Naruto: The new beginning

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Watching Fū laugh carefreely with her hands on her hips, Naruto slapped his forehead. Was it really something to be proud of to fall asleep during a serious briefing?

Back in his younger days, as a well-behaved student, he would never have dozed off during a lecture though that might have been easier since they always had to stand during speeches.

Unable to resist, Naruto reluctantly started explaining Akatsuki's activities.

Fū's reaction was dramatic, her eyes wide with shock. "Wait, they want to capture jinchūriki? You poor things must be so miserable."

Naruto gave her a sharp tap on the head. "Focus! You're a jinchūriki too!"

"Eh?" Fū raised her hands, pointing to herself, looking almost pleased. "So they'll come after me too?"

"Why are you so happy about that...?" Naruto muttered, starting to feel like he was being possessed by Tenten's spirit. He couldn't hold back his sarcasm. "You really think they're here to play hide-and-seek with you?"

Fū grinned. "Kind of! I'll hide, and they'll be the 'ghosts'. If they catch me, I'll die!"

While her understanding of the situation was, to put it mildly, unconventional, Fū did seem to have grasped the general idea. Naruto just hoped she wouldn't take the whole death part too lightly.

"...You're still laughing?" Naruto couldn't believe it. He made a mental note to make sure his shadow clones never played with her, or things could go terribly wrong.

As the Kage processed the information about Hidan and Kakuzu, the so-called "immortal duo", their eyes subtly turned toward Shibuki: Takigakure had this kind of powerhouse?

Shibuki himself was just as surprised. When did Takigakure produce a rogue ninja of this calibre? And why did he defect?

Raikage, remembering the strange symbols left behind at the scene of the Kumo-nin's abduction, spoke up, "So these two, Hidan and Kakuzu... they were behind the disappearance of Tailed-beasts, then? With such bizarre abilities, it's no wonder they failed."

Minato confirmed, "Yes, they were the ones who captured the Four-Tails and Five-Tails. The one who physically engaged with the jinchūriki was Kisame a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

Ōnoki, hearing about Kisame and the details of his involvement, raised a question. "Isn't Kisame part of your Seven Ninja Swordsmen? Isn't he a rogue from Kiri's pursuit unit?"

Yagura clasped his hands and spoke carefully, "Kisame wasn't technically part of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. He killed the previous Sharkskin's owner, Kisame Hoshigaki, before joining Akatsuki. His recruitment wasn't authorized by me."

Ōnoki pressed further, "And his abilities?"

Yagura looked at Minato, his eyes signalling he was ready to share more. "Kisame is best known for his Water Style. His chakra reserves far exceed normal shinobi, making his water jutsu incredibly powerful. However, his most dangerous asset is his sword, Samehada. It's a living sword that can absorb chakra from its opponents, draining them completely even jinchūriki. The Four-Tails and Five-Tails were easily defeated by him because of this."

Ōnoki nodded sagely. "I see... The Searing Lava Style users like Ao or Han, they wouldn't stand a chance against Kisame."

Naruto, overhearing, mentally agreed. Kisame's strength in absorbing chakra made him a nightmare for taijutsu-based fighters. A very real threat.

But then, his mind wandered.

What would happen if Raikage fought Kisame?

Would he immediately activate his Lightning Armor and charge in, only to be drained dry by Samehada? Or...

Maybe Raikage would obliterate Kisame with his "Hell Stab" jutsu, slicing through both Kisame and his sword?

Fū, oblivious to Naruto's thoughts, adopted an odd pose, pretending to be a fish. "Naruto, what would you do if you faced that chakra-sucking shark?"

Naruto grinned. "Let him suck away. If he tries to drain my chakra, it'll turn to stone."

Fū's eyes lit up. "Really?!"

Naruto, a little wary, replied, "Yeah. Totally."

Fū, clearly fascinated, looked closer at his arm. "That's so cool!"

Naruto shifted away from her. "Wait a minute... You're not thinking of biting me, are you?"

Fū blinked, then grinned mischievously. "What? How did you know?"

"Your mouth's watering."

"Hehe, can I try?"

Shisui, watching the playful exchange, just shook his head and smiled. "If it were me, I'd probably just use a genjutsu. Then finish him off before he even knew what hit him. Or... maybe I'd just use Susanoo?"

Seeing the tension momentarily ease, Ōnoki decided to make his next move. "Alright, enough talking about those two. Let's share more intel about Deidara."

As the others looked on, Ōnoki continued, detailing Deidara's explosive clay techniques, his weaknesses, and potential vulnerabilities.

When he finished, he looked at Gaara. "Do you have anything to add, Kazekage?"

Gaara, slightly nodding, spoke. "What Tsuchikage said is mostly accurate, but Deidara's explosives are far more powerful than he mentioned. We haven't yet confirmed his fear of Raiton, but we'll keep an eye on it."

Ōnoki smiled. "That kid's clearly grown since leaving Iwa."

A growled, shaking his head. "What's with the proud tone? Your student's grown up now, huh?"

Before Ōnoki could respond, Raikage's anger flared up. He clenched his fist, but managed to control himself, muttering under his breath, "Some growth is earned with a good beating."

The mood in the room shifted. It was clear that Raikage had grown slightly more cautious since the assault on his village, learning the value of cooperation rather than just demanding what he wanted.

The lessons had been hard learned, but they had been learned nonetheless.

Ōnoki, seeing this subtle change, smirked. "Forget all that. If I ever meet him again, I won't hold back. But for now, Raikage are you willing to share information about the attackers who struck your village?"

Raikage paused, glancing at the gathered Kage. "I've got nothing to hide."

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