Naruto always called it, was more than just one building. There was another building across the street where the guards stayed as well as the guests that couldn't afford a room at the House. It was depressingly easy to take over.
One genjutsu and everyone was out. The ninjas proceeded through the building, quietly doing their work. Where the skull and spinal cord met was a small spot that once severed would instantly kill. It was hard work, even for a ninja like Jiraiya. Sometimes nasty work needed to be done, though. Remembering what these people were either here to do or were employed to allow happen helped a little.
Then he came to one room whose door was locked. With no finesse, he forced it open only to see a man sitting at a desk reading. They stared at each other for a second before Jiraiya spoke up. "What's your name?"
"Mitate," the man said. "Are you going to take them all this time?"
"Yes, but what about you?"
The man shrugged. "I'm tired. Just tell me they are going to be okay."
"We've made arrangements. We're getting the kids out of here. I can't promise the same for everyone else."
"Good." The man said sounding very tired.
"You're not concerned about yourself?" Jiraiya asked genuinely curious.
"I'm a coward. A coward's fate is never in their hands."
Jiraiya actually cracked a smile. "True. However, Naruto spoke highly of you. You were the only adult he felt was on their side when they were here. For that, you get to live." He considered the man for a moment and wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Mitate looked like he'd just been released from a very long mission. "Tell me about the layout of the main floor." Naruto had told him about the House as best as he could, but this guy was supposed to be a professional.
"The main floor should be pretty empty. Most clients who have the money are heading to watch the final exams."
"All right, what else?"

It was strange, Naruto thought. An hour ago, he had brought everyone upstairs to the dorm and began to explain where he had been, what he had been doing and what was going to happen. He had not even heard the others entrance downstairs. He had barely heard Jiraiya climbing the stairs to tell him that the building was secure.
Up until that point everything was going according to plan, but when he started to explain that they would all be traveling to a place called Mount Myoboku and they were going to be looked after by some toads, things went downhill. Mitate had been there, though, he had helped. Naruto had forgotten that summoning and talking animals had been unbelievable to him less than a year ago.
They were all gone now. For the first time that he could remember the House was silent. It was such a strange feeling. He knew the clients had been told they were being kidnapped and would be held for ransom. They had been let out one by one and dispatched. Right now they were lining the bodies up along the road. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. There was always a part of him that hated the people that came here, but now, well, he didn't know.
Naruto pushed those feelings down for now and just looked around the main floor. He wondered how many hours he had spent on stage and how many he spent waiting tables. Those weren't really happy memories though. At best, they weren't bad, but he did remember one time when the floors had been refinished and they were closed. They had all taken turns running and sliding across the floor. That was a happy memory.
Kaede had died somewhere down here. He had not asked Jiraiya about that. When he had lived here the woman had been all-powerful, a figure almost larger-than-life. The fact she had died so quietly made her seem so small. She had probably been drunk, he had sort of noticed that about her over the years. She drank a lot.
The door opened behind him and he turned to see Jiraiya step inside. The older man stood there for a minute before asking, "You okay?"
Naruto nodded.
"If you want, you can still back out. I can get Shima here in a second."
Naruto shook his head. "This is a two-part mission. Save my friends and then make sure it never happens again."
Jiraiya laughed, but it was forced. "I guess that is the way you would see it. Well, there's one thing left to do before we can call part one complete. Burn this place down. You want the honers, or should I?"
Naruto's last glimpse of the House was as he glanced back through the woods. The flames had just busted out one window and were starting to lick upwards, and to that he smiled.
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A Darker World