33 Chapter 27: The Aftermath of Nami

Hullo my readers. So you all really enjoyed last chapter, and my twist on how things went down in Nami. Glad to hear that.

Now, we get the aftermath of Nami. Hopefully I can get moving, since Nami went longer than I expected.

So without further ado, here we go!

Disclaimer; I do not own Naruto or Assassin's Creed. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Ubisoft respectively.

Chapter 27

The Aftermath of Nami

Raphael quietly finished organizing the various records and dossiers that had been gathered from not only Gato's mansion, but also the warehouses his men had been using, and sealing it all away in several sections of a storage scroll. Shortly after Gato's defeat, and him being taken away, the people of Nami had moved to raid both buildings for food supplies, money, and other valuables that had been confiscated during Gato's reign. Raphael had instructed Anko to gather the records from the warehouse, while he had handled the mansion.

The people of Nami had quickly stripped the locations of food and other such vital supplies, and had distributed the spoils of their looting amongst the populace, while messages went out requesting aid and new supplies to be sent in.

The people had spent most of the day simply taking it all in. Their freedom from Gato seemed so unreal, after all the time spent under his cruel rule. But the sight of him locked in the very cage some of their fellow citizens had been locked in was enough to let them know it was real.

The following morning, as promised, Mukei and his crew dragged Gato from the cage, tying him to a stake. Quite a few citizens of Nami had gathered, staring at the man. Each had been hesitant to do something, still fearing him as he shouted and cursed at them all. That is until one young man finally got the courage to rush forward, swinging a stick at Gato and smacking him across the face, knocking some of his teeth out of Gato's mouth. That was the signal to the rest of the people, and they descended on Gato, striking and beating him with anything they could lay their hands on. Mukei's crew stood by, overseeing the whole proceeding, ensuring only that the people of Nami didn't harm each other, and that Gato was kept alive. Some of them who had their own personal scores with Gato took their turns as well, beating the business tycoon.

In the end, when the last citizen wanting to take their revenge was done, Gato's body was a broken mess. Each of his limbs was broken, his face was a mass of bruises and cuts, and he was slumped over, blood dripping from his mouth. He weakly looked up as Mukei approached him, his sword drawn. Before he could say a single thing though, Mukei simply stabbed him through the chest, ending his life.

Afterwards, Gato's body was taken down to the ocean, and out onto a fishing point, where his corpse was tied to rocks, and slung into the water, sinking to the ocean floor below. As he disappeared into the water, there was no cheer from the onlookers, no yells. They just stared in silence, before moving back to their village, to move on with their lives.

Raphael smiled as he finished organizing the intel he had gathered. While not as much as he would have liked, it was still quite a find. Gato had notes on several groups he was supplying that seemed to be connected to whoever it was he served. Amongst those notes, Raphael had found a name for the group: Kami no Chitsujo (1). It was something he could use to find more about this group.

What he found disturbing though was what had happened with Gato on the bridge. It was clear that the man hated shinobi for what had happened to his family in the past. And he seemed connected to a group who had plans involving Tetsu no Kuni, a land filled with samurai warriors. If he was working for this group, then it was quite possible they too had such feelings towards shinobi. Gato might simply be a small cog in a much larger machine that could threaten the entire continent with war.

He sighed as he finished storing the intel away. He'd worry about it back in Konoha, when he'd have access to reports from his spy network, as well as intelligence from Jiraiya's own spy network. As he started to roll the scroll up, Anko came down the stairs. He glanced up at her, before nodding up the stairs. "How are they?" He asked.

Anko let out a tired sigh. "Resting, for now. They're still having some trouble coping, but I think they'll be okay," she said. "It's never easy, making your first kill like that."

Following the fight on the bridge, Anko and Hinata had both helped Ino and Sakura back to Tazuna's house, to try and help the girls get over the shock of their first human kills. The two girls had killed several bandits between them with their shuriken and kunai, and had been horrified after the battle was over, and they saw the corpses with their weapons sticking out of them.

Anko and Hinata had gotten the two girls back to Tazuna's home, and immediately did their best to help console the two girls, trying to help them deal with the knowledge that they had ended human lives. Despite the fact that both girls had known this was part of their career, and had some experience killing a live chicken with their own hands, killing a person was something else entirely.

Raphael just nodded quietly, storing the scroll away. "It's good they've got you and Hinata. Hopefully they'll be able to cope with this," he said softly.

Anko let out a tired sigh. "Yeah, I hope so," she said, slumping down at the table and rubbing her forehead. "Where are the others?"

"Naruto is helping clean up the bridge, along with Sasuke and Kiba. Mukei and his crew are in the town, helping distribute supplies. I think Mukei is trying to keep Ameyuri busy. She wasn't exactly happy to see Zabuza," Raphael said. That was an understatement. It had taken all of Ameyuri's restraint, as well as Mukei's hand on her shoulder, to stop the ex-Kiri kunoichi from attacking Zabuza. She partially blamed him for what happened to her, as his coup attempt was what destroyed the Seven Swordsmen, and, in her mind, led to the Mizukage's paranoia. If not for Zabuza, she wouldn't have ended up betrayed by her leader and sold out to Danzou's ROOT. At least, that's what she believed.

"As for Zabuza and Haku, they disappeared after the fight on the bridge was done, but not before I got a chance to talk to them, and make them an offer. I asked them to pass any information they might uncover to me, in exchange for either money, job opportunities, or intel of my own they might find interesting. So I have a feeling we'll see them again in the future," Raphael said. "As for Kakashi, he's in town, guarding Tazuna, since that's still his team's mission."

Anko just nodded, leaning back while rubbing her neck. Raphael noticed her action and moved over to her. "Your Curse Mark bothering you again?" He asked, knowing the mark would occasionally flare up against her seal.

She glanced up at him, before shaking her head. "Naw, I think I just strained a muscle during the fight. Neck and shoulders are a bit sour."

Raphael grinned as he moved behind her. "Well that will never do," he said, as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders, causing her to blink and look over her shoulders at him.

"Don't tell me you're a masseuse as well," she said with a grin, as Raphael just smiled and started to rub her shoulders.

"No senorita, but as a gentleman, I can hardly leave a lovely woman in such pain and distress," he said, as he started to work the tension out of her shoulders. Anko merely closed her eyes, tilting her head to give him better access.

The two remained silent for several moments, beyond Anko's occasional sighs of contentment or slight winces when he touched sore spots. Raphael just quietly worked, blushing ever so slightly at the sound of Anko's sighs. He stopped though when he touched one spot, and she let out a slightly pleasured gasp, making them both blush. He quickly pulled away, as she shifted, so she was half facing him. "U-Uh thanks, that's good," Anko said with a grin.

"No problem. Happy to help," Raphael said a bit awkwardly, looking away. "So, I think I'll go to the bridge, check on Naruto."

"Yeah, good idea," Anko said. "I'll stay here, in case Sakura or Ino need me." She nodded to Raphael, who quickly left. Once the door was closed she slumped, blushing as she gently placed a hand over her heart, which was beating a bit faster than normal. "Easy there girl," she muttered. She couldn't believe she had gasped like that, as it had been rather embarrassing. And yet…she couldn't deny that she had enjoyed the feeling of Raphael's fingers. It had been…well it had been the most intimate or sensual thing she had ever felt.

She shook her head, blushing. "Get it together girl," she said, trying to banish those thoughts from her mind. Right now wasn't the time to think rather naughty thoughts about Raphael. Sighing, she leaned back against a wall, closing her eyes and resting for a few minutes, smiling as the soreness was gone.

At the bridge, Naruto grunted as he carried another thug over to the growing pile of corpses. The majority of the dead bodies on the bridge were Gato's thugs, some of whom were rather horribly mutilated thanks to Anko and Zabuza's attacks. A few of them were Mukei's crew, though those were very few. They had been respectively set to one side, so Mukei's crew could give them a proper burial later on.

He let out a grunt as he dropped the corpse on the pile, and looked up, seeing Sasuke and Kiba carrying another body, as were a few of the villagers. He grunted and stretched a bit, only to blink as a woman from the village approached with a canteen of water. "Here Naruto-sama," she said with a smile on her face.

Naruto just chuckled a bit, taking it. "Thank you. But you don't have to call me Naruto-sama," he said, as he took a small drink from the canteen.

Kiba just growled softly. "Look at that. Fawning over him, when we were the ones fighting on the bridge here. And what did he do?" He scoffed.

Sasuke sighed quietly as they dropped the corpse. "What is your problem with him?" He asked. "You've been antagonistic towards him ever since our first day at the Academy. Why?"

"Because he challenged me! At our taijutsu lesson, he challenged me! I'm the heir of the Inuzuka clan. I'm an alpha. And I can't have some loser challenge my authority, if I'm going to be the best alpha my clan has ever seen," Kiba said hotly. "I'll stop having a problem with him when he's at my feet, where he belongs," Kiba said, growling angrily.

The Inuzuka clan, by its nature, was more emotional and instinctual than any other clan. This came from the tight bond they formed with their canine companions. In order to be able to work with their companions, they often became more like them, gaining a more canine like mindset. There were a few exceptions like Hana, Kiba's older sister, who seemed to have a natural ability to bond with other animals. But for most Inuzuka like Kiba and his mom Tsume, they had to take it to a new level.

In Kiba's mind, Naruto was a challenger, a threat to his status within his clan. If he could not prove he was an alpha to someone like Naruto, how could he prove his status to members of his own clan? To him, defeating Naruto was a step in guaranteeing his own position within his clan.

Sasuke shook his head, as he moved to retrieve another body. He didn't understand Kiba's need to try and establish some type of dominance. He had tried it shortly after the team had been formed, to try and establish himself as the leader of the team. After Sasuke had finished beating him down, he seemed to accept his role as being second in command, though Sasuke knew Kiba was training hard, probably to one day challenge Sasuke again. This in turn had pushed Sasuke to train harder as well. But with Naruto, it was a different matter. Kiba seemed to hold animosity towards the boy, rather than just a rivalry.

Sasuke glanced over at Naruto, feeling a measure of respect for his fellow genin. Naruto had gone into the town square alone, and had not only emerged victorious, but had rallied the villagers to him to come and fight at the bridge. He also had held his own with Sasuke during their sparring match. Sasuke felt some respect for Naruto due to these events, but another part of him, a darker part, felt some anger and jealously as well. Sasuke had trained hard, to be the best of his clan, to be able to protect it and show that with the death of his father and the betrayal of Itachi, his clan was still full of strong shinobi. To find himself even with Naruto, someone who had no living clan members to help him, or a bloodline to aide him, made Sasuke feel jealous of Naruto's ability, and also worried that he wasn't strong enough.

He shook his head of those thoughts, and set to work again. He'd talk to his mom about additional training when they got back to Konoha, after the mission. Perhaps even Kiseki could help? She had spent a lot of time with his mother, and she was a strong fighter. Maybe she could help him grow stronger? With plans in place, he set to clearing away the corpses.

In town, Kakashi couldn't help but mull over things as he followed Tazuna around the village. The battle on the bridge had gone about as expected. What he hadn't expected was the sight of Naruto arriving with the villagers behind him, ready to fight. For a brief moment, it had been like seeing Minato-sensei again, rallying his fellow shinobi against Iwa.

But still, Kakashi felt Naruto's true potential was being underutilized. The boy had amazing amounts of chakra, and under his tutelage, he could become a truly devastating shinobi in the ninjutsu department. Not to mention his personality. He could have been the heart of his team, if Naruto had been assigned to him like he wanted. With Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, Kakashi knew he could have made up for the mistakes he made when he was younger, and create a Team 7 that was as strong or stronger than the sannin.

But more and more, he was seeing that was likely just a dream. Naruto was too attached to Anko and his teammate Hinata. Not to mention he seemed attached to that…Assassin as well. Kakashi frowned at the thought of that. The idea of his sensei's son being a cold blooded killer angered him. Yes, all shinobi were expected to kill in the line of their work, but assassinations were killing on a different level. It wasn't fighting to defend your friends or family, it was cold blooded murder. Yes, as an ANBU Captain Kakashi had done his fair share of assassinations, but he strongly disliked the idea of his sensei's son doing the same thing on a regular basis.

He sighed quietly, reading his book. He knew that he couldn't do anything at the moment. But he could lay the groundwork. He would continue to offer some ninjutsu training, until the Chuunin exams. He'd train Sasuke to be the best, and when Sasuke defeated Naruto, he'd at least be able to request Naruto be transferred to his team to replace Sasuke, who would undoubtedly be promoted. Smiling at his plan, he continued to follow Tazuna, thinking on his new plan.

One Week Later

Tazuna grinned as he stood on the bridge near the almost completely finished end, with the people of Nami, Mukei and his crew, and the Konoha shinobi. In one hand he held a hammer, in another was a metal stake, and he stood over the last piece of the bridge that needed to be completed.

Looking at the people, he began to speak. "Today is a day of celebration! The completion of a dream, and new life for our country!" He said, as people clapped and cheered, though they quieted down as he continued. "When I started this bridge, it was with the hope that this bridge would save our country from Gato. But it was not just this bridge, and my efforts that saved Nami. It was these brave people, who came to our aid from Konoha. Who, despite my deception, chose to stay and help us when we needed it most. What's more though, they taught us to hope for a better tomorrow, and to never back down or bow to an enemy, no matter what! Like Kaiza before them, they are true heroes of Nami! And so, I hereby wish to dedicate this bridge to them, and name it the Great Heroes Bridge!" He said.

The people let up another cheer, as he placed the final stake, and drove it in, completing the bridge. He was soon hoisted onto the people's shoulders, and carried back towards Nami, with the shinobi and Mukei's crew being cheered on as well.

In the town square, a festival had been planned to celebrate their liberation, and the bridge being completed. And now, the people flooded into the festival, as food stands began offering meals, and vendors offered what few goods there were. But it didn't matter to the people. What mattered was it was the first time in a long time where they could celebrate, could laugh and have a good time.

And of course, as the saviors of Nami, the Konoha shinobi were the guests of honor.

Naruto grinned as he got a skewer of squid, while talking with Inari. "You know, that was pretty brave of you kid. The way you showed up and shot that guy in the arm," he said.

Inari nodded as he happily ate a rice ball. "Well I wanted to finally stop being afraid, and be a hero like my dad was and like you are."

Naruto ruffled his hat, smiling. "That's good kid. This place is going to need someone to watch over and protect it," he said, as Inari tried to swat his hand off. "Just don't forget to enjoy being a kid too. You've got plenty of time," he said.

Inari just smiled and nodded. "You got it," he said, as they both ate their snacks.

As they walked through the festival, they soon spotted Hinata, Ino, and Sakura together. Thanks to Anko and Hinata's efforts, Ino and Sakura had managed to come to terms with the shock of their first human kills. Both girls had still been rather quiet and reserved, but now Naruto could see smiles on their faces as they talked with Hinata. The sight of all the people they had helped out by fighting the thugs had helped ease their pain even more.

Hinata waved at him, making Naruto grin, only to have his attention drawn to a slight chuckle from Inari. "She your girlfriend, Naruto ni-san?" He asked, as Naruto blushed.

"What? No way! She's just a really good friend, and my teammate," he said, shaking his head. Inari just grinned, as Naruto looked away, grumbling softly about annoying brats.

Hinata just blinked at Naruto's reaction. "I wonder what that's about?" She asked, as Ino just snickered.

"What indeed," she said, already having some idea. Sakura let out a small giggle as well, making Hinata look at them both.

"What do you two know that I don't?" she asked, as Ino and Sakura had innocent smiles on their faces.

"Oh nothing," Sakura said softly, still giggling a bit, as Hinata just blinked at them, confused.

There was one person not present at the festivities. Mukei was currently down at the docks, quietly staring out at the ocean. His crew was busy celebrating, partying with the villagers. But he did not feel like celebrating. He had dedicated so much time to hurting Gato's company, and hunting the man down. He had avenged his family and home village. And now…well he didn't know what he would do now.

He didn't even react when he heard someone approaching, until they stood next to him. But seeing them out of the corner of his eye, he raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you're not celebrating," he said, as Raphael chuckled.

"There will be plenty of time. But I figured since you weren't at the festival, now would be a good a time as any to come to you with an offer," he said, as Mukei turned to him.

"An offer? For what?" He asked.

Raphael looked out at the ocean for a few moments, before turning to him. "Mukei, you've helped me and my comrades out with quite a lot of information over the years. I know you're someone I can trust. And now that you've completed your mission, your vengeance…I wish to offer you a place in my organization. If you're willing Mukei…I'd like to make you an Assassin."

Mukei just blinked at him, a confused look on his face. "You want to make me an Assassin? Why?" He asked. "And why should I accept?"

"Right now, we're small Mukei. The Assassins have little or no influence outside of Konoha itself. I've managed to build up an intelligence network, but there are still areas of the world that I need agents in. What's more though, I need more Assassins, who can operate in other countries and start to build up the Assassin's presence. That is why I'm asking you. You're someone I think can be a good Assassin. But as to why you should accept…I can't give you answer to that. Only you can. If you're not interested, I understand," Raphael said, leaving the ball in Mukei's court.

Mukei looked at him silently for a few minutes, studying him, before speaking. "What exactly is it I'd be doing?" He asked.

Raphael felt some hope rise in his chest, as he answered. "You'd be doing something similar to what you've been doing. Except instead of hunting down one single man, you'd be looking for others like him. You'd pass any information you find back to me, and I would send you orders then on what to do regarding the information you sent. And when the time came…you'd take out targets assigned to you, hopefully in a discreet manner. And before you ask…no, I would not just be asking you to randomly kill people who are a threat to me or my friends. The Assassins target specific people, people who threaten the freedom and welfare of mankind. 'We work in the darkness, to serve the light'," Raphael quoted.

As Mukei looked away, he let out a sigh. "…please allow me time to think on this," he said. "I'll have an answer for you by tomorrow. For now…I wish to give it some thought, and see what my crew wishes to do now as well."

"I understand. I'll come find you tomorrow, before the Konoha teams have to return home. Do try to enjoy the Festival though. We all could use the distraction," Raphael said, turning and leaving. As he did, he smiled at the sight of Ameyuri and nodded to her as he passed her by.

Ameyuri blinked and shrugged, moving up behind Mukei and hugging him. "What was that about?" She asked him, as Mukei leaned back slightly into her hug.

"Raphael was making me an offer. I'll tell you about it later," he said, smiling as he turned around and wrapped his own arms around her. "Now what brings you down here, and away from the festivities?"

"The fact that my captain isn't enjoying himself and buying me some pretty little trinket," she said with a grin, while Mukei chuckled.

"Oh, no pretty little trinket will do for you. No, you deserve to have the finest. Perhaps a new sword, or a new whetstone to sharpen your blade on, or-mmmph!" he was interrupted by Ameyuri dragging him down into a kiss, her tongue eagerly slipping between his lips. She held him there for a few moments, before pulling away.

"You always think of the best gifts," she said with a grin, as he chuckled, wrapping an arm around her as they headed to the festival.

In town, the festival was in full swing, the people happily celebrating. Raphael grinned as he walked through the village, seeing the joy and happiness that had replaced the despair and hopelessness that the village had been filled with when they first arrived.

He grinned as he felt someone hug him from behind. "There you are. You left me all alone," Anko said, pouting, before letting go of him and grinning. "C'mon, we've got a festival to have fun in," she said.

Raphael chuckled as she started to drag him along. "You seem excited," he said, as she looked back at him.

"Hell yeah! We kicked butt, saved this village, and are being treated like heroes! I'm going to live it up!" She said, grinning as they arrived at one of the game stalls. She grinned at him. "Care to try your luck against me?" She asked, as the game was a number of small plastic balls in a pool of water, which the players had to scoop out as many as they could with a small hoop that had a thin sheet of paper held in the center of said hoop, known as a poi.

Raphael grinned as he took a poi, while Anko did as well. The person running the stall grinned, before shouting 'Go!'

Immediately the two were at it, doing their best to gently scoop out balls without ripping the paper of the poi. Anko grinned as she soon had several balls, before glancing over to see Raphael was matching her ball for ball. She just let out a competitive growl, focusing again on scooping up the balls.

They had both been going for a minute, with another minute left, when disaster struck for Raphael, as the paper of his poi tore slightly. Grimacing, he slowed down, being more careful, as Anko smirked. "Hah! Victory will be mine!" She said.

And that's when her poi broke completely, the paper ripping free and floating in the water. Anko let out a groan, as Raphael scored several more balls, before the timer ran out. He grinned, seeing he clearly had the larger amount of plastic balls.

"We have a winner!" The stall owner said, handing Raphael a mask as a prize. Raphael grinned, seeing it was shaped like a wolf face, before sliding it on.

"How do I look?" He asked, as Anko grinned at him.

"Oohhh, very intimidating. Maybe we should all get something like that," she said.

Raphael took off the mask, looking at it. "That's actually not a bad idea," he murmured. "We'll see when we get back to Konoha."

Anko took the mask, looking it over. "So where were you earlier?" she asked, curious.

Raphael glanced around as they walked, taking in the festival. "I was offering Mukei a chance to become an Assassin," he said. "I feel he could be a good member, and could be even more of an asset out here in the east," he said. "Besides, dealing with Gato has shown we're dealing with something far bigger than one criminal kingpin. We'll need more people outside of Konoha to handle whatever Gato was a part of," he said.

"You think he'll accept?" She asked, curious.

Raphael shrugged as they went through the festival, putting the mask back on. "I hope he does, but I can understand if he doesn't. He's spent several years hunting Gato. He might want peace now that Gato is dead. At the same time, he may be seeking something to do, now that Gato is gone. I guess we'll see," he said, as they walked. "For now though, let's not talk about business. This is a time to celebrate and relax," he said.

"Ooohh, well what should we talk about?" She asked, as they walked about, blinking as she saw a couple of young women giggling as they eyed Raphael. "Looks like you've got some admirer's," she said, even as she felt a small flare of jealousy in her chest.

Raphael saw them too, but shrugged. "Eeh, just some hero worship," he said, grinning at her.

Anko just smiled back at him, gently shoving an elbow into his side. "Don't sell yourself short. They probably are thinking you're quite a catch," she said.

"Huh?" Raphael asked, looking at her. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Oh c'mon. You're a great guy," she said. "You're funny, you're strong, you're considerate, you're handsome—" she stopped, her eyes wide as she realized what she had said.

Raphael blushed, but grinned a bit. "You think I'm handsome, huh?" He asked her, as she waved her hand.

"S-So what? You knew that already," she said, glancing away. Raphael smiled a bit, before stopping.

Anko turned, looking at him with some confusion, as Raphael looked at her. "Raphael?"

Raphael took a deep breath. "Listen Anko…I was…sort of wondering if maybe…sometime back in Konoha when we're not both busy…if you'd like to possibly…well go out on a date with me?" He asked, giving her a slightly shy smile.

Anko's eyes widened. "You…want to go on a date…with me?" She asked, surprised.

He shrugged, giving her the same smile. "Yeah. I-Is that a problem?" He asked her.

She just blushed, looking away. "…well…I umm…I guess that wouldn't be a horrible idea," she said, taking a deep breath. "Ummm. sure…that'd be fine," she said, giving him a small smile.

"Well okay then," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Now how about we find another game for me to beat you at," he said, only to get a punch in the stomach, making him gasp for air and laugh, while Anko pouted the whole time.

As the day wore on, and the evening drew near, the people began to gather closer towards the dock, where a fireworks display was planned. They had managed to find a cache of them amongst the inventory in one of the warehouses Gato had controlled.

Naruto found himself seated with Hinata on a small hill overlooking the dock area, the pair grinning as they eagerly awaited the fireworks display, as the orange sky started to turn blue. Naruto sighed, laying back against the grass on the hill. "Mmmm, today was fun," he said.

Hinata nodded with a grin, joining him. "Yep. It's great that we could help these people, and see them all so happy," she said. "Almost makes me wish we didn't have to go back to Konoha," she said softly.

Naruto let out a quiet sigh. "Yeah," he said. While things had improved somewhat for him in Konoha, the majority of people still sent him dirty looks or tried to flat out ignore him. And Hinata wasn't much better, being thrown out by her clan. The whole village knew of what happened to her, and the people, not wanting to get on the bad side of the Hyuuga, tended to ignore her. When you added in how she lived with Anko, another ostracized by the village, Hinata wasn't that far off from Naruto's situation.

But here in this village, the pair of them were treated differently. Treated with respect, gratitude, and friendship. It was…quite a change from life in Konoha.

Naruto shook his head from such thoughts. "Still, it'll be nice to get back to Konoha. Maybe we could grab a bowl of ramen, to celebrate our first A-ranked mission," he said with a grin.

Hinata blushed lightly at that, glancing over him. "Oh? I suppose I could go for a bowl or two," she said.

"Awesome!" Naruto said, grinning happily. "Mmmm, can't wait to get some Ichiraku," he said, looking back up at the sky.

Hinata just giggled softly, shaking her head lightly at her best friend's antics. She looked at him again, blushing lightly. Truth be told though…she wouldn't have minded if her best friend had maybe asked it to be a date. She blushed at that, glancing at him as she lightly played with one of her bangs, before shaking her head. They were young still, only thirteen. Naruto probably didn't think of girls that way. There'd be time later, when he was older. She smiled, as the fireworks began, and they both sat back, watching and enjoying the show.

The Next Day

Mukei took a deep breath, standing before his crew aboard his ship. "We've been together for some time now lads," he said, as the crew nodded. "When we first started…this was a venture of revenge. We were brought together by a common goal, a need to see the one who destroyed our lives pay for what he did. And now…our need is sated. The one we sought lies dead at the bottom of these very waters, food for the fish and scavengers of the ocean floor."

Several of the men gave grim nods, glad to finally put down the one who had destroyed their families. Mukei waiting a few moments then continued. "Now that he is gone…we are all free. Free to pursue whatever life it is we choose to follow. And I wish to help you follow whatever path your heart desires," he said, moving to a chest he had placed nearby. Opening it, he held up a stack of money. "This is a portion of the profits we've taken from Gato over the years. The money in this chest…it belongs to all of us here," he stated. "Any man who wishes to leave…you'll receive your share of the profits, and I'll drop you off as close as I can to wherever it is you wish to go. This is my word, and you know that I never break it," he said.

One of the crew spoke up at this. "What about you Mukei? What will you do now?" He asked.

Mukei smiled at that. "I'm glad you asked. I've been given an offer from our old friend Raphael-san," he said. "An offer…that I've decided to accept. I'm going to train under him, and afterwards, I'm going to continue working out here, doing whatever it is I can. Whether it be a trader, a privateer, or a pirate. That is what I'm going to do. Any of you who wish to join me can stay. And any of you who wish to follow a new life…I wish you all the luck in the world," he said, finishing.

The crew was silently for several moments, before Ameyuri stepped forward. "I've got nowhere else to go," she said simply. "And even if I did…well…I've had more fun on this old termite tub then I ever had being a kunoichi of Kiri. I'm with you Capn'," she said with a grin.

Another crewmember stepped forward. "Aye! You've always steered us right! I'm with you Mukei!"

"And me!" Shouted another, as more and more joined.

"You can't get rid of me that easy skipper!"

"I'm with you too!"

"Rather be out on the sea in a squall, then on land with a daimyo's taxmen! Count me in!"

The entire crew all cheered, as Mukei gave a small smile. Stowing the money back into the chest, he nodded. "Then make ready for sail! We'll be leaving soon to purchase supplies for the village!" He said, as the crew set to work. Ameyuri approached him as he headed towards the gangplank to the dock.

"So you're going to become an Assassin?" she asked, as Mukei turned to her.

"I am…if it means I can help people who suffer at the hands of people like Gato, then I feel like I need to do this," he said.

Ameyuri nodded with a smile. "Alright then. And hey, who knows? Maybe I can pass a few tricks on to you," she said with a grin. "We'll be ready to go by the time you get back," she said.

Mukei nodded, giving her a kiss before heading ashore, to seek Raphael out.

The people of Nami had gathered to watch as their heroes got ready to depart, saying final farewells to the people who had liberated them. The shinobi teams currently were gathered at the Nami side of the bridge, waiting for Raphael, who wasn't present.

Kiba, feeling impatient to get back to Konoha and begin training, growled out. "Well, when can we get going?" He said, thankfully softly enough so the villagers didn't hear.

Kakashi, reading his book, simply turned a page. "Patience Kiba. We'll be going soon enough," he said.

Naruto meanwhile was saying final goodbyes to Inari, giving him some advice on training with his crossbow and such, when Raphael appeared. Anko grinned as she saw him. "Ready to go?" She asked him.

Raphael hesitated a bit, before shaking his head. "Not exactly. I'm going to be staying here, for a few months," he said to her, leaning in close. "Mukei…accepted my offer. I'm going to be spending time training him, until he's capable of handling things on his own."

Anko blinked at that. "I see. But what about things back at headquarters? If something comes up, how will we contact you?" She asked.

"We'll be staying here near Nami for a while. Mukei and his crew plan to help the people here get back on their feet. Only time we'll move away from the island is if it's part of Mukei's training, or to get supplies from Mizu," Raphael said. "So send a message here, and I'll get it fairly quick. In the meantime…I'm leaving you in charge of operations in Konoha."

"Awwww, really? Why not Yugito or Kiseki? They're much better at doing paper work then I am," Anko whined, as Raphael chuckled.

"Anko, c'mon. You're my most senior Assassin. Not to mention that with a genin team, you'll be in Konoha a lot more than Yugito and Kiseki will be," he said. Anko just pouted.

"Fine. But you better spoil me a lot when it comes to that date," she said, as Raphael nodded.

"I will. Count on it," he said, before turning to Naruto and Hinata, who joined them. "I'm going to be staying here a few months. Anko is going to be in charge while I'm gone. Understand?" He asked.

The two nodded, saluting him. "Yes Mentor," they both said, as he nodded.

"Alright then. You all be careful while I'm gone, okay? Keep training hard while I'm gone. Oh, and Anko? See about sending the components for a pair of hidden blade bracers down here to Nami," he said, smiling at each of them. "I'll see you in a few months."

The trio of Assassins nodded, moving away as Raphael waved a final goodbye to them. As they joined Ino and Team Seven, Kakashi looked up.

"Where is Raphael-san?" He asked, eyeing the hooded crimson figure strolling away. Anko just motioned for them to get going.

"He's staying here for a bit, on some business," Anko said. "We're ready to go."

Kakashi just nodded, as the teams waved their final goodbyes to the people of Nami, and began to set across the bridge, heading back home to Konoha.

At the Nami side of the bridge, the people watched as their heroes left. Tazuna smiled, as he gently placed a hand on Inari's shoulder. "Kami blessed us the day those people came to help us," he said softly.

Inari just smiled and nodded, as he watched the blonde haired figure stroll away. 'Don't worry ni-san. I won't forget what you taught me. I'll be a hero, just like you and otou-sama,' he thought, smiling as he watched the Konoha shinobi leave.

Finally…I don't know what happened, but this chapter was just a pain to write out. And it wasn't even that long, compared to some of my other chapters. *sighs*

I'm sorry guys. This chapter for some reason…it eluded me. I just didn't know what to put down. I really hope it's okay, cuz honestly, I feel like it's bad. That it could have been better.

I guess part of the problem is things have been a bit hectic here lately. I've had some problems at home, nothing serious, but…well eh.

But another problem is my mind is just constantly being assault by ideas, ideas regarding my Harry Potter fanfics, and my NarutoxMass Effect crossover idea.

I don't know…I'm going to keep working on Shinobi's Creed and A Simple Mission, but I might start writing one of those other fanfics if I can't seem to get myself to write chapters for these two fanfics. Just to keep the creative juices going.

Anyways, I hope this chapter was at least okay. Guess we'll see what you all think.

Thanks again to my beta's Bill Alain and Kyuubi123. Big help you guys, thanks for it.

1. If the site I used was correct, should translate to Divine Order.