30 EPILOG

Kabuto's face showed an annoyed facial expression as he jumped through the trees. It had been almost an hour since he sent Kimimaro to retrieve Sasuke in case the sound four had been delayed by Konoha's own retrieval team, but no one had returned.

He had been forced to organize a death match on a short notice to select a new body for Orochimaru-sama. While he may have been adamant that he will only have Sasuke's body, he could not deny that the current body had been failing rapidly, despite his insistence that he could hold on. Kabuto had Orochimaru-sama change bodies with the lone survivor of the death match, and on his orders, immediately departed from the base to get Sasuke-kun. And like most of his missions, he had gone alone.

While Kabuto had confidence that he could hold his own against someone of Kakashi's caliber, he was not a spy for nothing. His observational and analytical skills were unparalleled, and so he put it to good use.

Konoha had recently survived an invasion, which was what Orochimaru-sama had based the retrieval mission on. With Konoha rebuilding itself, it would no doubt be sending most of its elite force out of the village on missions, to maintain its image. The point being, Konoha had no team at the moment that could stand up to Sound four and retrieve Sasuke, which meant that the missions should have gone off without a problem.

However, Kabuto suspected that Tsunade had sent a retrieval team, and a competent one at that, if it could hold out Sound four for this long. The jonin and chunin would be out on missions, and genin had no chance of going on an A-rank missions such as this one…..or did they?

Knowing how paranoid the village was about the Sharingan being under their control, they would send out any shinobi that they had.

The only genin that Kabuto could think of were Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, Shino, Kiba and Naruto. Of all of them, only Neji and Naruto stood a decent chance against one of the sound four. But Naruto had large reserves of chakra, large enough to spam shadow clones without worry, and he had a good idea of what stealth was about, if the way he saved Hayate from Baki was any indication. And, he was ridiculously good, as he had been able to dispatch him off without any trouble.

That had been a painful day.

Kabuto dropped to the ground and continued running. He was about half a mile away from the border that separated fire and rice country. He only hoped that Kimimaro had succeeded. That guy was on a whole another level from the Sound four, so there should be no reason to worry. But Kabuto couldn't shake the bad feeling from his stomach.

He arrived at the valley of the end, and his eyes widened.

The valley had honestly seen better days. Chunks of rocks had been torn from the walls, and Kabuto's attention was instantly drawn to a specific part of the valley.

A whole section of the wall had collapsed, from the looks of it. There was a small mountain of rocks on the ground, but that wasn't all. Kabuto spotted his target for the first time, and was utterly shocked. In fact, now that he thought, he miscalculated just how formidable Naruto was.

It looked like Sasuke had tried to beat Naruto and lost, badly. The poor guy looked like he had been through the grinder, and then some. Naruto, on his side, gave Kabuto quite a shock. He hadn't known that Naruto had been promoted, to jonin no less. Though it made sense, since it was Naruto who took him out of the fight with a single move, and it was probably Naruto who felled the wall with his Rasengan.

There hadn't been such a devastating fight in this valley since the legendary statues were alive. Then Naruto looked at him, and he gave a sneer. Best case scenario, he was worn out after his fight with Sasuke, and he could probably take him. To his astonishment, Naruto grinned and lifted his three-pronged kunai and lifted his palm, in a very familiar gesture.

It took Kabuto a mere second to make his decision and turn back. Clearly, Naruto hadn't been that exhausted that he wouldn't be able to fight. He still remembered the devastating amount of pain he had inflicted on Kabuto, and as much loyal he was to Orochimaru-sama, he wasn't about take a beating like that again. Naruto would probably finish him off this time.

Orochimaru-sama won't be happy.

After almost half an hour of walking, Naruto signaled Kakashi to take to the trees. The sooner they got to the village, the better. As they jumped through the trees, Naruto made four shadow clones, who disappeared into shunshin as soon as they came into existence.

"To check on my team," he spoke before Kakashi could ask the question. He was worried about them. He did not want a casualty on his first mission. They sped through the trees without any intention to stop. The mission had been successful, but Naruto wanted to know the costs he had paid, if any.

The gates came into their view just as the sun took its leave from the sky. Naruto sighed in relief as he dropped from the tree to the ground, Kakashi following his lead. They walked the rest of the way, both of them organizing their thoughts into order.

Naruto's eyes became a little more alert when he saw who was standing at the gates. The Hokage, the jonin commander, Nara Shikaku, a team of medic-nin, his vice-captain for the mission, Gaara, Kankuro and his wife. Why was his wife standing at the gates, looking a little dirty in her changed battle attire? And why did Shikamaru look as if he was seconds away from breaking down?

Naruto could spot the expressions of relief on Tsunade's and Shikaku-sama's faces when they saw Kakashi holding Sasuke's body in a fireman's carry. Surprisingly though, it was Shikamaru who walked towards him first before the medic-nin took their cue and rushed towards them as well. Kakashi handed Sasuke over to them before motioning one of them towards Naruto.

Naruto simply waved a hand to the nin, signaling that he's fine, before turning his attention to Shikamaru. One look at his face told Naruto everything, and his gut felt ten times heavier. Steeling himself, he asked in a quiet voice, "Casualties?"

"No," Shikamaru's voice had a slight waver in it. "But we came damn close."

Naruto struggled to not hold the guilt on himself. He tried to tell himself that the circumstances were against them, that their team was not ready for a mission such as this, but the fact that he was the team leader, and that his team was so gravely injured under his command somehow amplified the guilt inside.

Naruto bit his lip and said, "I know I sound like an asshole, but don't take it too hard on yourself, Shika. You know as well as I do that this team of genin was not ready for a mission such as this. This mission should only have had jonin or chunin, but not genin. We were underprepared for this mission."

Shikamaru gave him a look of disbelief. A hint of anger appeared on his face, "Neji and Kiba almost lost their lives, and you're saying that don't take it hard on myself?!"

Naruto mentally shook his head. Shikamaru was not thinking straight right now. His emotions were clouding his ability of judgement. "We'll talk later about this, Shika. Tell me, did the back up make it on time?"

Shikamaru clearly didn't agree with the change in topic, but answered him. "They made it just in time. Gaara managed to save Lee just before he was killed, while Kankuro saved Kiba from Sakon, and your wife dropped the forest on Tayuya to save me."

Naruto's head immediately snapped to Temari, an incredulous look on his face. Just why had Tsunade allowed Temari in the field so soon?!

Now that he thought about it, his night with her should have left her limping for quite a while, the good kind of sore.

Abandoning the train of thought and resolving to talk to her later, he reflected upon Shikamaru's words. A surge of pride went through his chest when he realized that his beautiful, sweet wife had killed one of the Sound four by dropping an entire forest with her wind jutsu. If he had known that Sasuke would leave, he would have waited one night to do the deed. She would have been a valuable member of the retrieval team.

Naruto smirked and just wrapped an arm around Shikamaru's shoulders. "Don't underestimate my wife, Shika. It might prove painful to you. On the other hand," he gave a pointed look to the Nara, "let this be a lesson to you. Strategy is useless if someone could simply overpower you. You gotta train more, man."

Instead of gaping at him for the abrupt nonchalance, Shikamaru simply raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be worried about your wife going into the field?"

"I'm not going to hold her back out of overprotectiveness, Shika. Temari is more than capable of taking care of herself."

He ignored Shikarmu's "troublesome" and reached Tsunade, giving her a lazy salute. "Mission accomplished, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded in approval, "I knew you could do it, Naruto. I will see your report on my desk tomorrow morning, I suppose? Along with a personal account?"

Naruto gave her a frown. "Personal account?"

Tsunade glanced at Shikaku, who continued, "We need to know the level of resistance Sasuke showed, in order for us to decide how sever his punishment should be."

Naruto scoffed as he replied, "You don't need a personal account for that. Just take a look at how much I had to beat him up to bring him back. I literally caved his back in with a rasengan."

He did not wait to see their reactions to that, moving towards his wife. Temari had her arms crossed across her chest, watching him with a careful look. A small amount of concern flashed across her chest when she noted the slight tears in his sleeves and track pants. The bruises on his face had already healed, thanks to Kurama. "Are you alright?"

Naruto gave a tired smile to her. He might act aloof, but even he suffered the mental repercussions of beating his former teammate almost to death. "I am, but I need some rest."

Temari smiled back, "That you do." She gently grabbed his hand, "Let's go home."

Naruto smiled and flashed both of them to their living room, where Temari immediately went to their room to put her fan away. Naruto removed his footwear, and sank into the couch with a groan. The journey back hadn't been exactly tiring, but Naruto thought that this particular A-rank took more out of him than he expected. His mind flashed back to what Shikamaru had told him- half of their team was in a critical condition.

If only he had a proper team….

Naruto got up from the couch. Best not to continue that line of thought. He would probably have nightmares tonight anyway, so best not to add on to that. He went to his bedroom and entered just as Temari was putting on a large, loose t-shirt, giving him a flash of her creamy back, but Naruto had too much on his mind for those things right now.

Instead, he just started removing his own uniform. "I heard you dropped the forest on the red headed kunoichi."

Temari scoffed as she untied the ponytails in her hair. "That bitch had it coming. You should tell that Nara to train a bit more. Strategy won't help him every time."

Naruto nodded as he took off his t-shirt. "Maybe this experience will give him some motivation to train rather than lazing around all day."

Temari hummed absently as she walked up to Naruto, wrapping her arms around his front, kissing his neck lightly from behind him.

Naruto sighed as he leaned into his wife's hold. For the first time, Temari heard Naruto speaking in such a… defeated voice, and it shocked her. "We almost lost Neji and Kiba today, Temari. If only I had been-"

Temari swiftly turned him around and gently held his face. "You will not blame yourself for this mission, Naruto," she sternly told him. "You did the best you could with what you had. The others knew the risks of the mission before they agreed to it, so you don't need to drown yourself in guilt."

She gave him a soft kiss. "Tsunade-sama is the best medic there is, so you don't need to worry."

Naruto allowed Temari to drag him to their bed, and once the lights were turned off, he was held by his wife as she whispered sweet things in his ears, all the while gently rocking him. Naruto would have verbally appreciated her singing voice if he wasn't gradually pulled into the dark abyss of sleep.

Morning came, and surprisingly, it was Temari who opened her eyes first. She blinked the sleep out of them and looked at the bedside clock.

It was ten in the morning.

' Huh,' was all she could think at the moment. She turned back to see Naruto soundly asleep, his hand still wrapped around her waist.

Naruto had slept soundly the whole night, for which Temari gave herself a mental pat on the back. She didn't know what had happened between Naruto and his former teammate, but it had been something that had mentally exhausted the blonde. Nightmares were sure to come, but physical comfort is very much effective against those.

She tried to gently pry herself away from Naruto's hold, intending to make some breakfast for the both of them. But even in sleep, Naruto was unwilling to let her go, as his hands tightened in response to her movement. A few more attempts later, which were all unsuccessful, she gave it up all together, resigning herself to her husband's hold.

"Glad that you realized."

The voice, that was rough from the night of sleep, spoke in an amused whisper. Temari jerked around, seeing Naruto's sleepy, but clearly amused expression. "You were awake the whole time?"

"You weren't exactly keeping it subtle."

Temari was about to reply to his taunt, when she felt something poking her on her thigh. She didn't have to look down to confirm it for what it was, instead she just gave him a raised eyebrow.

To his credit, Naruto didn't get embarrassed at all. This was his own wife, dammit! "What?"

Temari chose not to deign that not-so-innocent question with an answer and got out of his hold, out of the bed. She stretched, working out the kinks from her back and giving Naruto a great view of her derriere. He pushed the covers back, standing up as well. He had had over twelve hours of sleep, after all. He had work to do.

Temari was going to her closet to get some clothes out for her shower, when a pair of hands encircled her waist from behind, drawing her into a warm body. She moaned as pleasure assaulted her from three different places, all at once.

Naruto nibbled on her earlobe, while his hands drifted upwards under her t-shirt to fondle her breasts, and his growing arousal pressed into her posterior. "Say, do you have anything important to do today?"

"Not exactly," she breathed out as Naruto began humping into her.

"Good." That was all he said before he slowly pulled the t-shirt over her head, leaving her completely naked except for her panties. He turned her around and lifted her up, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist for support. Without another word, he initiated a tongue battle, which Temari returned enthusiastically as they made their way to the shower.

After spending almost a whole hour inside, they finally exited and got dressed. Naruto was wearing his uniform as he was supposed to report to Tsunade and most probably, the council. The written report of the mission would have to wait, as he had forgotten to form a clone to do it. Temari finished getting dressed and together, they both exited the house, preferring to walk instead of just flashing there.

Naruto looked at his wife curiously. "So how were you sent as back up for my team?"

Temari frowned on how to reply to that. "Tsunade-sama was already aware of whom to call for back up, thanks to you. But I wasn't, so I was rather surprised when she called me to her office and asked whether I could be part of the back up being sent to your team.

"I was perplexed, however, as to why she specifically asked me. But that confusion cleared up when she told me that my brothers were making their way from Suna, so I immediately agreed," she explained, to which Naruto gave a sound of realization.

"Sorry if it sounds offensive, but I thought you would sore from our activities to participate in the mission," Naruto remarked as he rubbed his neck with a sheepish smile.

Temari smirked at him, "I was, but there is someone in this village whom you call a grandma, after all. And she just happens to be the greatest medic in the world."

Naruto nodded seriously, completely missing the snarking tone in her voice. That made complete sense. Although, he would have to find a way to make messages travel faster. Birds are just too slow…

They both reached the Hokage tower, and saw that many shinobi were hustling around as if in a hurry. Naruto gave them no mind as he proceeded directly to Tsunade's office. He wondered just what sort of information Tsunade needed from him to decide the punishment of the Uchiha. Then again, if he had written his report on time, his own account wouldn't have been needed at all.

Oh well, he had three days to hand in his report. No pressure.

They reached the door to the Hokage's office. Naruto knocked on it, opening it only when Tsunade told him to come in. Once inside, he merely raised an eyebrow at Shikaku-sama's presence. He rarely saw the jonin commander, and not to mention, he had the impression that Nara males were not supposed to up before noon. Shikaku-sama should be sleeping right now, considering all he has to do is paperwork. He walked forward until he was standing beside Shikamaru, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. The elders were in the room as well, including Danzo. That put Naruto on edge, because Naruto always felt that there was something that the mummified elder was hiding.

Temari closed the door behind and made to stand beside Naruto. Tsunade nodded and said, "Alright, now that everyone has been assembled, Shikamaru," making the chunin look at her, "I would like to hear your account of the mission."

Shikamaru's verbal report was not entirely unprofessional, except there were too many mentions of "troublesome." Then again, it didn't surprise Tsunade. Although, no one failed to notice the tightness in his voice when he delivered his report. He, like Naruto, had experienced for the first time how it felt to almost lose their comrades, even though they didn't. Naruto hastily pushed back the images his mind was conjuring of Neji and Kiba on their death beds. He didn't need that now.

Temari delivered her report, though hers was extremely short, consisting of merely pursuit and execution. Finally, Tsunade asked him to deliver his part of the report. Naruto described in detail on how he was pursued by Orochimaru's supposedly most powerful subordinate, and the bloodline he possessed. How his fight with him was cut short due to Lee's arrival, and how he pursued Sasuke after that.

The description of their fight was similar. Naruto described how Sasuke did not hold back against him at all, and fully tried to kill him. The elders in the room tensed as he told them how he had been forced to resort to using Kyuubi's chakra by Sasuke's second level transformation of the cursed seal.

After he finished his report, the room descended into silence as everyone tried to organize their thoughts into order. Finally, it was Danzo who broke the silence.

"You said you had to resort to using Kyuubi's chakra to stop him, correct?"

Naruto lifted his head up slightly at the question. "Yes. The power of Sasuke's transformation was far too much for me to handle, and Hiraishin was proving inadequate, which is why I used it."

Naruto had to admit, the elder's face could have very well been made from stone. There was nothing readable on his face. "By saying that you were forced to resort to bijuu chakra, you mean to say that you can access the demon's chakra at will? And control it?"

Naruto was getting uneasy at how much focus was being shifted onto him. Wasn't this meeting supposed to be about deciding Sasuke's punishment? In the end, he gave a single nod.

"And how much did you use?"

"… A full tail's worth of chakra."

Suffice to say, it was all he could do to keep his eyes from rolling when Homura and Kotaru tensed up, contempt welling up in their eyes. Danzo, however, merely nodded and went silent after that.

That unnerved Naruto far more than he was willing to show.

"I fail to see why you would want to know that, elder Danzo, considering that we're only here to decide Uchiha Sasuke's punishment after listening to my husband's report of his resistance," Temari remarked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Koharu stepped forward at the statement, a disapproving frown on her face at Temari's daring tone. "We find that rather hard to believe, that you can access and control the beast's chakra at will. You see, our previous jinchuriki was also thought to be fully keeping the Kyuubi's chakra in check. However, the jinchuriki went on a rampage during the third war, and it was unable to discern friend and foe."

It was because Naruto had his hands folded behind his back that they couldn't see his clenched fists. He took a deep breath and replied, "I assure you, that I was fully in control of myself. Trust me, if it were the other way around, Sasuke wouldn't be alive right now. And secondly," he fixed the elders with a stern gaze that bordered on a glare, "I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about my mother like she was just some sort of beast that went wild."

The elders bristled at his tone. Homura retorted, "Uzumaki Kushina-"

"-was a hero who served this village without expecting, or getting, any form of thanks," Naruto interrupted, his face carefully blank. "My mother was a hero, and while I would love to talk about how she has been completely forgotten for her services, that's not why we are here."

He then turned towards Tsunade, completely ignoring the sputtering elder. The Hokage's eyes were twinkling with amusement, but became serious as Naruto addressed her. "I have completed my report, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded, "Good. Based on your report, as much as I would like to say and believe it, Uchiha Sasuke was acting on his own will, instead of being influenced by the curse seal. His intentions were to desert Konohagakure no sato and join Orochimaru. Not only that, but he also attacked a superior officer in an attempt to kill him." At that, she looked towards Shikaku-sama, "What punishment do you propose, Shikaku?"

The jonin commander stroked his beard, "To be frank, Hokage-sama, becoming a missing-nin automatically gets you a death sentence. However," he continued when he saw the elders ready to protest and more importantly, Naruto closing his eyes in apparent resignation, "Since Uchiha Sasuke is the last bearer of the sharingan, that we have under our control, it would be unwise to completely finish it off. Therefore, I suggest that he be kept in heavy imprisonment for one year, and upon his release, be suspended from shinobi duties for six months, during which he be subjected to psychological sessions to address past trauma and adjust his mental conditioning, because kami knows the kid needs it. Lastly, upon his resuming of duties, he be put on probation for another six months."

Silence descended in the office as the elders, excluding Danzo, looked at Shikaku in disbelief. Tsunade seemed to be thinking it through, and Naruto gazed at Shikamaru in his peripheral gaze, finding the Nara actually paying attention with sharp eyes. Naruto didn't fault his friend if he wanted execution, because he didn't understand Sasuke like Naruto did. After all, pursuing Sasuke did almost cause the death of half of their team.

Temari was standing stone faced, eyes straight. She really didn't know what to think about the entire situation. Deserting your village automatically gets you a death sentence, no matter how important you are. But apparently, the sharingan was apparently to important to the village to just be finished off. It was perplexing her, that just how far Konoha was willing to go for the Uchiha.

Naruto was inwardly relieved. He had feared that Sasuke would be executed, as per protocol, and he was ready to defend his friend, but it seemed that there was no need to. In his opinion, two years of retirement was way better than being killed. It was somewhat a burden off his shoulders.

Tsunade finally came to a decision. "While that seems reasonable, I think its better if we bring it down to six months of imprisonment, instead of one year."

Koharu stepped forward, "Hokage-sama, in my opinion even that seems a bit harsh. Perhaps just a six month imprisonment, followed by one month of probation?"

Surprisingly, Temari was the one who stepped forward against that suggestion. "Koharu-sama, the foremost punishment, when it concerns a missing nin, is death. And that goes for every missing nin. The punishment is already a lot more lenient by not executing him right away, instead choosing to preserve a bloodline. Do you mean to say that you would speak against execution for any other missing nin from Konoha, or is it just Uchiha Sasuke?"

The silence from the elder told everyone that Temari had been spot on.

"As it stands, by giving him this punishment, Hokage-sama is already in the danger of being accused of showing favoritism inside the shinobi forces. The only reason that accusation could be swept aside is that the missing nin in question is an Uchiha, and as such, the last, potentially loyal sharingan under the village's control," Naruto continued, inwardly pumping a fist at his wife's argument. She sure knew how to put people down.

"Naruto is correct," Tsunade agreed, much to the displeasure of the elders. Inwardly smirking, she continued, "That is the only reason Uchiha Sasuke has not been punished by death. However, by not executing him does not mean the alternate punishment will be light. My punishment stands- six months of prison, followed by six months of suspension and psychological recovery and conditioning, followed by six months of probation. Does anyone have a problem with that?"

The elders, excluding Danzo, raised their hands. Tsunade rolled her eyes and her next question was practically dripping with sarcasm. "Does anyone else have a problem?"

When no one raised their hands, Tsunade nodded and turned to the jonin commander. "Sasuke will have finished recovering by the end of next week. Make sure he is immediately transferred to prison after his discharge."

Shikaku bowed. "As you wish, Tsunade-sama."

"The if we have no further business, this meeting is adjourned."

As the elders and Shikaku-sama left, Naruto stayed behind to discuss something private with Tsunade. When everyone had left, he stepped forward, "Hokage-sama, can you tell me when I would be able to visit him?"

Tsunade's expression turned grim as she looked at him. "Sorry Naruto, but Sasuke is under intensive care right now. You may not know it, but almost every bone in his body was at least cracked, if not broken. I'd say he was extremely lucky that he was in the second level of his transformation, otherwise I don't think that his spine would have survived the rasengan that you crashed into his back."

Naruto tried not to show the guilt and horror he was feeling at that. He had given only a moment's thought to the level of damage Sasuke might suffer from the rasengan. He had guessed that the transformation would protect Sasuke from any severe damage. He had only been meaning to disable him, not cripple him entirely.

"If it were anyone else, the rasengan would have grinded the backbone into dust. But otherwise, you should be able to speak with him after five days."

Naruto released a breath of relief. He then bowed to Tsunade and left the office with Temari. Just as they exited the office, they tensed upon hearing the voice behind them, "Might I have a moment of your time, Uzumaki-dono?"

Naruto turned around to see Danzo, the elder staring at him with his expressionless eyes. His eyes drifted downwards to the cane and he inwardly frowned. ' Who's he trying to fool with the old-retired-shinobi act? Only people with walking problems need canes. He's not putting any kind of pressure on it like a man who needs it would.'

Outwardly, he nodded and turned to Temari. "Go, I'll be right behind you."

Temari was about to protest when Naruto gave her a pointed look. She reluctantly nodded, and walked away. He turned and faced the elder, the slightest hints of annoyance seeping into his voice, "I have several other things to do, Danzo-san, so please make this quick."

Danzo might not admit this to anyone, but the jinchuriki was impressive in his capacity to act as the clan head. He motioned him, "Please follow me to my office. I will try to make this as quick as I can."

The both brisk walked, while Naruto revised everything he had on this man. His father had left a journal, in which a particular section had been dedicated entirely to this man. He had written down that Danzo was fiercely loyal to Konoha, and an extremist to boot. His father had also said that Danzo was after the seat of Hokage, and would do anything to ensure he would become the Hokage.

Given his position as the village's jinchuriki, Naruto guessed that at some point or the other, Danzo might have tried to control him. As they arrived in his office, a thought occurred to Naruto that this could potentially turn out to be a very dangerous situation.

"I'm sure you're curious as to why I've brought you here."

' So he wants to do it that way? Sorry Danzo, but I plan to end this as quickly as possible.' Outwardly, he said, "A small part of me is, but let's not waste each other's time. You know who I am, and I know who you are."

Not even a twitch of his facial muscles, but his voice held a thin curiosity. "You do?"

Naruto tilted his head. "I know what you also are."

A raise of an eyebrow this time. "Do tell."

Naruto refrained from smirking at his next statement. "You are the root that supports the tree that is Konoha."

Now that brought out some reaction, which Naruto relished. His lone eye widened, and his entire posture tensed up. There was no way that Danzo missed the meaning behind his words. The man took a moment to calm himself and then spoke.

"I see… and who else knows of this?"

Naruto shrugged and deliberately gave the man a vague answer. "I wouldn't know. Though I assume there won't be many, since you have gone to some… well, let's say extreme lengths, to keep it a secret."

Danzo was inwardly frowning at how much Naruto knew about his operations. "Keep what a secret, Uzumaki-dono?"

Naruto gave a thin smile, "If you deny its existence, why would you be so interested in it?"

Danzo sat back in his chair. That was masterfully played by Uzumaki, he mentally applauded. It would be tricky to get out of this corner. Naruto continued, "But let's not play around. We both know that Root exists, and you are its leader, despite Sandaime's order to shut it down.

"It's your own private army which no one else can control, and if anyone else acquires this information, they might see it as a rebellion on your front to overthrow the Hokage."

Danzo couldn't hide the small flinch. That was a rather bold statement, and he couldn't deny it anymore. He returned, "My operations are always in best interests for the village."

"Then I fail to see how you helped when Orochimaru attacked. I didn't see any Root operatives during the invasion."

Danzo had no reply for that. He had never suspected that someone would ask him this particular question. "I had a-"

"Perhaps you were hoping that the Sandaime would be killed by his former student and would pave the way for you to be Hokage?"

Danzo narrowed his eyes, even though he was inwardly shocked at the unintentional bullseye that Naruto had hit. "You go too far, Uzumaki-dono. Hiruzen was my old friend, and I would never wish for his death."

Naruto exhaled as he leaned back. "If you say so. I think we are done here, Danzo-san. I must get back to my wife now."

"Ah yes, your wife."

That paused Naruto in his seat. He could deal with Danzo's sights upon him, but why would he be interested in Temari?

"What about her?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me when you were planning to honor the treaty by conceiving an heir."

There was a drastic drop in the temperature of the room. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the elder, and Danzo was pretty sure that the Uzumaki was intentionally channeling the cold, dangerous parts of his psyche that he inherited from his father. For the first time in the conversation, there was an air of hostility around the young jonin.

"You can wonder all you want, but I don't see how that is any of your business, Danzo-san. But I will tell you this," Naruto got up from his seat and laid his hands on the table, leaning forward, "Don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong. You cross my path, and I will make you regret it."

Before Danzo could make a retort, Naruto turned and walked out of the office. Danzo had to give it to him, the jinchuriki may not be very subtle when it came to politics, but he had enough subtlety to pass by. And he sure knew how to make a statement. Danzo knew that at the rate he was progressing, Uzumaki would easily become the most powerful ninja of the village in two to three years. Politically, he had the backing of two powerful clans, and Danzo could only hope that Uzumaki didn't do anything that would hinder his plans of becoming Hokage.

"Well played, Uzumaki. But know this, that between you and I, it will be me who comes out on top."

Naruto caught up with Temari in a flash, and she didn't so much as flinch at his sudden presence. "What happened?"

Naruto shook his head, "Nothing. Danzo just wanted to play some mind games with me."

"I have to admit, Naruto. That guy gives me a bad feeling in the stomach."

Naruto gently took the begs of vegetables from Temari. "Danzo has plans to be Hokage, Temari, and that is all he cares about. He won't pay even the slightest attention to those he tramples on in his quest. We are nothing but pawns for him to play around with, that is what he believes."

Temari frowned as they walked towards their home. "Pawns, you say? Reminds me of a certain elder back in Suna. I hated that guy."

Naruto smiled slightly, but then became serious again. "He also wanted to know when we were planning on having babies."

Temari choked on air, her face reddening rapidly, though from embarrassment or anger, it was hard to tell. "He what?!"

Naruto shrugged, "That was when I told him to fuck off, in no uncertain terms. I have no doubt that he will be keeping a closer eye on us from now on. I will have to upgrade our home's defenses a bit. Maybe make a mine field….."

"Just don't go overboard," Temari remarked, amused. "Say, how about we get some ice cream?"

Naruto brightened up a little. "I could use some ice cream."

"Looks like the Kyuubi jinchuriki has grown quite powerful than our last encounter. Don't you think so, Itachi-san?"

"Hn."

Itachi gave the typical Uchiha response to his partner's question. He was silently glad, however, that Naruto had stopped Sasuke from reaching Orochimaru. Nothing good would come out of that.

Now he didn't need to worry about Sasuke on top of keeping the village safe from outside.

Naruto arrived on top of his father's head. He felt him before he saw him, looking over the village. "An unusual spot for you to choose to meet up."

Jiraiya smiled in melancholy. "I guess you could say that."

Both of them stood side by side as they overlooked the village. It was a while before Jiraiya told him why he called him here. "Akatsuki has been moving."

"Oh?"

Jiraiya nodded seriously. "Right now, they don't seem to be going after any of the bijuu. My sources have told me that they are building their capital right now, leaving the jinchuriki as they are, for now."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. "Why are you telling me this?"

Jiraiya looked at him with grim eyes, looking his age for the first time in a long time. "Naruto, you are my apprentice, regardless of your summoning contract. You are Konoha's greatest asset, but most importantly, you are my godson. And I refuse to just sit by when someone is after my godson's life."

Naruto folded his hands. Jiraiya had never been this serious with him, but Akatsuki was serious business. A group of S-rank missing nin was no joke at all, and their goal could twist the very way the world operated. "What do you want me to do then?"

For the first time in their conversation, Jiraiya smirked. "I want you to come on a training trip with me."

Naruto took a deep breath as he turned back to the village. A training trip with Jiraiya…

There was so much he could learn from the man. But first, "How long would the trip last?"

"Three years."

Naruto pursed his lips. "Why three years?"

"You see, I have received reports that Orochimaru has switched bodies once again, which is strange considering how much he wanted Sasuke's body. Now that he has, however, he won't be changing bodies for another three years. Here's the kick though- at the same time Orochimaru has decided to go underground, so have the Akatsuki as well. This gives you a nice, three year window to get stronger, strong enough to not worry about them.

"I plan to make you capable of defending yourself and your loved ones in that time. When I'm finished with you, you will be one of the most dangerous men in all the nations."

Naruto exhaled and sat down on a spike beside his godfather, face contemplative. "While that sounds terribly tempting, I would have to leave my wife behind. And you know well enough just how big of a target she is due to her relationship with me. Many things could happen to her, and I can't take that risk."

"Then it's a good thing that she won't be in the village, right?"

Naruto's head snapped to Jiraiya, confusion written on his face. "What do you mean?"

Jiraiya smirked as he took out a scroll and handed it over to Naruto. He opened it to see a map of the elemental nations, but a particular path had been highlighted. The path began from Konoha and ended in the mountains between Hot water country and the Land of ice. It marked a particular spot over there, in a red circle.

"What's this?"

Jiraiya puffed out his chest. "Well, I knew that you would not agree to leave your wife behind, so I came up with an alternative. The spot marked in the red circle is the home of a retired warrior named Ankita Ryu, who specializes in the usage of war fans. Your wife probably knows of her. She can use them unlike anyone I've seen, and trust me, shinobi of Suna don't even compare to her. What I mean to say is, while we are on our training trip, your wife could embark on her own training trip as well."

Naruto glared at his godfather and was about to snap at him when he paused. That actually sounded like a considerable idea.

Jiraiya's hopes went up on seeing Naruto actually thinking about it. "What do you think?"

"And just what makes you think that she will accept my wife as her pupil?"

Jiraiya crossed his arms and smirked in a triumphant way. "Well, recommendation from a Sannin, for one. Her relationship with you, secondly. Connections are important, after all. And last, her latent talent. She is already very much skilled in the usage of her war fan, and if she trains with Ryu, she will probably become the most dangerous wind user in the entire nations at a very young age. You do want her to be strong enough to protect herself without you, right?"

Naruto nodded, rolling the idea in his head. After a few minutes of thinking, Naruto replied, "I'll have to talk to my wife about this. And I'll agree to the training trip only if we escort her to this lady first."

Jiraiya thrust out his hand. "Deal."

Naruto nodded after shaking hands. "Deal. And also, when are we leaving? Because I need to talk to baa-chan and Sasuke before we do."

Jiraiya looked conflicted, but gave a resigned sigh at that. "I wanted for us to leave as soon as possible, but if you need to talk to Sasuke, we can only leave after five days. What is it that you want to talk to him about anyways?"

Naruto brightened up, completely ignoring Jiraiya's question. "Great!" 'Though I wonder what Temari will have to say about us separating so early after our marriage, for three years at that.'

He stood up, rolling his shoulders. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

He was gone in a flash after that, causing Jiraiya to scoff. "Show off."

Five days later, Sasuke was finally moved from intensive care. While he just laid on the hospital bed, only one thought flashed across his mind.

How Naruto beat him.

He had been thinking pretty deeply about how he had been beaten by his former comrade. Why was he beaten? Was his reason for fighting not strong enough? Was his hatred not strong enough?

He slowly clenched his fists as he fought down his frustration. Now that he was in Konoha, it would be a long time before he would be allowed to go after Itachi, and that too if he was lucky.

' I'm so weak…..'

"I wouldn't say that."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open at the voice. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto sat down in the seat. "I came to talk to you, Sasuke."

Sasuke closed his eyes as emotions threatened to overwhelm him. "We have nothing to talk about, Naruto. You can leave."

But Naruto was persistent, like always. "Yes we do. As much as I would like to say that your actions were the result of the influence of the curse seal, they weren't. You were genuinely trying to kill me. Why?"

Sasuke opened his eyes to gaze at the ceiling. "You won't get an answer out of me, Naruto."

Naruto sighed despondently. "Sasuke, I know that you have the answer to my question. What have I ever done to you for you to try and kill me like that?"

"… Because you were in my way. Orochimaru was offering a way to gain power so I can kill my brother, which Konoha would never give me. That is my goal in life, and no one will stop me from achieving it, not even you."

"You mean to say that revenge is more important to you than your comrades, than your bonds with them?"

"Yes."

There was no hesitancy in his answer, and that stunned Naruto. Sasuke didn't give a crap about anything else other than killing Itachi. Naruto was hoping that Sasuke would at least consider before giving the answer, but he was wrong. To Sasuke, nothing mattered except for killing Itachi. Not anymore.

Changing topics to avoid the grief he was feeling, he said, "Your punishment has been decided."

For just a moment, Sasuke was afraid. He was afraid that he would die before he killed Itachi. But he pushed it down and asked instead, "What is it?"

"Six months of imprisonment, followed by six months of suspension from the forces, and six months of duty with probation."

Well, Sasuke couldn't say that he was entirely surprised. Given how desperate the village was when it came to the sharingan, they won't be willing to lose the only pair of eyes they had left. Still, better than being killed.

But this could turn in his favor if he played this right. "I see."

"Don't make revenge your defining purpose in life, Sasuke. It will bring you nothing but emptiness, Sasuke. Mark my words, killing your brother would bring you not satisfaction, but anguish."

Naruto got up from his seat and moved to the door, but before he could touch it, Sasuke's voice stopped him. "Naruto."

Naruto turned his head sideways, signaling that he was listening. "When will you come next time to visit?"

Naruto smiled wistfully as he turned around. "I won't be coming back for three years, Sasuke. I'm leaving for a training trip with Jiraiya."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Then know this- Konoha will not hold me for the entirety of my punishment. I will escape, and I will gain power to kill my brother. Three years later, when we meet again and we will…. we shall meet as equals. That I can promise."

He then continued in a much softer tone, surprising the blonde with the vulnerability in his voice. "Naruto…..you are the only person in this village who understands me, and you are the only person in this village that is the closest thing to a friend. You may think what you want for me is for the best, but it's not. Itachi's death will give me the closure I need.

"The least you can do, is let me have it."

Naruto didn't know what to say to that. On one hand, he could tell this to Tsunade, and ensure that security is even tighter so that Sasuke doesn't escape. On the other, Sasuke would never beg like this. It was somewhat sad and pitiful that Sasuke seemed to think that his main purpose in this world was to kill his brother.

But it wasn't his place to decide what he could do. Sasuke's punishment had already been decided. But Sasuke's promise… there was something in those words that made Naruto take him seriously. Perhaps it was a good thing for Sasuke that Naruto was alone in his visit.

He turned and looked directly into Sasuke's eyes, his eyes twinkling with an unknown feeling. "Don't give Hokage-sama a reason to finish you off for the sole reason that the sharingan is more trouble than it's worth."

Sasuke scoffed and looked away. "Oh, and Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned his head towards the door to see Naruto looking at him seriously, with the barest hint of a smirk. "About that day where you said we will meet as equals," Sasuke narrowed his eyes, curious about what Naruto would say, "I look forward to it."

Naruto left after that.

Sasuke snorted softly, turning his head away. Naruto's position as jonin may not allow him to help him, but he was pretty sure that he just received Naruto's blessings to escape from this village. Naruto knew just as well as he did that Sasuke would only become Naruto's equal if he would be able train that hard, and it damn sure wasn't going to be in this village.

"I hope you're ready that day…..Naruto."

Orochimaru sat on his chair, thinking deeply. Kabuto's report had upset him greatly. He had never foreseen this event, so now he had to decide upon an alternate initiative.

He had to have Sasuke's body, and no doubt, Sasuke would be under heavy guard, now that he was back in the village. Worse, he had no way to know of any happenings inside the village, since Kabuto was his only spy in there.

It was starting to look like he would have to play the waiting game, and he did not like to wait.

This required some heavy thought.

It was night, and Naruto and Temari were relaxing on their bed. Naruto was gazing forwards with such intensity that it worried Temari a bit. His left hand was resting around her shoulder, his finger gently rubbing small circles on her side. Temari was resting on his chest, but most of her attention was on her husband.

Finally, she huffed and sat up, straddling Naruto and breaking him from his trance. "Alright, you've been acting a bit out of it ever since you came home from the hospital, and it's been driving me crazy. What is it?"

Naruto gazed at his wife with adoration as his hands went up to stroke her sides under her t-shirt. "It's actually not that big of a thing. Me and Sasuke talked, that's all."

Temari poked him in the chest and dryly pointed out, "If it wasn't that big, you won't be slipping into trances ever now and then. Now spill, what has got you so worked up."

Naruto smirked and sat up, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around her form, planting kisses on her neck. "My sweet wife is so caring towards me. Just what did I do to deserve you?"

Temari moaned as she tried to resist. "Don't try to change the topic- ngh!"

To her partial disappointment and approval, he stopped and sighed. "It's just…..Sasuke made a promise to me today."

"Oh?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. He said that he will escape, and when we meet three years later, we will meet as equals."

Temari's eyes widened. "He told you that he would escape?! Have you told Tsunade?!"

Naruto gently grabbed her shoulders and shook his head. "Temari, you don't get what I'm saying. He said that he will escape, though I have confidence in our ANBU."

Temari frowned at him. "Then what do you mean?"

"We both know, that is, me and Sasuke, that this village will never give Sasuke the power he needs to kill his brothers. For him to say that we will be equals after three years…..that means that he will have to go back to Orochimaru to gain that sort of power. But even that's not the issue."

Temari took a deep breath. It was rare for her to see Naruto so troubled, but she was beginning to get the gist of his and Sasuke's relationship. From what Naruto had told her, Sasuke considered him the closest thing he had to a friend. Naruto felt the same, but he didn't hold so much negativity. He wanted to help Sasuke, be by his side, and prevent him from going down a rabbit hole from which return is impossible.

"Then what is?"

Naruto gazed into her eyes that told her how much havoc his thoughts were in. "Is it wrong for me to feel that I look forward to that day? That I want him to return to Orochimaru so that he can gain power to become my equal?"

Naruto sighed and held Naruto's hands. "Naruto, only you and Sasuke understand the bond that exists between you. If you look from a standpoint of a shinobi of Konoha, it certainly borders, no, is treason. But if you look at it as a… well, let's say rivals, then perhaps it benefits your friend."

She stroked his cheek with her thumb. "Sasuke is driven not just by his desire to kill his brother, but to be better than you. You motivate him to get stronger so that he could look at you, eye to eye. And that is perfectly normal behavior for rivals. They push each other to get stronger. Sasuke wants you to see him not as a subordinate, but someone who is equal to you."

Naruto averted his eyes from hers in thought. "Maybe you're right. Sasuke's promise is what will drive me, along with getting strong enough to protect you."

Temari smiled at that. She found it endearing that Naruto wanted to be strong enough for her.

"Speaking of training, are you sure that you want to undergo training from that lady?"

Temari rolled her eyes. "Yes, I do! I don't see what has gotten you so worked up about that. Most people would give an arm and a leg to be trained by her. She is a legend in the land of the wind. Do you know what she can do with her fans? It's said that she can create entire-"

Naruto smiled and raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine! Now that that is decided, how about we have some fun?"

He kissed her, pulling her flush against him. She responded enthusiastically, wrapping her arms around his neck. Naruto pulled both of them down on the bed, his hands going down her back.

Their activities would continue late into the night.

Naruto and Temari were standing at the village gates, making out against the wall. Strictly speaking, Tsunade had talked with them that should they ever be paired together for a mission, they were to act professionally, not as love-struck idiots. But then again, Naruto was on temporary leave along with his wife, so their actions were justified.

At least that's what Naruto seemed to think.

Izumo and Kotetsu fingered their collar as they failed to avert their eyes from the pair. "Man, they sure are going at it full steam, don't you think?"

Kotetsu shook his head. "No, my friend. If they wanted to go full steam, they would be in their bedroom, not here."

"See, that is how you take care of a woman!"

Any shout like that would have made any couple spring apart with surprise, but not Naruto and Temari. Naruto just slowly broke their lip contact, turning to look at a Jiraiya who looked like he would burst with joy, a smirking Tsunade and an eye-smiling Kakashi, who was positively beaming.

Naruto put some distance between himself and Temari, shrugging innocently. It was rather surprising how quickly his face was cleared of its blush. "You got late, so we just decided to pass the time."

Temari's blush was still receding, but she just huffed and swatted his arm. "There's no we. It was your idea! You were the one who jumped on me!"

"And yet you completely failed to resist," Naruto easily returned, smugness increasing along with her blush.

Jiraiya could feel his manliness starting to slip away. 'Even if Minato was never this bold with Kushina, he didn't fail to pass along his penchant for mushiness,' he lamented.

Outwardly, he cleared his throat. "Ahem! Well, let's be going brats! We need to reach the mountains in less than a week."

Though he flinched when Tsunade glared at him. "Shut up!"

Though her face turned into a soft smile when she turned to Naruto and Temari. She drew the former into a hug. "Now, you take good care of yourself, Naruto. Eat properly, and don't work yourself into exhaustion every time you train."

Naruto rolled his eyes as he returned the hug. "I'll try my best, but no promises."

Tsunade punched his arm lightly, then turned to Temari and drew her into a hug. "Do take care of yourself, Temari, and try to come back before three years are up. This idiot here needs you more than he shows."

"Hey!"

Temari was surprised when Tsunade hugged her, but returned it nonetheless. "I will, Hoka- Tsunade. Someone needs to keep him in check, after all."

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted to the side. "I swear, I'm being attacked today."

Tsunade released the hug and stepped back. Kakashi stepped forward, eye smiling. "Get strong, and maybe we can have a one-on-one match."

Naruto scoffed, a challenging glint in his eyes. "Trust me Kakashi, when I return, you won't stand a chance against me."

"We'll see Naruto, we'll see."

With that, they waved goodbye one last time and turned away, walking away from the village.

' So Kurama, now that we've got a whole three years to ourselves, how are you going to train me?'

Kurama hummed in thought before replying. 'These three years will be a good opportunity to train you to master my chakra. I will push you hard, Naruto. And mastering of each tail will only get more difficult as you progress, especially from the fourth tail.'

'… ..I see.'

' Which is why you'll train to master my chakra in the fox realm. I will be able to teach you better over there, and you will have comparatively less difficulty in mastering my chakra over there.'

' Why? Is there something that will aid me.'

' Something like that.'

Kurama's vague reply caused him to raise an eyebrow. Just how special was the realm of the foxes?

Jiraiya asks once they were out of Konoha's view. "So kid, how do you feel about leaving your home for three years?"

Naruto looks at Temari once and looks back, smiling wistfully. "Honestly? It feels like the end of an era."

He looked up to the sky, as if speaking to it. "I will become as strong as I can, because you are my limit."