Kakuzu didn't call it running away. He called it a tactical retreat.
The Sannin had been enough trouble on his own. With the jinchūriki rampaging and then the Copy Ninja showing up to the battle, he had made the executive decision that it was high time he left the country—sans his irritating partner.
He had finally reached the forest, when without warning, he sensed someone following him.
"Kakuzu-san! Kakuzu-san!"
It was a high-pitched voice that Kakuzu despised from the bottom of his many hearts. Turning back, sure enough, he saw an orange mask gaining on him.
"What is it?" he grunted.
"You sure high-tailed it out of there," said Tobi in a cheery voice.
"If you were worth the slightest bit of money, I'd kill you."
"That doesn't sound likely! Unless...the Leader makes me your next partner." Tobi began to sound worried. "That'd be dangerous, considering how quickly you go through them."
"I'd be doing the world a favor, getting rid of you." Kakuzu paused, fully taking in Tobi's appearance. He was carrying something large on his back and suddenly, he wondered what the man he regarded as the Leader's Big Mistake was even doing there.
Tobi must have noticed him watching. It was difficult to tell through the mask, but to Kakuzu, it almost seemed as though he was smiling.
"Don't worry. This isn't anything you need to concern yourself about."
...
Somehow, the Hokage had already gotten wind of the fiasco in Wave country. By the time Kakashi and the others returned to the safe house, there were several ANBU ops scouting the perimeter.
With the help of the reinforcements from Konoha, the matter was quickly wrapped up: The Wave country's daimyō and his children were returned to their vassals. Shirakumo's genin team was informed of his passing. A sallow-looking woman was transported back to the village for further interrogation. A search party was sent out to retrieve Mayu's body, only to return empty-handed.
Finally, the rest returned home.
The day after their return, a funeral service was held. Half the village turned up, the procession led by Mayu and Rai's older brothers and Shirakumo's grieving daughter. Knowing their history, Kakashi had half expected Izumo to blame Naruto—but with tears streaming freely down his face, the chūnin seemed lost in his own inner conflict.
Shirakumo's genin team was there, along with many of the other genins. At the mention of Rai's name in the Hokage's funeral address, a young kunoichi with hair rolled up into buns burst into tears.
And then it was over.
That day, a somber pallor seemed to have been temporarily cast over the village; shutters were drawn, and lights were dimmed. As the skies grew dark, everyone returned to their homes, turning in early for the night.
All, except for one.
From a distance, Kakashi watched Naruto stand before the memorial stone, to which three names had been newly added.
The next day, Jiraiya approached Kakashi with a proposal to take Naruto along on a journey. Once given the choice, Naruto thought over it for a few minutes, before giving his answer.
...
Somewhere hidden deep in the depths of Konoha, the members of the underground organization Root gathered before their leader, Danzō.
Most people were not even aware of its existence. Under the orders of the Third Hokage, Root had officially disbanded following the downfall of the Uchiha clan. However, to this day, the organization continued to operate in secret as the unseen force supporting the great tree of Konoha.
One of its members kneeled before Danzō now, having finished his report. He had been sent to Wave country as part of the jinchūriki's team to keep an eye on his activity. However, his report was incomplete: The operative had been knocked unconscious halfway through the final battle. The only other witnesses present for the remainder of the battle, Jiraiya and Kakashi, were staunchly loyal to Hiruzen, leaving Danzō to grasp in the dark as to what had occurred. It was an unfortunate turn of events, especially given the operative's previously spotless track record. It was his first failure.
Perhaps that was the reason why, while giving his report, the operative seemed uncharacteristically distracted.
After dismissing the operative, Danzō stood by himself in the darkness, thinking.
Whatever had happened in Wave country, it made little difference in the end. No matter what Hiruzen said, he was not stupid enough to trust the jinchūriki to stay loyal to the Leaf. He had heard reports that the jinchūriki would soon be leaving the village again for an extended period of time, and it was clear to Danzō that Hiruzen was growing soft in his old age.
As he considered his next move, Danzō regarded his right arm with a baleful glare. He would bide his time for now. But sooner or later, the Nine-tails' power would be his.
...
On the morning of their departure, just as they reached the gate, Naruto stopped. He turned around and gazed up at the stone faces of the Hokage Monument, before closing his eyes.
As the sun's glow warmed his face, he could hear the other villagers streaming past him, the chatter of their daily life resounding in his ears.
"...market prices have gone up lately..."
"...going to meet my uncle in Tea country..."
"...a cake for her birthday..."
His eyes opened. Turning back around, he saw Jiraiya waiting for him.
Naruto took a step forward. And another.
And then, walking through the gates, he left Konoha behind.
...
It was raining in Amegakure, the Hidden Rain, but that was nothing new.
Neon signs flickered, glowing sullenly in the dark of the night. Numerous metal pipes scaled a sea of rusty towers that groaned under their own weight. Copper wires, dangling from tower to tower, swayed haphazardly in the wind.
To the west, the tallest tower in Amegakure spiraled above the surrounding area. Other than its height, it was easily made distinguishable by the four humanoid faces that protruded from each side of the tower. The village's dead were all brought to this tower for processing. It was also the rumored dwelling of their savior, Lord Pain.
Ever since the Lady had brought news of their Lord's victory over Hanzō to the village, the hard look in everyone's eyes had changed.
Ajisai could still remember the first time she saw the Lady appear before the village people. With her beautiful stoic face and her wings that spanned the length of the sky, she looked every bit the role of an angel sent from the heavens. It was so overwhelming, Ajisai cried.
News quickly spread of Lord Pain after that. Following the deaths of Hanzō and the members of his faction, the civil war they had thought would never end came to a close. Now, the entire village was united under Lord Pain's mission of peace and hope.
Lady Angel warned them that the hidden villages of the Five Great Nations would not react so favorably to Hanzō's death, and so, they continued to perpetuate the notion that their civil war was still ongoing. Months had passed since then, and none of the other villages seemed to have noticed. Nobody, Ajisai included, was too surprised. Given the other nations' history of waging battle in Rain territory and causing further havoc for their village, she didn't expect them to care about anything other than themselves.
It was raining, as always, when Lady Angel appeared before Ajisai and the other genin. She descended without warning, her paper wings keeping her afloat. As she turned her pale, serene face towards them, Ajisai froze, her mind reeling at suddenly coming face-to-face with her idol. Then, coming to her senses, she immediately prostrated herself on the ground.
"The Hidden Leaf has invited the Hidden Rain to participate in their Chūnin Selection Exams this year. Your teams will go, in the pretense of participating. The other villages must continue to believe that Hanzō of the Salamander rules the Hidden Rain."
"Yes, Tenshi-sama," they spoke in unison.
"Team Ajisai..." said the Lady, and Ajisai found her mind once again going into overdrive at the revelation that the Lady knew her name. "I have a special mission for you. Take advantage of the chūnin exams to find a jinchūriki."
"A jinchūriki?" Ajisai cautiously ventured, raising her head.
"Suiren." The Lady looked at one of her teammates. "Use your sensory perception skills and look for a shinobi who harbors an enormous amount of chakra."
"Is that what a jinchūriki is?" asked Suiren.
Without answering his question, the Lady continued, "Even if you don't find a jinchūriki, bring back intel of any extraordinary shinobi from other villages."
She heard the sound of flapping wings—and then the Lady was gone.
The other genin began to murmur in awe amongst themselves. Ajisai shared a nod with Suiren, before turning to her third teammate.
He was a relative newcomer to their village. He had a pretty face but didn't talk much, speaking only when necessary. Ajisai did not know much about him beyond that he was yet another war refugee—and that he was incredibly strong. With him by their side, Ajisai had little doubt that they would be able to carry out the Lady's mission to the finish.
When she saw his face, however, she found herself taken aback. The usual calm demeanor was gone. Instead, a blazing look of fury burned in his eyes, and she could see his visible hand clench so hard, it shook.
It wouldn't be the first time that a war refugee in their village had suffered at the hands of the Hidden Leaf. Sympathy welling up in her heart, Ajisai wondered whether her teammate was the same.