The Lion Of The Leaf (Return of the Mysterious Fourth Sanin)

Mystery of Pain

-On Mt. Myoboku the birds fly over the mountains as Naruto lays on some giant mushrooms gazing up at the sky.-

Fukasaku: So here you are. 

Naruto-boy, every once in a while, you disappear.

Where do you go?

Naruto: Well....nowhere in particular.

I just wander around...

Fukasaku: Well, no matter.

I want to practice merging starting now,

so come down here.

Naruto: I wonder if they're okay.

Fukasaku: What do you mean?

Naruto: The Akatsuki want me, right?

I'm worried they will come looking for me in the Leaf Village.

Fukasaku: What kind of fool are you?!

The Hidden Leaf has many fine ninjas!

Stop your unnecessary musing and concentrate on the work at hand!

If anything happens, the messenger front will notify us.

Naruto: All right!

Let's get on with this merging stuff!

-Back at the Hidden Leaf Tsunade continues to send out her chakra to all the clones of Katsuyu.-

Tsunade: Who could have imagined such destruction?

-Inside Root HQ Danzo speaks to his ninja.-

Danzo: This spells the end of Tsunade's era.

However, we cannot allow the Akatsuki to take the Nine-Tails.

So I have eliminated that possibility.

We will lay low underground until the chaos dies down.

Root 1: Shouldn't we be assisting?

Even if you assume power, it would be meaningless if the citizens of the Hidden Leaf are dead.

Danzo: The princess is now Hokage.

As long as she can utilize Katsuyu's jutsu, the entire village will not perish.

Certainly, there will be lives lost.

But to me, that is a necessary sacrifice.

In order for me to become the Hokage...

-Meanwhile inside of Yūdachi's brain Inoichi & Co. look for more information on Pein.-

Mindwalker 1: Did you find out anything, Tonbo?

Tonbo: Not yet... Nothing promising that is linked to Pain.

-After some digging Inoichi finds Yudachi's memory about bring dead bodies to Pein.-

Mindwalker 1: Inoichi is really amazing!

He can see half this guy's day in a mere 30 seconds...

Tonbo: I can barely keep up!

Mindwalker 2: You fool!

If you have time to talk,

find something that we can link to Pein!

-Shizune walks in with an Anbu.-

Shizune: Sorry for interrupting.

It's me, Shizune!

Lady Hokage ordered me to come here!