The sealed kunai

Chapter 29: Homefront Concerns

Naruto stood next to Tsunade as all of the kage ranked ninja that had attended the exams stood in front of all of the participants while the crowd applauded. Naruto had a faint smile on his face as he saw that Ino, Kiba, Chouji, and Sakura had all managed to get promotions from their efforts during the testing period. He was sort of upset that he didn't see any other fights other than the first round, but when presented with the other option of allowing Akatsuki to get the drop on him in a possibly crowded area it seemed like a hit he had to take for the team... still, somebody could have told him at least who won the whole thing.

When he returned he had to make an attempt to explain away the blood on his clothes. He couldn't even say that it was his since the amount of blood did not equal up to his current condition since he didn't have a mark on him. After the promotional proceedings, Gaara proceeded to blow his cover, making all of his attempts at playing off his disheveled appearance and what he had been doing the entire time moot.

After the tournament had ended, Gaara led everyone back to his office, "Naruto and myself engaged two members of Akatsuki outside of the village. I believe their names were Hidan and Kakuzu."

Naruto nodded as those were the names that he caught from them during their short battle, "Tell them the other part, the part that pissed us both off."

Gaara acknowledged Naruto with a simple shift of the eyes, "They were utilizing some kind of technique that allowed them to use a person as a body double and fight using their own skills and abilities from afar. We aren't even sure that they were anywhere in the entire country at all." Gaara crossed his hands in front of his face as he sat at his desk, "That is a most disturbing discovery."

Tsunade frowned, "With a technique like that they don't even need to go into hostile areas themselves to achieve their missions."

Kurotsuchi scowled as she heard the description of the encounter, "How cowardly. You would think that a group of dangerous ninja like that would be more up for coming in person, especially when it comes to something like attempting to take out a jinchuuriki."

Naruto grinned, "I'm glad you're acknowledging that I'm awesome when you don't even know me."

Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes, "I was referring more to Kazekage-sama than you. I outrank you."

Naruto sat crouched in the corner with an aura of despair around him, "Well you don't have to be so blunt about it... I'm awesome. Right?"

Everyone in the room ignored Naruto's identity crisis and continued speaking amongst themselves about the situation that transpired during the final examination. Gaara spoke once more, "Well needless to say, the goals of this organization are the capture of all jinchuuriki for the use of their biju for one reason or another. Nationality means nothing to them as you can clearly see, they simply desire all of them."

Tsunade had on a business-like face, "Reports from Jiraiya said that the Gobi jinchuuriki and the Nanabi jinchuuriki have already been taken. I guess they were looking to press their current advantage and take either Gaara or Naruto while they were on a roll."

Onoki had a displeased look on his face, "So that was what happened to Han... We assumed he had run off. How they were able to take him with not even a peep is very concerning." He looked at Gaara and Tsunade, "Which ones still remain?"

Tsunade answered him, "Those were the only two that they were able to obtain. There is still the Ichibi, the Nibi, the Sanbi, the Yonbi, the Rokubi, the Hachibi, and the Kyuubi. But the way that they blatantly came for either Naruto or Gaara, it was like they didn't have a real strategy."

Naruto got up from his spot in the corner to contribute, "They said something about intel right before Gaara finished the fight."

"Oh yes." Gaara said, "Sasori had a number of spies, including two in this village. Two of our own councilors were something akin to sleeper agents. After Sasori was killed they were exposed as his men and were promptly arrested. Apparently Sasori had an entire network of similar spies all over the place spanning back to the days when he first left Suna and became a nuke-nin in first place. It was how they were able to ascertain that you yourself were a jinchuuriki back when you were first attacked Naruto."