In the lab room, a bottle entered the room and exploded.

"Fang over Fang!" Tsume Inuzuka shouted charging into the room; slamming into Pain's body, the other body of Pain flew off the table. 

"Ma, he's above!" Kiba shouted pointing up as he entered the room with Akamaru.

"Yeah, I know that," Tsume said. 

"Princess must have gotten him good,"  Kuromaru said. "Half of his body is missing." The Pain was now laying on the floor, destroyed. 

" I figured as much," Tsume smirked. "Just as intel said, physical attacks seem to be his weak points."

"Well, them we of the Inzukua clan couldn't have asked for a better opponent. Ma, let's take him down with one strike," Kiba said. 

"Hold it, Kiba," She ordered. "After all, this guy is one of the six who brought Lord Jiraya. We're going to be cautious and bold. And while Han is out protecting the puppies, I expect you to fill in."

"Of course," Kiba said, Akamaru started to whimper as he nuzzled Aceso. 

"What is it, boy?" Tsume asked. They both glanced down to see Aceso's body, with one blink Kiba's eyes grew wide; his eyes began to tremble.

"You are going to pay," Kiba growled looking up at Pain. 

*****
Over on the outskirts of the village, Team Gai had stopped at a Dango shop for a quick bite. Lee was really anxious to get home. The mission ended and all that was on his mind was a date, he was staring at the reflection in the window, fixing his hair. 

"Boy, I am so hungry," Tenten said. "Let's take a little break. All of us are really tired from the mission." Gai was staring at the birds passing by them.

"Is something wrong, Sensei?" Lee asked as he looked back. "What is it?"

"Have you noticed large number of birds have been flying in the direction of the village?" Gai asked. "It's like they're fleeing."

"Yes," Neji agreed. "It makes me uneasy, too. We ought to just head straight for the village. 

"Awww," Tenten breathed.

"Let's go, everyone," Gai ordered. 

"Aw, man," Tenten groaned as she followed. 

******

"Kiba," Tsume said looking at Pain.

"Good idea," Kiba nodded. "Let's go, Akamaru!" Akamaru barked in agreement. They started to move around the Pain bodies, putting them in a corner. Suddenly the bodies vanished.

"What?" Kiba asked. He started to sniff the air. "Their scents are completely gone now. They're obviously not here anymore. 

"Well, then," Tsume laughed. "I guess my power must have scared them off, huh?" Kiba groaned as he got off of Akamaru, he went over to Aceso. He bent down, yanking the rod out of her body, not even a sound or grunt came from her mouth.

"Damn it!" Kiba cried out punching the ground.

"Kiba," Tsume said. "She gave her life for the village, instead of being angry, be proud." Tsume put her hand on Aceso's face; with one swift she closed her eyes. Suddenly a light brightened up the room. They went to go look out the window. The light grew brighter, followed by the light was absolute destruction.

The village had been completely destroyed, Sakura came out of Katsuyu coughing. 

"What happened?" Sakura trembled. "No! But why? How could--" Her hand scraped the ground below her; tears fell rapidly. "Naruto. Hurry. Please." She was sobbing. " Naruto!" There was a summoning explosion, Naruto Uzumaki had arrived in his Sage form, he was with numerous frogs, all ready to fight. 

"Wait, I don't get it," Naruto said looking around. "Where are we?"

"Where's the enemy we're supposed to face?" Chief toad asked. Lady Shima appeared.

"What's going on, Ma?" Fukasaku asked. "Why didn't you summon us the Hidden Leaf; like we asked?"

"I'm afraid this is the Hidden Leaf Village," Shima answered. Naruto went into complete shock.

"I don't understand," Gamachiki admitted. "What do you mean, Granny Shima?"

"Just take a good close look around," Shima said as the debris started to clear, they started to see the faces carved into the wall. 

"There's no way!" Chief gasped as Naruto frowned. 

"It's obvious to me who did all this," Shima said. "I sense the same energies as when we rode atop Jiraya-boy's shoulders." Naruto started to recall his spoon cracking, he couldn't feel Aceso's chakra. His heart started to sink as he grew angrier.  

***
In the rubble of the village, Katsuyu was over Tsume as Kiba was holding up a piece of a building with his legs.

"Damn," Kiba sweated. 

"Hang in there, Kiba!" Tsume shouted. 

"Aw, you gotta be kidding me," Kiba grunted, Akamaru stood over Aceso's body. "Aah!" With the last of his strength, he managed to get it off of him. He chuckled sitting up. "Piece of cake." Akamaru barked in. 

****
Back down in the middle, Tsunade had stepped in front of Naruto and the toads. She faced Pain.

"Tsunade?" Fukasaku asked.

"I am t-the fifth Hokage!" Tsunade panted. 

"Lady Hokage!" anbu explained appearing next to her. 

"How dare you trample upon the jewel, the dreams of my predecessors?" Tsunade growled. " I won't forgive you. I'll settle this now as Hokage!"

"It appears you understand a little about pain," Pain said. "However, I have no need of you right now. The one I seek--." One of the pains shot toward Tsunade, Naruto destroyed it in an instant. 

"Is me!" Naruto exclaimed. "There's no need for the Leaf's Hokage to bother herself with the likes of them. You just sit back and sip some tea, Granny."

"Naruto--" Tsunade breathed. 

"So you're Naruto Uzumaki," Pain noted.

"That's it!" Naruto snapped. "Let's settle this!" They watched the Pains run into position. "Gamachiki!" He jumped down, landing behind them. "I want you to take Grandma Tsunade someplace safe."

"Gotcha," Gamachiki nodded.

"Granny, I'll take over from here," Naruto said. "Keep the rest of the village out of this. I can't be worrying about everyone else, not during this fight."

"All right," Tsunade agreed. "But here." She took out Katsuyu. "Please Katsuyu. I'm sure she'll come in handy. She has Intel on all the Pains." Fukasaku grabbed Katusyu, he landed on the scroll Naruto carried with Lady Shima. 

"Go, Katsuyu-girl," Fukasaku said putting her down. "Just keep yourself hidden inside Naruto-boy's clothing." She made her way inside the red cloak. 

"I-I probably shouldn't bring this up right now, but now that I've mastered nature energy, I'm able to sense everybody's chakra," Naruto brought up. "Is my sister and Kakashi-sensei on a mission way from the village?" There was a deadly silence.

"I see," Naruto said with a heavy heart. 

*****

There was now planetary destruction going on, Naruto had just escaped and Team Gai has finally arrived, they were running over to an injured Hinata. 

"No!" Neji cried out as they appeared around her. "Lady Hinata."

"Her injuries don't appear fatal, but she needs treatment right now," Tenten reported. 

"I'll look for a medical ninja right away," Neji said using his Byakugan.

"Can't believe things are this bad," Gai admitted.

"Look," Lee said walking over to Fukasaku. "There's a wounded toad here, too." He picked him up gently. 

"Lee go find Aceso," Gai ordered.

"Yes, sir," Lee said bolting through the destroyed village. He finally got a glimpse of bright red hair and skidded to a stop. He turned to see Kiba walking his way with the young doctor in his arms. Kiba saw Lee and stopped walking, his eyes quickly averted away.

"Kiba," Tsume said touching his shoulder. "When it comes to her...you know how much Aceso means to Lee, he deserves to know."

"I know," Kiba said. Kiba's eyes back over to Lee still staring at him. Lee started to slowly walk over, his heart was falling rapidly. 

"Kiba...Hinata has been severely injured," Lee informed. "Aceso needs to come to her aid."

"You are going to have to find another medical ninja," Kiba managed out looking away. "She's out of commission."

"A chakra and healing patch should bring her right around," Lee said as tears filled up his eyes.

"Not this time," Tsume denied. All of Lee's memories flash through his mind, giving him full support for being a ninja. He recalled her staying up everything night to cheer him up while he was heavily injured. The length she went to just to help him get back on his feet. All the late-night tea talks, building the dojo. Accidentally kissing, sparing with each other.

****Flashback****

It was before Aceso left her 2-year doctor mission, they were doing pushups as part of the training that day. 

"Lee," Aceso panted. 

"Don't give up!" Lee shouted looking at her. "If you give up now, then you'll never reach your goal of 1000!"

"Lee, I have to work my way up if I want to do that," Aceso said looking up at him.

"Then keep going!" Lee shouted.

"Can you even do 1000 pushups?" Aceso furrowed.

"Blindfolded," Lee countered. 

***

They were now outside training, as usual, Aceso was hanging up straw targets as Lee sat on a log blindfolded. 

"I thought you were already dead on hitting your moving target," Aceso recalled.

"I need practice," Lee said spinning his kunai. "I need to practice doing it blindfolded. The more I practice, the more I use the power of youth! The stronger I get!"

"Almost done," Aceso said as she tied up the last one.

"I can start?" Lee smiled as he stood up, he started to throw multiple kunai.

"Hold up!" Aceso shouted as she started to dodge the kunai being thrown at her. "I'm not out of the way yet" But Lee was too busy shouting about youth to hear her. In the end, Lee lifted his blindfold to find a kunai lodged into Aceso's arm and she was glaring at him.

"Red Rose!" Lee cried out getting on his hands-on and knees. "Please forgive me."

****
Lee didn't even make it to Kiba, he collapsed on his knees a foot away. He let out a tear-jerking scream, sobbing heavily. 

"Lee, please stop crying," Kiba pleaded. The sobs were not about to stop, his whole world seemed to have come crawling down. 

"Whenever I looked at her, I always so the future," Lee said. "No matter how tough things might have been. When I was being told I should just give up on being a ninja, she did everything she could to make sure my dream didn't die. And now I can't do anything for her. I was with her about every day, and then she went away for two years. And it seems to be no matter how much I try, I can never protect her as I promised, but she always came to my aid. I can never repay her for anything she's done for me."

"I think Aceso would disagree," Kiba said. "You were always at her side if she needed anything." 

"Lee," Tsume said kneeling next to her. "She did what any ninja would do, she gave her life for the village. That is nothing to be sad over." Lee couldn't stop crying. 

"Lee, please stop crying," Kiba pleaded as his voice began to crack. "Aceso Mastuba wouldn't want you to cry, if you really love her as much as you say, then stop crying."

"She's Doctor Acseo Mastuba-Hatake," Lee corrected getting to his feet. "And I was the loser who fell hopelessly in love with her, so forgive me, but the tears will not be stopping." He held out his arms. "Let me carry her back, please." He took Aceso into his arms, he touched her fingers, but not a single pulse. He could see the blood staining her clothing, a large amount on the heart. His tears fell rapidly on top of her. With a heavy heart, Lee went back over to the others. When he got back he saw Sakura already over Hinata giving her treatment.

"Gai-sensei," Lee said with his voice cracking. Gai looked over at him. 

"Do you have Aceso with you?" Sakura asked. "I could really use her help."

"Sakura, you are going to have to do this on your own," Lee said as Gai-sensei sat down. Sakura looked up to see Lee placing Aceso in Gai's arms. Tears rapidly fell out of Sakura's eyes.

"No," Sakura sobbed. Gai stared at his daughter.

****Flashback****

15 years ago, there was a knocking on his door before sunrise. Gai and Kakashi were about 14 at the time. Months after the attack from the nine-tails. He was just getting ready for his early morning marathon, it was the morning after Aceso's parents had been killed. 

"Here for a challenge!" Gai asked whipping open the door, he saw Kakashi standing there with a baby in his arms. "Who is that?"

"I know it's your day off," Kakashi said. "Can you watch her while I'm on a mission?"

"Huh?" Gai asked.

"Doctor Aeson Matsuba and Momo Matsuba have both been killed last night while on their way to the sand village," Kakashi revealed. 

"They've been killed?" Gai repeated. 

"Yes," Kakashi confirmed. "Momo's dying wish was that I looked after her daughter, but I have to go on a mission so..."

"She will make a wonderful workout partner!" Gai laughed taking the baby into his arms. She was about five months old and asleep. "She will Might Gooey! Gaya! Kira! Akina! Lotus!"

"She already has a name in case you forgot," Kakashi groaned. "Knowing you, you have forgotten. It's Aceso."

"Aceso," Gai repeated with a smile. 

*****

Aceso was now five years old; Gai was helping her get ready for the morning. He was putting her hair in a side ponytail.

"No," Aceso denied. "I don't want a ponytail today."

"But you like them," Gai recalled.

"I want to start putting them in braids if that's alright?" Aceso requested.

"You got it!" Gai laughed. "This is my first time doing a braid, so bear with me."

"After, can we work on taijutsu?" Aceso requested.

"The youth," Gai cried as tears streamed down his face.

***

Gai was asleep in his place when he heard the door slam open and tears.

"Who's there?" Gai demanded, getting into a fighting position.

"Papa!" Aceso cried running into the room, she was 3.

"What are you doing out of the hospital?" Gai asked taking her into his arms.

"I had a nightmare," Aceso cried. "Can I stay with you?"

***

It was now dark, Aceso and Gai were laying on a blanket in the grass, they were staring up at the stars. Aceso was five at the time.

"Daddy?" Aceso asked, he looked over. "I'm sorry for running off earlier."

"Aceso, you do realize how dangerous that was?" Gai asked. "What were you doing outside the village walls? You could've been killed."

"That man said he needed a doctor or someone with medical ninjutsu," Aceso answered. "I wanted to help. I wanted to be brave like you."

"I'm only brave when I have to be," Gai said. "That man was not who he said he was. And being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble."

"But you aren't scared of anything," Aceso pointed out. 

"I was today," Gai admitted as he sat up, pulling her into a hug. "I thought I'd might lose you."

"Woah," Aceso breathed. "I guess even tough guys like you get scared." Gai nodded. "But I think those rogue ninja were even scarcer." 

Gai started laughing. "Because no one messes with your dad." Aceso started laughing as Gai hugged her tighter.

****

The time for Aceso to leave the village was coming up, she was now sitting on the laundry rooftop of the hospital staring at the moon.

"Hey, kiddo," Gai smiled, looking at her.

"Dad!" Aceso lit up as he sat down. "How was your mission?"

"A breeze!" Gai answered as he flashed a smile at her. "Tell me something new!"

"I should be leaving in a few months or two," Aceso informed. "Though, I am sort of scared about being out there on my own."

"Hmm," Gai said as he pulled her close to him. "Look at the stars." Aceso did as she was told. "The great Kage and passed ninja look down on us from those stars. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that the ones above will always be there to guide you when Kakashi and I cannot." Aceso looked up at him. "I will also tell you what my father told me. True victory isn't about winning against someone strong. It's about defending what's important to you."

"I will carry that with me on my journey," Aceso said, he looked down at her; they both smiled. 

*****Flashback over******

Gai stared down at his daughter, he held her a little closer. She seemed so at peace, no nightmares were going to be waking her up anytime soon. 

"Why would she do something like that?" Neji demanded as he stared down at Hinata. 

"Naruto was able to suppress the Nine-tails all on his own," Katsuyu revealed. "And now he's just about to go up against the final Pain. 

"Lee, we're gonna back up Naruto," Gai ordered. "Let's go."

"But," Lee breathed as he stared at the redhead. He never backed down from a fight before...then he remembered that Pain was the one that killed her. "Right."

"No, wait," Katsuyu protested. "Please, don't. You'll only get in his way if you do."

"But he--" Lee began to protest. "Pain destroyed the Leaf. Naruto cannot do this alone."

"Naruto has a plan he intends to follow," Katsuyu said. "Let's put our faith in him."

"Besides, if you two were to fight, it'll only be through your emotions," Tenten said. "As shinobi, you shouldn't let your emotions get the best of you. No matter how much pain has been caused."

"Tenten's right," Neji agreed. Soon Hinata began to come around. 

"Lady Hinata!" Neji exclaimed. 

"You're all here," Hinata said looking at everyone that stood above her. 

"Thank goodness," Tenten smiled. "We were worried."

"Yes, Hinata. Are you ok?" Lee asked. With help from Sakura and Tenten, she was able to it up.

"Thank you guys," Hinata smiled. "All of you. Especially you. Thanks, Sakura."

"I'm so relieved," Sakura smiled. "It's good to have you back."

"Everyone, Naruto has defeated the last Pain!" Katsuyu revealed. They all gasped looking over.

"Yes!" Lee cheered grabbing his fist, he fought to smile. "Just leave it to Naruto."

"How is Naruto doing?" Sakura asked. "Is he injured at all?"

"Well, he's very fatigued, but he's ok," Katsuyu answered. 

"So, where is Naruto now?" Gai asked as Hinata wiped tears from her eyes. 

"He's going by himself to where the real Pain is," Katsuyu answered. 

"But why would he do something so reckless?" Neji demanded. "Please, Gai-sensei. We have to follow him."

"Not this time, Neji," Gai denied.

"Gai's right," Katsuyu said. "Naruto said he doesn't want any help."

"What?" Neji demanded as Gai got to his feet with Aceso still in his arms. "He doesn't? I don't care! He's done enough alone. And besides, he's weakened right now. Lady Katsuyu, lead us to Naruto."