## Hokage Tower ##
Shizune entered Tsunade's office with visible unease.
"Lady Tsunade, Danzo has come to see you."
Danzo had been uncharacteristically silent lately. This silence was unsettling—normally the old warhawk would have already caused trouble, unlike Jiraiya who only warned from a distance.
Tsunade nodded and told Shizune, "Let him in."
"Danzo. What brings you here today?"
Danzo stood before her desk, leaning on his cane for support:
"Princess Tsunade, I came today to discuss an asset of Konoha's… Naruto."
Tsunade made her position clear right away:
"I won't let you take him, Danzo. He doesn't need your training. He's plenty strong as it is."
Danzo offered a faint smile:
"Would you mind asking the Anbu to step out? I'd like to speak with you alone."
Tsunade gestured and the masked ninjas vanished silently.
Clearing his throat slightly, Danzo took a seat:
"We both know part of his strength stems from my training—but that's not the point."
He tapped his cane against the ground:
"It's not the boy I'm interested in. The Akatsuki will stop at nothing to capture him, and all I want is to ensure his safety."
No provocations. No veiled threats. Just straightforward words, as always.
Tsunade decided to hear him out:
"Go on."
Danzo gave a small nod and continued:
"I'd like to assign one of my students to assist Naruto. I can assure you, he's the most gifted ninja I've ever trained—second only to Naruto himself."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes:
"Don't try to manipulate me, Danzo. Let me warn you now—stay away from that boy. We already have more than enough outside threats without needing to worry about internal rebellion."
Danzo remained expressionless:
"I have no intention of hindering Naruto's growth or interfering with him. He carries a tailed beast within him—destined to become one of the strongest. But right now, if rogue ninja manage to catch him, it's simply because he lacks sufficient support."
Seeing that she kept staring at him without speaking, the old man rose slowly and turned to leave:
"Well then, I'll leave the final decision to you. Until next time, Princess Tsunade."
With that, the steady tapping of Danzo's cane echoed behind him as he exited.
******
## Two Days Later — Raikage Office, Kumogakure ##
Naruto stood near the doorway, listening to the conversation between the two veteran ninja.
Raikage A sat behind his desk, clad in traditional Kumogakure garb, carefully listening to Jiraiya's words.
Jiraiya sat across from him, his face serious:
"This organization has started acting boldly. Ever since I discovered their existence, they've already made three attempts on Naruto. Now they're likely hunting the Seven-Tails from Takigakure and the Four-Tails from Iwagakure. Soon they'll come for your Eight-Tails or Two-Tails. Some of the world's deadliest ninja have united solely to capture the tailed beasts. You know damn well this isn't happening for any good reason."
The Raikage thought quietly for a moment, then sighed:
"Jiraiya, I appreciate you coming all this way to tell me this, but I cannot form an alliance just to stop a group of fewer than ten ninja, no matter how skilled they may be."
At the door, Naruto's brow furrowed.
This was pretty much what he'd expected.
******
##That night——Kumogakure inn##
Jiraiya went to bed early. They needed to get up early the next day to leave and return to Konoha to report the mission's outcome, so Tsunade could decide whether they would continue offering aid to other villages.
Naruto couldn't sleep, so he decided to sit on the rooftop.
He sat at the edge of the inn, drawing the blade from its sheath and sliding it back again and again, listening to the sound of the steel sliding.
The monotony of the sound and motion lulled him into a daze.
"You really are intriguing," a voice interrupted Naruto's trance.
He turned around and saw Yugito standing beside him with a wave:
"How have you been all these years, Naruto?"
Yugito sat down next to him, hugging her knees and looking him over.
"Busy. Very busy. We came here to talk with your Raikage about something, but since you tracked me down, I might as well tell you directly. You know about the Akatsuki organization, right?"
Yugito nodded:
"Not too much, but I've heard the name."
Naruto looked at her seriously:
"You should be careful. Their members wear black cloaks with red clouds... They're after your Eight-Tails. They'll extract the tailed beast from inside you, leaving your body as nothing but an empty vessel... It's best not to let them capture you."
Yugito frowned while listening to Naruto speak about the Akatsuki.
He didn't seem as confident as he'd been when they first met.
"What's wrong, Naruto? You've changed. Is it because of the Akatsuki?"
Naruto rubbed his arm and replied:
"These people aren't normal. You need to expect the worst, the most twisted possibilities. These are monsters within the ninja world."
Yugito turned, looking up at the sky:
"So you're afraid..."
Naruto stayed silent for a moment before saying:
"Yeah, I'm afraid. But not for my own safety. I'm worried about the people around me, Konoha. If someone wants to use the Nine-Tails' power, it will be devastating—many people will die. Everyone in Konoha will be in danger."
Yugito listened quietly, gazing at the moon:
"The moon is very round tonight, Naruto. The light reflects in your eyes, and I can clearly see your fear—not on your face, but in your eyes. If one of them appeared now and fought us, you'd be distracted by fearing the consequences, afraid to give it your all."
Clutching his fist, Naruto said:
"If I lose, our village—and the whole world—are doomed. Even one tailed beast is dangerous enough—worse yet, they want them all. This will be the end of the world."
"Then don't let them win," she said. "Sometimes the answer isn't that complicated, Naruto. Fight them with everything you've got. Do everything you can to stop them from taking you. If you fail, so what? They're human too—they can be defeated—just like you can be hurt."
Naruto gave a bitter smile:
"Easy for you to say..."
"Because it really is that simple," she insisted firmly. "When facing enemies like that, there's no need for fear."
Naruto stared at his partner as she stood up, stretched with a lazy yawn, and then leaned over to brush a kiss against his cheek:
"I won't let them hurt you."
With that, Yugito left, leaving Naruto alone on the rooftop, lost in thought.
He turned his head toward the moon, sighing softly to himself,
"What's wrong with me? One bad fight and I fall apart like this?"
******
The late-night streets of Kumogakure were usually deserted, thanks to the village's curfew.
Ninjas patrolled the streets to protect the citizens and ensure public safety.
Yugito walked alone down the road leading to her home.
Suddenly, she stopped and bared her teeth in annoyance:
"Alright, I'm tired. Anyone with a problem can come out now—either fight or get lost."
Two men wearing red cloaks and straw hats emerged from the shadows; one carried a tri-bladed scythe on his back.
"You're Yugito Nii, right?"
Yugito forced a tense smile, sweat trickling down her face:
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