Chapter 42: Recovery and A Return 1/2

Welcome one and all to the newest chapter of Shinobi's Creed! Thank you so much for the reviews last time, a lot of you really liked what I did, including killing off Kabuto. I really wanted to end him because I felt he didn't deserve redemption like he did in canon, not after everything he had done and…whoops, starting to get into spoiler territory there. I know most of you probably already know what he did but it pays to be cautious, right?

So anyways- *is interrupted*

Diehard NaruHina Leaf Ranger: Do we really have to do this? *is being forced along with the other OC's and personalities to clean up the Ranger Lair*

Leaf Ranger: YES! You all shot this place up and tried to kill me! Consider this your punishment! *Clears throat* Sorry about that. For those of you not following all of my current fanfics, I managed to survive the onslaught of my OC's and personalities, and we've made peace. But they still need to fix up the lair.

RagingStar19: We're just going to eventually end up destroying it anyways you know.

LR: *eyebrow twitching* Yes…I vividly remember that happening a lot. *takes deep breath* Anyways, I have first off a fanfic idea to advertise. Dusk – BlackWarGreyMon X has a crossover fanfic idea, involving Halo and Transformers Prime. They have really given this idea a lot of thought, so if you are interested in taking it on, please contact them to learn more.

I also have some reviews to answer here, so let's cover what we can. To anonymous guest reviewer Nate…wow. Thanks for judging my fanfic to be trash just because I added in an OC you apparently don't like.

To anonymous reviewer O, I thank you for your review, though I don't think I'd rate Raphael that high. While he is a highly skilled hand to hand fighter and stealth expert, his speed and strength are still probably lower then what you estimated, at least compared to other shinobi in this fanfic. I'd rate them more at a 3 to just barely 4, rather than 4 being the minimum. As for your suggestions, with regards to Naruto you'll have to see what I do. With regards to Raphael though, remember Raphael will always be operating more as an assassin, not a shinobi.

To-*is interrupted by an explosion*

Diehard LeafTayuya Leaf Ranger: Sorry, I accidentally found a land mine we set out for you!

Raphael: I am almost afraid to ask what I have gotten myself into.

LR: *eye twitching now* J-Just start the chapter. I'll handle the rest of these later.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Assassin's Creed. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Ubisoft respectively. This is a non-profit fan made work of fiction. Please support the official releases.

Chapter 42

Recovery and

A Return

It had been three days since the invasion of Konoha by Oto and Suna had been repelled, and the village was still recovering. Despite emerging victorious, Konoha had paid a price for it. Before the invasion, Konoha boasted close to a thousand active duty shinobi, ranging from genin to jounin. Roughly a tenth of those shinobi had been deployed on missions, border patrols, and undercover missions within other countries when the invasion began, leaving nine hundred shinobi inside the village. (1)

The battle against the invading forces had left Konoha bloodied. Beyond numerous civilian casualties caught in the crossfire, two hundred and sixty-seven shinobi had either been killed or wounded beyond the ability to remain on active duty. Another hundred or so shinobi had been wounded to various degrees, but would be able to recover in time.

Sarutobi quietly stood on the top of the Hokage Tower, quietly puffing on his pipe, the kage hat lowered on his head to shadow his eyes as he looked over the village that still bore scars from the attack. Shinobi and civilian workers had been working non-stop on the breach in the wall, clearing away debris and erecting a temporary fortification while the supplies needed to truly repair the wall were brought in. ANBU patrols continually searched the village, rooting out any more spies or enemy agents that might linger, while civilians and shinobi alike mourned their fallen comrades.

Despite their pain and loss, though, Sarutobi couldn't help but also feel the smallest flicker of pride. They had inflicted far greater losses on their opponents, even when they had the element of surprise. They had so far collected the corpses of over two hundred Suna shinobi, one hundred and fifty Oto shinobi, and at least seventy-seventy missing nin, for a total of over four hundred enemy shinobi dead. A large amount of them had been killed at the breach in the wall by Jiraiya, leaving behind charred corpses identifiable only by smoldering and charred forehead protectors or other personal effects.

Even still, that small flicker of pride was not enough to brighten his mood. Too many lives had been loss because of his failure. Orochimaru had planned this invasion, had gathered these forces, had lured and tricked Suna into attacking Konoha. All because Sarutobi had failed to act and slay Orochimaru when he realized his student's treachery all those years ago. Now not only were all these deaths on his head, but with Orochimaru having escaped, each additional tragedy his former student caused would be because of him as well.

Sarutobi let out a final puff of smoke before speaking to the figure that had appeared right behind him. "What news?" He asked quietly.

Jiraiya moved up to his old sensei, standing beside him. "Suna confirmed the death of their kage. They realize now they were tricked by Orochimaru. My intel indicates they're planning to offer terms for their surrender to us," he said, his usually jovial tone gone. This now was Jiraiya of the Sannin, the deadly spymaster that watched Konoha's enemies from the shadows.

Sarutobi merely kept staring over the village, quietly watching the movement of the people below. "…and Orochimaru?" He asked.

Jiraiya hesitated slightly before responding. "Escaped. I managed to follow his trail towards the north, but by the time I reached the Valley of the End, they were already over a day ahead of me. I have sources up north on the lookout for him, but I think it's safe to say he's back in whatever hole he crawled out of."

Sarutobi just nodded quietly as he puffed on his pipe, before removing it and letting out a tired sigh as he turned and started to make his way slowly back to this office. Jiraiya followed him in silence until they were inside and Sarutobi was sitting down behind his desk. Taking a seat down opposite of Sarutobi, he spoke up. "What about Kumo? Have you decided what to do on that front?" He asked.

Sarutobi frowned as he pulled out a report from the piles of paperwork on his desk. It was an account by Hinata Mitarashi, as well as Hitomi and Hanabi Hyuuga on what had happened during the invasion. Added to the report was Ibiki's own finding from the surviving attacker that Hinata had left unconscious, revealing that the man and his cohort were both chuunin ranked Kumo shinobi.

Sarutobi was left enraged at this, all the more furious because it showed him the truth about A's 'generous' assistance against Orochimaru. It was merely to try and make him feel indebted to the Raikage for saving him. Setting the report down, Sarutobi nodded as he looked to Jiraiya.

"We sadly do not have enough evidence to use against Kumo, or else I'd be calling for a meeting of the five Kage to bring full sanctions down upon Kumo. However, I will not sit by this time. I've already entreated the daimyo to ban any and all Kumo shinobi from setting foot inside Hi no Kuni, as well as setting up increased tariff's against merchants from Kaminari no Kuni. If their daimyo has any problems with this, I'll be happy to direct him towards A for answers," Sarutobi said quietly. "I also want you to see about getting hold of any documentation inside Kumo itself linking them to this newest attack. If we can find proof that they can't claim we fabricated or tainted, we can perhaps finally put Kumo in their place."

Jiraiya nodded quietly. Without irrefutable proof, Kumo could easily claim that any evidence Konoha tried to present was tainted or fabricated, thanks to the abilities of some of their clans. Yamanaka shinobi could easily have planted the evidence inside the shinobi's head to force false confessions out of them. The Uchiha Sharingan could have been used to influence an official to write out a document, or to copy his handwriting to forge it instead. What they needed was evidence that could not be fabricated, such as something written in A's own hand, with the Raikage's seal. Or someone else high up and well trusted in Kumogakure's leadership. However, Konoha did at least have enough evidence to bring these personal sanctions down upon Kumo, provided the Hi no Kuni daimyo agreed to them as he had final say on these matters.

Sarutobi set the report down, turning to look out the window. "It is fortunate that young Hinata observed the kidnappers leaving the arena. Had she not been there…I shudder to think what would have happened to her mother and sister. And what it would do to Hinata if she learned they had been kidnapped."

Jiraiya frowned as he watched his sensei. "What do you mean?" He asked. Thanks to it being the worst kept secret in Konoha, given how shocking it was to see the paranoid Hyuuga banish one of their own, he knew all about Hinata's banishment. But he didn't know much else about the girl, beyond she apparently was really close to Naruto and another member of the Assassins.

"Hitomi and Hanabi Hyuuga are probably the only two Hyuuga that Hinata cares about anymore," Sarutobi said quietly. "Those two are the only blood family she actually cares about, and if they were taken away, how do you think she'd react?"

Jiraiya nodded, wincing quietly at the thought of the trauma the former Hyuuga would feel at that. "I'm betting old Hiashi is feeling pretty foolish right now. He banished his daughter, only for her to show him and his clan up not once, but twice in the same day."

"Indeed. I will need to watch the Hyuuga clan carefully for their reaction," Sarutobi chuckled mirthlessly, before letting out a tired sigh. "…Jiraiya…I think it is time."

"Time for what?" Jiraiya asked, even if he already had an idea of what Sarutobi was going to tell him.

Sarutobi kept staring out the window. "Time for me to retire again. I can't do this anymore, Jiraiya. I'm too old to keep protecting this village as its Hokage. The village needs someone younger, faster, stronger. Someone who can defend it, both through words and through action."

The aged Hokage turned his chair back to face his student. "I've been thinking it over the past two days. I already have a list of the best candidates," he said.

"Well I'll be sure to give them my condolences," Jiraiya said with a chuckle.

"You're one of the first two on the list," Sarutobi said, making Jiraiya's chuckle die away. The spymaster just stared at his sensei in disbelief.

"You're…joking right? Me, as Hokage? The dead last screw up?" Jiraiya asked him, trying to see the joke.

Sarutobi shook his head. "You are one of Konoha's strongest shinobi. You have been loyal to this village, have defended it, and have proven resourceful and skilled."

Jiraiya just stared at him in surprise, before shaking his head. "I…I can't sensei. I've still got the spy network I need to maintain, and even if there wasn't that…I-I have things I need to do first," he said quietly, thinking of a godson he needed to start making things up to.

Sarutobi steepled his fingers, looking at his student, before sighing. "You know who the other top choice is. Do you really think she would be any better?" He asked.

Jiraiya frowned quietly in thought, knowing exactly who his sensei was talking about. "I think that if she was properly convinced, she'd make a better choice than me. She always did care about helping people, before…," he trailed off, as Sarutobi nodded.

"Perhaps. And we certainly could use her help here, even if she wasn't to take up the mantle of Hokage…very well then. We'll need to find her though, in order to offer her the position," Sarutobi said.

"Give me three days to get things in order and get info from some contacts, and I'll go find her," Jiraiya said, making Sarutobi nod. "And…I want to take someone with me."

Sarutobi let out a sigh, already having an idea of what Jiraiya was planning.

At the hospital, Naruto grimaced as he felt yet another itch under the cast over his arm. Most of his other injuries were already healed up, thanks to a mixture of Kyuubi's chakra, his own genetics, and the work of the hospital staff, but even with all that it took time for a broken arm to heal. Thanks to medical jutsu, most broken bones, provided the break was simple and clean enough, could be fully healed over the course of a week, with more complicated breaks taking more time and energy to heal.

Trying to distract himself from the itching he looked out the window of the hospital at the clear blue sky. He could see some of the village outside, and thus also some of the damage the village had suffered during the battle. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a bit of guilt at the relief he felt when he learned none of his friends or teammates had died or been permanently injured in the fighting. He had been worried something might have happened while he was off fighting Gaara, but for the most part everyone came through the invasion intact. Hinata had come to visit him once he was settled into a room to rest and recuperate, before telling him what had happened.

Besides herself, Yugito, Iruka, Kiseki and Ino had managed to make it through the invasion with little to no injury, mostly superficial ones. The same held true for the majority of their fellow genin. Only Raphael and Anko had suffered serious injuries, but Hinata reassured him they would make it through, though the relief was very evident in Hinata's voice when she spoke about Anko making a full recovery.

Naruto could understand her relief as those two were the closest thing he had to a family. Both of them had been there for him ever since that day when he had defended Hinata from those bullies, and then Raphael had defended him in return. The thought of losing them, whether to death or to serious injuries, haunted him. He hadn't managed to go see them yet, because they were still recuperating from their injuries and would need a day or two before they were ready to receive visitors, something he was eagerly looking forward to.

Naruto slowly released his right fist, which had clenched as he thought about their injuries. He was glad that the bastard who had hurt them had died, apparently by Raphael's hand. Anko had suffered enough because of Orochimaru, and she didn't deserve any more from it.

He slumped back in the bed, closing his eyes and grimacing as his stomach rumbled, meaning most likely lunch would be arriving soon. A prospect he wasn't looking forward to since hospital food, while nutritious, was not entirely appetizing. He could really use some ramen, especially after being stuck in the hospital for three days.

Hearing the door open he looked up, only to grin as he saw Yugito there with a delivery case for food in hand. "Yugito nee-chan, what are you doing here?" He asked, doing his best to sit up more.

"Saving you from hospital food," she said, holding up the food in hand. "Ichiraku ramen, relatively fresh."

Naruto drooled as he heard that, and even more so when the smell hit him as Yugito set up a tray for him. He grimaced at how much she had to do for him, due to one arm being incapacitated, but soon enough he had chopsticks in hand, digging in eagerly to the bowl of ramen. "Mmmmm, thanks nee-chan," he said enthusiastically.

Yugito just smiled, before letting out a sigh. "I actually came for more than just that. Hokage-sama is a bit worried about how much of Kyuubi's chakra you used during your fight with Gaara. He wanted me to check on you," she said softly.

Naruto finished the current mouthful of noodles, grimacing a bit. "I'd be lying if I said I was fine afterwards," he said. "I felt like my whole body was burning up, on top of the exhaustion and other injuries I sustained. It probably didn't help that I used shadow clones while using his chakra, that probably forced some more out then was expected. But I feel fine now, at least on that front."

Yugito nodded quietly as she listened to him. "It's to be expected, honestly. Even if Kyuubi is voluntarily giving you his chakra, you're not synched or bonded with him. That is how both I and Kirabi learned how to use our biju's chakra. We didn't really try using their chakra until we had a good bond with them, one of respect and even friendship. Trying to use their chakra without that, you're going to have to work to build up a tolerance to the negative feel of it. Biju chakra is strongly tied to the emotions of the biju wielding it. The more negative they feel towards their host, the more toxic the chakra can feel to you. I honestly would have preferred waiting till you had a stronger bond with Kyuubi before you started using his chakra."

Naruto shrugged quietly. "I probably would have preferred it that way too, but Ero-sennin seems to think that I need to start using his chakra now. The least I can do now is try to prove I'm worthy to Kyuubi, and hopefully he'll be more willing to help me."

"Well still, it was quite impressive what you did. With your level of training, defeating the Ichibi and Gaara is quite impressive," she said, only to see Naruto looking away thoughtfully. "Something wrong?"

"I just…I'm hoping Gaara is okay," he said quietly. "I know that probably sounds weird but…I really think I understood him there, when the fight was over. He was just like me…he was what I could have become, if Raphael and Anko hadn't come into my life. Now…well I'm honestly hoping he can maybe finally have what I have."

Yugito gently placed a hand on his shoulder, making him look up at her. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Especially if he's got you now as a friend," she said.

Naruto nodded, before leaning back. "The fight with him made me realize something though," he said, looking at her. "I need to work on my ninjutsu skills. I can't rely on my assassin skills to win every fight. The only thing I had that hurt him was the Rasengan. Nothing else worked."

The Nibi jinchuuriki nodded in agreement. "You're right Naruto. There's going to be some opponents out there you can't beat as an assassin. Stealth and surprise can win you a battle before it begins, but if your opponent is skilled enough to detect you, and can protect themselves from your hidden blade and other weapons, it's always good to have ninjutsu to fall back upon."

"Guess I'll need to pay more attention to the perverted toad's lessons then," Naruto said, before going back to eating. "Mmmm, thanks again for the ramen."

Yugito smiled fondly at him, ruffling his hair. "You're welcome," she said, seeing him try to pout with several noodles and a slice of pork hanging from his mouth.

Hyuuga Estate

"This is unacceptable Hiashi. That girl has made a mockery of us twice over!" Shouted one of the leading members of the main family of the Hyuuga clan. Currently the elders, the other leading members, and Hiashi were in discussion about the recent events of the Chuunin Exam Finals, as well as the following invasion. The Hyuuga clan had suffered little during the invasion itself, beyond a few members being injured in combat, but the majority showing the power and strength of the Hyuuga by defeating several invaders who had attacked the clan house. However, any pride in their victory was soured by the actions of one Hinata Mitarashi.

Another clan member spoke up now. "She not only humiliated us publicly by defeating the most promising young member of the clan, but then to have to be in debt to her for protecting your wife and daughter dishonors us all."

Hiashi sat at the head of the group, looking over them all. Only his years of etiquette and training prevented the frustration he was feeling from showing. He knew all too well the feelings they were describing, as he felt them on a more personal level. His exiled former daughter had shown him up in front of everyone. It was no secret what had happened with the young girl, as the news that the Hyuuga had banished one of their own had spread like wildfire. It was an incredibly rare occurrence, one that could not be hushed up or kept secret. Everyone knew that Hinata Mitarashi had been Hinata Hyuuga at one point, and they knew that the Hyuuga clan had deemed her so weak and worthless that keeping her in the clan would bring shame upon them.

That same girl, in front of clients and nobles from across the Elemental Nations, had defeated the star of the new generation of the Hyuuga clan in combat. In this action, she had stated to all presented that the Hyuuga had been wrong about her. That the clan had made a mistake. For the Hyuuga, it was a blow to their image as a strong and powerful clan, and thus was a blow to their power and influence.

Her actions in saving Hitomi and Hanabi, while not public, brought a more personal level of shame down on top of the clan as well. They had nearly lost the heiress of the clan and their bloodline to Kumo, if not for the actions of the disgraced outcast. She had humiliated them twice, once in front of the whole village, and then by saving their bloodline and members of their clan.

Despite this, Hiashi knew that there was little that could be done, a fact he now stated vocally. "What would you have me do?" He asked those present, silencing them. "What can we do? She is not part of the clan, nor has she done anything that harms us that would give us cause to legally act against her. She is a kunoichi of this village and is thus protected by the laws and rights granted to the shinobi of Konoha. So, what would you have me do?"

"We cannot allow this humiliation to go unanswered! There must be something we can do!" One of the elders stated, only for the oldest member of the elders to clear his throat.

Hiroto Hyuuga, father of Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuuga, looked at those present, before speaking. "The solution is one I'm not eager to speak of, but it would seem to be the best course of action. We must appear humble, offer an apology to the girl, and offer to bring her back into the clan," he said simply.

Immediately, several of the other clan members began speaking up in protest at such an action. "You cannot be serious!" One of the female members spoke up. "We cannot commit ourselves to such an act! It would be weakness on our part!"

"To not would be nothing more than stubbornness. If we appear to be humble, offer her an apology and a chance to return to the clan, we can save face, rather than refusing to acknowledge the situation and reacting with only pride and stubbornness. Once she is a part of the clan again, we can attempt to again properly educate her as a Hyuuga. If she succeeds, we shall empower the clan, and in so doing, gain more respect than before. And if she again shows the weakness that she had before, her inability to properly utilize the Hyuuga arts…this time we can have better control over her if we keep her within the clan. After all…accidents can happen during training sessions, after all," Hiroto stated calmly.

The other clan members looked to each other now, their previous outrage cooled by this logic. Several still did not look happy at the prospect yet couldn't fault the elder's reasoning. Hiashi nodded in agreement, looking to the various members of the clan. "Are there any opposed to this course of action?" He asked.

When no one answered he nodded. "Then it is decided. We shall wait till order has been restored to the village, and then make the offer to the girl."

One of the elders now spoke up. "And what of Neji? He was responsible for publicly bringing shame to the clan," he asked.

Hiashi turned to the elder. "I have already assigned him to perform menial tasks for the clan when he is not training or on missions with his team. I have authorized the use of the seal on him as a reminder of his place, so long as he is not left unable to perform his duties as a Konoha shinobi. I believe that is sufficient punishment at this time," he said quietly. "If there is nothing else, you are all dismissed."

As the various members of the meeting departed, Hiroto followed Hiashi to his office. Once the door was closed, he spoke. "Speaking of Neji, do you still plan to give him his father's letter?" He asked curiously.

Hiashi frowned slightly, immediately locking his eyes on the scroll sitting on his desk. He had intended to give it to Neji following the Finals, but the mixture of his shocking defeat at Hinata's hands and the invasion had driven it from his mind. Within everything else that had been going on, he had little time to think about it till now.

He picked it up, weighing the scroll in his hand. He knew what his twin had left behind in this letter for Neji, as his brother had not sealed it and left it in Hiashi's care to give to Neji when the boy was old enough to understand. Hiashi, however, was hesitant to give it to Neji.

If Neji read the letter, if he knew that his father chose his fate, it would probably shake the boy's faith in fate to its very core. His anger towards the Main Family might be cooled, if he knew his father was not forced to go, but chose to. Then again, Hizashi's words might create ideas in the boy's head that he could try and rebel against the Main Family, no longer bound by the idea he was fated to serve them. The seal would still be able to keep him in check, but as Neji was a shinobi of Konoha, there was only so much they could do to Neji without inviting the interference of the leadership of Konoha. A leadership Hiashi knew looked down upon the Hyuuga clan's use of the Caged Bird Seal and was eager to find a way to interfere in its use.

Hiashi finally set the scroll down. "I do not believe it is a wise idea to give the scroll to the boy until I know his temperament. Hizashi's words could cause him to become more rebellious towards us. I do not wish to see him grow wild and uncontrollable, forcing us to take measures that will cripple his ability to gain fame and renown for the clan," Hiashi said. "When I know the boy is more loyal to the clan, then I shall give him the letter."

Hiroto nodded at that. "A wise course of action. There is already too much strife and discord going on now, without us adding to it," he said, before bowing. "I shall leave you to your duties then."

The aged elder opened the door, not even glancing at the kneeling form of Hitomi next to the entranceway as he left. Hiashi, seeing his wife, signaled her to enter. Slowly she did so, closing the door behind her before bowing to him. "You summoned me, Hiashi-sama?" She asked quietly.

"Yes. I am placing Hanabi strictly in your care for the time being," Hiashi told her. "With the chaos of invasion and everything else, I find myself too busy to continue her training. And…she seems to be suffering from the incident," he said. The past three nights Hanabi had slept little, if at all, plagued by horrible nightmares born from the death and destruction, as well as nearly being kidnapped by Kumo. "I want you to do your best to comfort her and see that she recovers from what happened."

Hitomi bowed her head again. "Of course, Hiashi-sama," she said. Seeing him dismiss her she quietly left the room. As she walked away, her thoughts were hidden behind the passive mask she had been trained to keep in place. She felt happiness at being able to spend more time with Hanabi, to try and help keep alive some of the little girl within her daughter. But she also was saddened to hear that her daughter was suffering, and the most her so called father could seem to care to do was place Hanabi in the care of another to 'fix' the problem.

However, her mind also was going over what she had overheard while waiting for Hiroto and Hiashi to finish speaking about the letter Hizashi left for Neji. She felt it was wrong for them to deny this for Neji, something that should have been his for some time now. They should have given the boy the letter. Someone should give the boy the letter.

She stopped, her eyes widening as a rebellious thought entered her mind. She could give him the letter. She shook her head, feeling foolish at the very idea of doing something like that. And yet a small part of her, a tiny rebellious part of her born from the sight of the strong, courageous kunoichi her eldest daughter was becoming, couldn't help but hold onto that idea, and keep it at the back of her mind. Perhaps it wasn't entirely a bad idea after all.

Unknown Location

Inside a dark room, a cloaked figure stood on a pedestal, grayish purple eyes lined with rings staring at nothing. At least, to someone else in the room, that is what it would look like. In truth, the pedestal was allowing him to see several other shadowy figures also clad in cloaks.

Seeing they were all present, the figure spoke up in a masculine voice. "Our spies have verified that the invasion on Konoha by our former associate Orochimaru was thwarted. All three jinchuuriki survived the conflict. Our plan has not been compromised."

One of them, a hunchbacked figure, spoke in a deep gravelly voice. "We should deal with Orochimaru before he proves to be a bigger threat then he already is. He knows our plans, our targets, and if we don't stop him he'll do his best to undermine us for his own gains."

"Let me do it, Leader-sama. I'll fuck the fucker up and sacrifice his shit-stained snake soul to Jashin-sama," another one said, gripping a triple bladed scythe.

"Orochimaru is not our concern at the moment. We shall deal with him later. For now, it is time to begin the next phase of our plan," the leader said, looking to two of the other shadowy figures. One was massive with beady eyes and short spiky hair, with the hilt of a blade sticking over his shoulder. The other was shorter, with the only thing visible being the red Sharingan eyes. "You two will go to Konoha now. Scout out the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. If he has grown strong enough to defeat a fellow jinchuuriki, we may need to intercede before he can grow stronger."

The two of them simply bowed before they wavered and disappeared, leaving the rest of the shadowy figures to speak.

Atop a small hill in Hi no Kuni, Itachi Uchiha slowly opened his opens, the jutsu that allowed him to communicate with the others of Akatsuki ending as he ended the hand seal used to focus his chakra. Slowly standing, he turned to his companion, Kisame Hoshigaki. Both men wore similar long-sleeved cloaks that were black with crimson lining along the collars and the opening of the cloaks, and decorated with red clouds. Each also wore a forehead protector with a line slashed through the emblem of their village to indicate their missing-nin status. Itachi was of Konoha, while Kisame's was of Kirigakure no Sato. However, this is where the similarities ended. Kisame was tall, almost seven feet in height, with skin that was light blue, beady eyes like a sharks, as well as shark like teeth in his grin and gill like markings on his cheeks. His hair was a darker shade of blue and stuck straight up in a spiky fashion. Slung onto his back was a yellow hilt with a scale like pattern to it, with a small skull shaped pommel capping it. What the hilt was attached to was something of a mystery, as the entire weapon was wrapped in bandages, creating a long broad shape that was perhaps a foot or so shorter than Kisame's height.

Kisame let out a groan as he stretched his back, hearing a joint or two pop. "Well, guess we're going back to your old stomping grounds Itachi. Are you feeling nostalgic?" He asked his stoic companion.

Itachi said nothing while grabbing a broad straw cone shaped hat, settling it on his head to hide his face within the shadow it cast. Kisame just chuckled as he grabbed his own hat, following behind Itachi as he placed it on his head. "Always the silent one. Maybe that's why I like working with you."

Konoha, Four Days later

Naruto grimaced a bit as he continued to flex his left hand and arm, continuing the exercises prescribed by the doctors to ensure everything was working properly. He had been released the previous day, free to return home at last, though with a warning that he should try to keep from heavily exerting that arm for a week. Naruto had gone home, showered, and in a fresh change of clothes, had promptly returned to the hospital to finally visit Raphael and Anko.

The two of them had been placed in the same recovery room, due to suffering similar injuries and a rather 'emphatic' request from Anko that they share a room, so he was able to see them both at the same time. Despite Hinata's reassuring words he had been worried about them and was glad to hear from their own mouths that they'd make full recoveries. Their injuries, unfortunately, were more delicate and required more time to heal, as the doctors had to internally sew their muscles together again with chakra techniques, to repair the damage done by Kabuto. Anko had also lost a fair amount of blood, but thankfully they managed to get her to a medic in time to prevent her from losing too much.

Naruto smiled as he remembered shocking them both with hugs, and the conversation that followed.

Flashback

"Not that I'm complaining gaki, but what's with the hug?" Anko asked, blushing ever so slightly at Naruto hugging her, while Raphael blinked, equally confused at the hug he had received before her. Naruto had slowly pulled back after hugging her, looking down a bit.

"I just…w-was really worried," he said quietly, sounding embarrassed but also scared. "Y-You two were the first ones t-to really care about me, a-and…well…y-you're like family to me…I-I know that probably sounds pathetic-" he started to say, only for Anko to pull him into another hug with her left arm, making him gasp at that.

"We're fine Naruto, alright? Don't worry about it," Anko said reassuringly, smiling a bit as she held him close, Raphael smiled softly as he managed to slip out of the bed, gently ruffling Naruto's hair with his right arm due to his left being kept in a cast that completely immobilized it, Anko having a similar cast on her right arm.

"I don't think it sounds pathetic at all, Naruto," Raphael said softly, looking up to Anko. "In a way, we've all become a family for each other. So, we understand," he added quietly.

Naruto smiled slightly at that, hugging Anko again, before finally pulling away. "T-Thanks guys," he said, rubbing the wetness from his eyes. "S-So how long are you both stuck in here?" He asked.

"A week or two probably. They need to make sure they fixed everything, and our muscles are working properly. So, we're stuck here for a while. Not that I'm complaining since I have some lovely company," Raphael said with a smile, looking to Anko, who blushed but grinned back.

"Flatterer. Though it is very nice to have such a handsome roommate," she shot back. All while Naruto gagged slightly at their antics. "Oh, shut up gaki, you'll be the same with whatever girl you fall for and you know it."

Naruto just chuckled at that, before sighing softly, happy to see they were both alright. Only to yelp as Anko suddenly cuffed him on the head. "Now what the hell is this I hear about you fighting a damn biju?" She demanded as she gave him a glare.

Naruto winced a bit at that, sheepishly chuckling as he rubbed the back of his head. "W-Well ummm…you see," he started, looking awkward, before explaining what happened.

Flashback Ends