A fox and a cheater

Something snapped in front of pale-eyed beauty, attempting to wake her out of the momentary lapse of concentration. The young woman noticed Ino's fingers in front of her nose, the said beautiful platinum-blonde face smirking at her.

"You know that just by looking through the window won't make his come back any quicker, Cheater-chan?"

"Ah, I-I'm sorry. I thought I felt his chakra's spike." Hinata grew out her hair to the top of her shoulders. Two years ago, after she invited Ino and Sakura over to her house, she was met with a problem. Her best friends dumped all of her baggy clothes from the wardrobe and went on a shopping spree for new ones. Now, most of her clothes were much more form-fitting and much less conservative than before [AN: Think of Hinata's clothes from the Last Movie]. After the unexpected alteration of her wardrobe, her friends have finally truly understood how her figure looks like - it all ended with them calling Hinata a cheater. For unknown reasons to the young woman, her mother and little sister joined in on the name-calling.

"You're lucky you have the infatuation the size of the Land of Fire." Ino deadpanned, "As I said before, I'm willing to stand aside, but if ever you decide you don't want Naruto, I'm calling the dibs."

"GIRLS! Less talking, Izumi-senpai asked us to fill in for her. I need you here!" a pink-haired young woman cried out from the closeby room.

"Heh, come, Cheater-chan, it seems the self-proclaimed 'Tsunade's best student' can't deal with a single case without our help." Ino chuckled.

"Y-yes!"

-----

"Huhuhu..." Jiraiya was hiding in a bush and used his binoculars to spy on the closeby onsen.

Kaname watched the old man wiggle his butt while he was peeping on the unfortunate women. 'Did he really think I did not know he would be here?' she hurriedly rigged up a plan and smiled sadistically. Looking down on the Sannin from the top of the tree, Kaname released tiny droplets of her chakra, weaving it around Jiraiya's distracted mind.

Peeping through his binoculars, he noticed something very unpleasant happening - all the women stood up as one and quickly evacuated the hot spring. Jiraiya grumbled in discontent, 'What is going on?' Ten seconds after the last woman left, the sliding doors opened once again. He almost shouted in fright when he saw his teammate walking in - Tsunade's enormous bust and curvaceous body were hidden only by a single white piece of cloth. 'She is going to kill me... But it's worth it! Hmm, she is calling for someone?'

The Toad Sannin started retching when an old woman slowly entered through the doors. 'K-Koharu? What is that old fossil doing here? No...' A sizeable group of towel-covered seniors followed after Konoha's Councilwoman.

He continued dry heaving, 'No-no-no! Where are the b- Oh-?' On the corner of his binoculars, he noticed a pair of perfect womanly long legs and instantly turned his sight onto the face of the young beauty. The white-haired old man's jaw drooped in astonishment, 'K-K-Kana-chan?! Fuck! I need to ru-'

His heart skipped a beat when their eyes met Sannin saw her smiling evilly back at him, "Hehe. Good game, Kana-chan. I give up." Jiraiya shouted out, lifting his hands up in surrender. The world instantly distorted in front of his eyes.

"Hi, I was waiting for you. I'm sure you have tons of questions, Kana-chan." he greeted.

"You knew very well where I was, Jiraiya-san. I'm sure that it is not one of my favorite locations."

"Hehe, I admit I took some enjoyment out of the delay. Give me some slack - I missed this."

"Haah... Whatever." Kaname tapped Jiraiya's shoulder and teleported both of them to the top of Hokage's Monument, "So? How did your little trip go?"

"Heh, we can talk more freely here, thanks. I tried to find any traces of that deadman's dealings, unfortunately - that bastard was really good at hiding his traces."

"That's Madara for you - he must have eliminated all of his agents to make sure no one could trace it back to him. What about Akatsuki?"

"Their modus operandi is so ingenious that I almost feel proud for my late student. Excluding Kumogakure, they work in the political grey sphere. Akatsuki has sleeper agents positioned in every country in a myriad of positions. That must have taken decades to accomplish."

"So it's not just Nagato's achievement." Kaname nodded her head.

"Yes, Akatsuki might be just a sequel of something that was planned for generations."

"And it all comes back to Madara, huh?"

"Yeah, it seems so."

"Crafty son of a bitch. Was it hard getting your information, Jiraiya-san?"

"Last year, we visited the Land of Earth's capital. After I contacted one of my little informants with questions about Akatsuki, my entire spy network in that country was decimated over one night. I'm pretty sure that one of the Daimyō's vital advisors or the Daimyō himself is in Akatsuki's pocket."

"Were you pursued?"

"Yeah, but don't worry, Naruto did not take part in this. He took too much out of his mother - I'm sorry to say, but he isn't material for a spy. While Naruto was asleep, Itachi and I dealt with our stalkers."

"Haha," Kaname chuckled, "No, he wouldn't make a good spy. Did the fox give you any problems?"

"Not until I attempted to tamper with the seal." he replied. A second after, he reminded himself with whom he was chatting, "Ah, I shouldn't have said that..."

"You did what, Jiraiya-san?" The Toad Sannin gulped loudly at the barely hidden anger in Kaname's voice.

"Just let me explain, Kana-chan. Nothing bad happened to Naruto. I got punished for this already and almost died."

"... I'm waiting." She tapped her foot on the rock with impatience.

"Despite the pressure of time, Minato designed the seal holding the Kyūbi to a T - a little adjustment to either side completely shuts off Naruto's connection to the fox or lets the beast lash out."

"That's nothing new, Jiraiya-san."

"Yeah, but you should know that the necklace that Tsunade-hime gifted to Naruto activates and tries to obstruct him when he reaches the fifth tail."

"FIFTH? Are you insane?"

"As I said, I almost died because of my stupidity. Luckily Itachi's Sharingan was able to stop fox's rage before it did kill me."

"... I doubt he will be happy to meet with me, but I will talk about it with Kurama. What about Naruto?"

"He doesn't remember a thing. Kyūbi's chakra is too potent - once Naruto's body is overflowing with it, he is the embodiment of rage and pain. What about you and Uzushiogakure?"

"Heh, you wouldn't believe what I found. It took me two years to even decipher their research. They weren't just more advanced in their seals. Jiraiya-san, Uzumakis outpaced our world's understanding of those for dozens of years. They started using those seals to develop new technologies and, given time, would become a leading factor in our world's science."

"This sounds amazing and somehow scary."

"It could go either way, yes. A hotheaded Uzumaki developing newer and scarier weapon for war? Or maybe new breakthroughs in the field of medics, mathematics, physics, or even astronomy? No wonder other Hidden Villages allied to deal with them before Uzumakis attempted to rule over our world."

"Anything else, Kana-chan?"

"Hmm, there was something else, but I can't exactly-"

"Then it must not have been important. Can I return to my hobby now?" Jiraiya turned around on his feet.

"If you must... Do you take fun in that? Is it just me, or you wish for those women to find you?"

"Hehehe." The Toad Sage laughed out, "I can't go wrong in some peeping, Kana-chan. If those beauties don't find me, I have some... interesting material to work with, and if they do find me, well... What's wrong with dozens of half-naked women chasing after you? Both choices are extremely appealing to me." he replied, slowly marching towards the Hot Springs.

"... Insane masochist." Kaname chuckled, "Ah! I remember now! A couple weeks ago, I met with Nagato and officially declared war on Akatsuki." the white-haired Sannin tripped on his feet and faceplanted the dirt after her words.

"And you called me an insane masochist?!" he shouted at her.

-----

"That was amazing, Hinata!" Sakura hugged her friend, "I never expected it may have been caused by chakra!"

"T-thank you." Hinata whispered shyly.

"Not every illness is physical, Sakura-chan." Ino pointed out, "We know that you're following Tsunade-sama's teachings. You're an amazing iryōnin, that's for sure. But, there are other fields out there. I specialize in mental health problems, and our Cheater has a cheat ability that allows her to see chakra."

"Ino-chan!" Hinata cried out.

"What? Say it's not true."

"It's not a cheat..." she replied weakly.

"Hehehe." Sakura laughed at her best friends' shenanigans, "We're finished for today. As promised, we're going shopping, right?"

"Yep, our Cheater needs something sexy to smite her boyfriend." Ino led them towards the exit.

Her words brought out a massive blush on Hinata's face, "He is not my boyfriend... *murmur*."

"Was it only me that heard that, Ino? Or has she whispered a 'yet' in there?" Sakura smirked at the platinum blonde.

"Yeah, I did hear that as wel-"

"EEP!" Hinata yelped in fright, stopping her friends in their tracks.

Turning her head towards her brunette friend, Ino noticed a man's hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"Hey there, girls~!" A man called out behind their backs. His low voice sent out a pleasurable shiver down Ino's spine.

Slightly pissed, Ino slowly turned towards the unannounced trespasser, "Listen here, Mister. Our Hinata has a boyfriend, so pull back your ego, or I will rip you a new one, whoa~!" Her breath hitched in her throat. She gazed at what could be only her future husband of dreams. A black sweatshirt with an orange zipper was half undone, exposing a goldish-orange mesh shirt that looked plastered on his chest. She could easily discern his well-defined muscles that stretched the material like a second skin. She herself was a tall woman, but this man easily surpassed her height. One of his kunai holsters was strapped to his bicep, letting Ino fantasize how wonderful it would be to be carried in such powerful arms. Then her eyes turned towards the man's face, "... gods... Naruto?"

"Yo, Ino-chan, last time I checked, I was still a human, ~dattebayo. And thanks, I'm very sure you'll be someone's dream wife too." he replied with a toothy grin.

Ino's face instantly changed into dark red color, 'Oh shit! Did I spoke all of that out loud?!'

'That's Naruto?! No, don't look there! Sasuke-kun is better! But those muscles, NO! Sasuke- but his voice...' Sakura waged a losing battle against her Inner Ego. Betraying Sakura's attempts, her eyes continued to refuse to stay down and devoured the hunk in front of her, "W-welcome back, N-naruto-kun." she replied, blushing profusely.

"Sup' Sakura-chan, from your outfit I recon you became an iryōnin, you all three became one, that's so cool ~ttebayo!"

"J-Just so you know, I'm Tsunade-sama's number one student." For unknown reasons to Sakura, she tried to one-up her friends.

Naruto already brushed aside his late classmate's boasting. Looking at his girlfriend, he felt something fluttering in his chest, "Hina-chan?" he murmured, slightly squeezing her arm. The Hyūga Princess remained frozen, "Umm~, Hinata?" the blonde lightly poked her cheek, "Do you know what happened with her ~ttebayo?" he asked the girls.

"I think you broke her, N-Naruto-kun." Ino joked, snapping her fingers multiple times in front of Hinata's face.

"Ah, 360 vision. I forgot!" He smiled toothly, scratching the back of his head.

Ino always thought that Naruto's smile was contagious, now she had to change her mind, it looked hot as hell, "Huhu, I have got an idea, N-a-r-u-t-o~." she sashayed her hips, walking towards Hinata's side and whispered to her ear, "I can't let such a cookie pass by me. The deal is off, Cheater-chan."

"INO-CHAN!" Hinata cried out.

"What?! You won't be able to handle him on your own! I think you two need some time alone. Come Sakura-chan, let them celebrate their reunion with a small date. We have something to buy for our Cheater-chan - I don't want to win without even a fight." She winked seductively at Naruto, took hold of her pink-haired friend's arm, and walked towards the exit, swinging her hips from left to right, "Ja'ane~, Naruto-kun~."

"D-d-date...?" Hinata froze again.

"Hehe, you don't want to go out with me, Hina-chan?"

"Ugh, Ah, Y-ye-, Umm..."

-----

"What the heck was that, Ino?!" Sakura cried out, "I mean, I understand why one would like to have Naruto-kun as a boyfriend, and I know you liked him from childhood, but I thought it was in the past! I mean, for the last year, you were staring only at Sasuke-kun."

"Hehe, you don't understand, Sakura-chan. Hinata-chan is too passive - she needs a kick to her butt to act on her feelings."

"Eh?"

"It sucks, but I never stood a chance... Did you saw Naruto-kun's eyes, Sakura? He couldn't tear his sight away from Hinata."

"So it was all a play?"

"Hmm..." Ino put her fingers on her chin and a second later shrugged her shoulders, "Mostly."

"Wait! Mostly?!"

-----

Utakata got buttered by a king bed-sized border collie, "Ugh, stop it, girl! Enough, Hami-chan!" he laughed, defending his face from the ninken's agile tongue, "Hi, mom."

"Oh~ Hi, Utakata. Where are my favorite little rascals?" Sachi demanded, extending her hands towards her guests.

"Granny!" Kushina and Haru jumped in on the chance, bolting to hug the blind woman.

"Hehehe." the old woman laughed, feeling two small bodies hugging her slightly above her knees.

"Kushi-chan is being punished now, mom. Kana found a coffer full of kunais, shurikens, and leftover seals hidden under her bed."

"Is it true, Kushi-chan?"

Sachi was gifted by even a tighter hug, "We wanted to train with them, just like mommy and daddy do!"

"Wait, we?" She felt her grandson tighten his hug this time. The woman facepalmed and slowly started chuckling, soon it developed into a full-blown out laughter.

"Mom?"

"An apple doesn't fall far from a tree."

Utakata smirked, "No, it does not."

"They're just like their father." Sachi snickered at the man.

"Wha-?"

"Surprised? Kana-chan isn't the only one nuts in your relationship."

"She is right, you know?" A voice in Utakata's mind called out to him.

"Ugh..." Utakata grumbled.

"Heh, I see your tenant and I are on the same page." Sachi laughed as if she read Utakata's mind, hearing him scowl.

"Eh? How?"

"Saiken-san is the grounded one - we think alike." Utakata's mother-in-law replied calmly.

"Once again, she is speaking the blunt truth. Convey my thanks, partner."

"... He thanks you."

The grey-haired woman smiled sincerely, "You're welcome, Saiken-san. I hope you'll continue to protect my family."

"Of course. Nice to be finally appreciated." Saiken's slimy body shook with happiness.

"We will protect Kana-chan and my children with our lives, Sachi-san."

"Huhu, Utakata, don't be an idiot. You're part of our family now. You need to protect yourself as well." Sachi chuckled.

"Ah... Right."

"This woman may be blind, but Kana-chan had to receive her smarts from someone, partner. You're clearly outmatched." The Six-Tailed Bijū ridiculed his host.

"Oh, shut up, Saiken..."

-----

"Cute, aren't they?" Kaname joked, spying from the nearby roof.

"It's always heartwarming to see a young couple in love, Kana-chan." Hiruzen smiled, looking at Naruto walking hand-in-hand with Hinata, "I doubt it's the reason you took me here."

"Nope, I want to see who is the best teacher out of you. Mind a little competition of our pupils, Jiji?"

"Hohoho," The old man burst with laughter, "It would surely help to know what they're capable of by now. Sasuke-kun ingested a versatile range of skills - I doubt my teachings are inferior to Jiraiya's or Tsunade's. You have me interested - what are you planning this time?"

"A test, Jiji."

"What is it this time? Will you summon a real Kyūbi or resurrect Madara Uchiha?" he deadpanned.

"Hmm, that's not a bad idea." Kaname stopped in a thoughtful pose.

"Please, do not ever consider that Kana-chan, at least as long as I am still on this world."

"But I can do that when you finally kick the bucket, Jiji?" she smirked in response.

"You threaten me to stay alive longer, or you want me to die to have some fun, Kana-chan? I'm not exactly sure of that now."

"Hahaha, so you know, I didn't plan anything that extreme. Maybe I will ask the trio to duel each other, or I'll take the role of the sadistic examiner myself."

"Please, Kana-chan, the first option. I don't want either one of them to develop PTSD." the retired Hokage grumbled.

"Nah, team six know how I practice, Jiji. They understand that I won't hurt them physically... too much."

"Too much, eh?"

"Heh, would you look at that? Hinata-chan started it first!" Kaname pointed at the black-haired young Hyūga, kissing Naruto's cheek.

"We shouldn't spy on them, Kana-chan. It's wrong."

She shrugged the accusation, "Just making sure they're safe, Jiji. Aunty Shiori asked me to take photos."