chapter 24

It had been nearly a month now, but finally the familiar gates of Konoha were back in sight. The scars left on the walls from the invasion were still very noticeable from the large discolored patched that now marked its surface. Even Tsunade managed a flinch at the thought of what had happened to her former home. As they approached she couldn't help but wonder if her traitorous teammate would have been less inclined to take such action if she had been where she was supposed to be instead of running around to various gambling dens. As they passed through the main gates she solidified her determination once more. These people didn't understand what she'd lost. They never would, so how could she live amongst them...

She was coerced from her thoughts as a squad of ANBU landed in front of the group. "Lady Tsunade, your presence is required at the council chambers immediately."

Jiraiya was the first to reply, but only with a mumble. "Oh that's a great way to welcome her..."

Tsunade herself blinked, then blinked again. "I'm sorry, well not really, but you can tell them that they are going to be sitting there for a long time if this is how they plan on getting my attention. Maybe had they taken the effort to walk here themselves I might have given them a proper welcome. Now, I have things to do so unless you are planning to try to force me to come along," She paused to crack her knuckles. "I suggest you carry that message back to them."

'Yeah like you're one to talk about being proper.' Naruto thought as he rolled his eyes at her.

"Shizune, let's go. We're going to the hospital. The sooner we get this over with the sooner we can leave." Without waiting for affirmation, Tsunade began to stalk towards the medical sector. Noticing her mood, the majority of the population was giving her a wide birth while remaining polite in the presence of the legendary kunoichi.

"My apologies ANBU-san, but now is probably not the best time to pursue such things. Give her some time to calm down and I'm sure she'll be willing to visit with the council soon." Shizune bowed before racing off after her mentor. She had her own agenda though, and she was going to see it through.

"Well I guess that leaves you and me kid. Let's go grab a bite to eat and we'll see about setting up another training schedule for you." Jiraiya started to walk off, but the leading ANBU stopped him.

"Actually, Jiraiya-sama, we have been asked to bring you to the council if Tsunade-sama was unwilling to come."

"Well at least they're starting to actually think ahead a little." The sannin mumbled. "I don't suppose I can get a pass on this too?"

"Sorry Jiraiya-sama, but we need at least one of you to handle the debriefing."

"How about the gaki? He was there for the whole trip, so I'm sure they could get what they need to hear out of him."

The ANBU paused a short moment and looked at the boy before turning back. "No, we require a ranking ninja for the debriefing, not a...genin."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at the man. "Are you saying that someone that has my approval is unfit to cover a mission report? That you would insult me as such..."

"It's fine Ero-Sennin. I need to get home anyway." Naruto announced from his spot on the sidelines.

The man's eyes looked sorrowful for a moment before turning into a lecherous grin. "I see where you're going kid. You've been away from them for so long, I bet your dying to get your hands on some of that young flesh." Before Naruto could respond he vanished from the spot, leaving the boy to grumble out his displeasure.

"Stupid perverts and their one track minds. Just wait till I get a hold of you I'll..." Whatever his plans for the hermit would be were lost as his volume dropped off.

"...I suggest you keep moving, genin, unless you want to be detained for obstructing traffic." With nothing to vent on, the obviously council-backed ANBU decided to harass the closest possible target. That of course being the lone Naruto, innocently standing in the middle of the street. The completely empty street...

"Yeah...right. I'm so sorry for hindering the progress of anyone who may have wanted to travel on this particular patch of dirt while I'm standing here. How shameful of me. I'll make sure I move right away for the massive crowds that will no doubt be stampeding through any second now." If they felt any reaction to his sarcasm they didn't show it, but somehow Naruto could feel their sneers behind their masks as he walked away.

• • •

"Right this way Tsunade-sama. I must say, it's an honor to have you back with us again. With your expertise perhaps we'll even be able to heal that genin Rock Lee!"

Despite her fame and the selfish pride she took in it, the legendary medic felt her headache starting already. "Let's just deal with the old man for now." Her scowl made the man jump and rush through the halls a little faster as they made their way to a heavily guarded area of the hospital. Relying on punching the first person who questioned her identity through the wall as identification, Tsunade made her way past the ANBU and into the room they were seemingly only slightly making an effort to guard against her intrusion.

The familiar beeping of the monitors was the first sign to her that she was truly back on the scene of her healing trade. The sight that met her was a little less comforting though. Two more ANBU stood a silent vigil at the sides of the lone bed occupying the room, the bed which held her sensei. Despite her hardened heart, she couldn't help but feel a bit of remorse from his current state. While he seemed to be laying comfortably, the tubes and bandages covering his form painted a very different picture.

He had been on assisted breathing from the time of his arrival in order to make sure he was getting enough oxygen. Multiple IV drips were plugged into his arms in order to keep him as stable as they could. Heart rate, brain waves, blood pressure, breathing, and other bodily functions were all displayed in the array amassed to one side. As she carefully pulled aside his blankets she found him in the bare minimum needed to keep him decent and there were even tubes coming from those places, showing that he wasn't even able to use the facilities himself. All that remained of his left arm was a stub that was heavily bandaged while his right arm, chest and legs were all bandaged as well to cover the cuts that still remained in those areas.

"Status."

The medic that guided her to the room came to her side nervously and handed her a clipboard with notes on the Sandaime's condition. "We had to amputate his arm to stem the flow of the worst of the poison there. For obvious reasons we could not do the same to his chest though. His right arm and legs weren't hit as badly so we did what we could to try to save them. After the battle and initial treatment he woke up for a while, but he recently fell into a coma. Though we haven't found the cause we suspect it to have been stress from his injuries."

Tsunade finished reading through the lengthy notes in her hand as the man finished his report. She glanced between the man the clipboard and the Sandaime before whacking the clipboard into the man's chest. "Gee, ya think? Now scram, I have work to do if I ever plan on getting out of here." She watched as the man bowed and left, thanking her and wishing her luck. 'As if I need such a thing.' She looked up at the two ANBU and huffed. "That was meant for all of you. Get out!" Sweating a bit and turning to each other for confirmation, they gave a quick bow and rushed out the door.

When she heard the door click behind them and a familiar scent fill the air along with huffing breaths she readied for her own diagnostics. "Tsunade-sama, I really wish you wouldn't run off like that, or use your strength for identification for that matter. You gave that guard two broken ribs and a concussion!"

All Shizune got as a reply was a simple snort as the older woman ran her jutsu over the Hokage's body. She simply let out a frustrated sigh and got down to her own portion of the work, setting out supplies from her scrolls and cutting away the bandages to examine the wounds. As the pieces of cloth came away the smell of rotting flesh hit their senses and it took them all of their experience not to gag in response. Just from the look at the festering flesh they knew it would take hours to clean everything.

Giving her mentor a half-hearted smile, Shizune tried to stay professional. "It seems we should get started if we wish to finish this today."

Tsunade groaned out her response. "This is going to take forever. Dammit, why did I agree to this?"

"That would be because you lost a bet Tsunade-sama." The younger medic said, allowing a smirk to grace her features as she wheeled two carts of supplies over to each side of the bed and started working on the nearest wound.

"Damn that brat...Next time I see him I'm going to put him through a whole building."

"Well, please refrain from doing so until we at least have Hokage-sama's wounds healed. We're going to need a lot of chakra for this."

With another grunt of acknowledgment, Tsunade started on the wounds on her side as well. 'That twerp is going to pay so hard when I get my hands on him!'

• • •

It seemed like so long ago, and yet only yesterday, that he'd last left this gate. Now back from his mission he was able to enter once more and he wasted no time in doing so. With a swipe of his hand he was through the gate and through the front door in less than a second. Unlike his old apartment his estate had more of a welcoming feel to it, whether it was due to the fact that it wasn't rotting and in horrid need of repair or that there weren't drunken villagers breaking in every other night to beat him and break everything he owned anymore. It could also be due to the fact that he actually had people waiting for him to come home now instead of the small, dreary living space that was his former home.

Now, a few of those people were standing in fighting stances in the middle of the room he'd just entered, apparently ready for anything that may have broken through the defenses. Scratching his head in mild embarrassment while holding the senbon that was aimed for his heart, he greeted them with a slight chuckle. "Heh, heya my himes..."

The three girls stood their looking at him for a minute before they all rushed forward as one. "NARUTO-KUN!" They shouted as they forced him to the floor with their glomping. Tears streamed down their faces as they latched onto him from every side.

"Hinata-chan, Haku-chan, Kin-chan...It's ok, I'm here. By the welcoming you three gave me I'm guessing you all had a pretty rough time while I was gone." He attempted to calm them as best he could but they didn't seem to want to let go, but at least their sobs lessened a bit.

"It was horrible Naruto-kun. The villagers started treating us like dirt and the council kept trying to get in here." Haku told him, making his anger rise a little.

"My father approached me, as have many Hyūga that were under orders to take me back to the compound or try to order me to meetings there. He even tried to use the curse seal on Neji to try to guilt me into going, but Ino-chan took control of my body to tell him off and walk away. I-I probably would have gone with him if she hadn't." Hinata admitted into his chest.

"We stuck together through it though and now they know that we won't just roll over for them. It helps that the clans were looking out for us too. Many of those that tried to confront us were turned away with the help of some of our friends' families." Kin tried to ease his rising temper a little. It worked, but he still seemed very mad.

"So even when I'm not around they want to torment me as much as possible. Well now I'm back and should they decide to try anything more they will answer for it. Now, I just got back from a long trip and if you three don't mind too much I'd like to go take a shower. We were on the road for a few days and I think I'm starting to smell a little ripe." Their instincts acting before their thought process, all three girls too a sniff of their boyfriend and immediately jumped off of him holding their noses causing Naruto to laugh at their expense.

"Ugh. Ripe is an understatement. Go get a shower now and don't come near me till you do!" Haku scolded as best she could while trying not to take in too much more of his scent and waving what she could away from herself.

Naruto just laughed harder. "Fine, but you three had best get dressed in something more...proper."

"Why? These are just our lounging clothes. It's not like we're running around in our underwear." Hinata replied.

"Though if you want us to that would be ok." Kin finished for her, making the other girls blush a bit.

"Because I don't think you want to be in your 'lounging clothes' when I take you out for lunch. Now go." He shooed them up the stairs while he gathered some fresh clothes and went to the bathroom to make himself more presentable.

A half hour later Naruto found himself waiting in the sitting room as the three girls made their way back downstairs. He had already bathed and changed before any of them were ready, but thankfully they were ninja for a reason and it didn't take them hours to prepare for such a simple event. He smiled as the three descended the staircase in some casual clothing yet still had that kunoichi flare as he saw their weapons still at hand.

"So, are you three ready?" His answer was silent as each came over and gave him a kiss before heading towards the door. "...I guess that's a yes." Without so much as a look back, he followed them out into the streets of the village.

• • •

"So that about sums up our little adventure. Not that it's really any of your business either way."

Many of the council pursed their lips at Jiraiya's closing statement as they mulled over his story. He had told them everything from when they arrived at Tanzaku-gai to the point that they left the gambling town. Again the difference between the two sides of the table were apparent as most of the ninja looked appreciative while the civilians appeared indignant.

"In short: you traveled for weeks, found Tsunade-sama in Tanzaku-gai, waited another week for her to finish whatever plans she had made there, fought Orochimaru and one of his henchmen in the countryside before finally coming back here. Then once you do get here, Tsunade-sama decides that we're not important enough to see and instead heads straight for Sandaime-sama leaving you to announce her arrival."

Jiraiya paused a moment to go over what the man just said. "Yea, that pretty much sums it all up I guess. You make it sound like a vacation though. I'll have you know that a fight between the Densetsu no Sannin is no small matter. We changed the landscape there and with the noise we made it won't take long before others figure out what went on. Word will travel fast and it won't be long until other countries are asking questions."

"What do you mean Jiraiya-sama? Tanzaku-gai is still well within the boarders of Hi no Kuni. Surely you don't think that the sounds of your fight would travel that far." The ninja in the room had to fight not to roll their eyes at the ignorance of the others.

"Do you people really think we are the only ones with spies out there? I can guarantee that at the very least Iwa and Oto will know about this soon if they don't already. The only thing I'm too concerned about though is that Naruto was able to help us so much..."

"And how would that be a bad thing Jiraiya-sama? At least that boy showed he had some worth, though I believe saying he helped you both is a bit of a stretch."

"First off, he did help us more than you could possibly imagine. He fought off Kabuto long enough for Tsunade to recover from her hemophobia, a ninja who was on a high enough level to escape our ANBU and Kakashi numerous times and wound Shizune. He also held off Orochimaru as well, despite the injuries Kabuto gave him. Finally, he save my life when Manda was about to eat me by summoning Gamaken to pin Manda until Tsunade could take him out, despite his numerous wounds at the time consisting of many broken bones and a concussion! So don't you dare belittle him in front of me. He performed better in battle than most seasoned chūnin and jōnin that I recall seeing. The injuries alone should have put him out of the battle long before he got back in it." All of the council moved their chairs slightly farther away from the man as his rant went on.

"F-fine, but why should his involvement be a bad thing Jiraiya-sama?"

"Because, if word gets out that he fought, and it will, and to what level he fought at, he will become a target for enemy ninja." He scowled at them as looks of consideration came to their faces.

Homura was the next to speak up, and he did so with a smile on his face. "That is the life of a ninja it seems. It cannot be helped if he becomes an enemy in the world's eyes, that would have been his fate anyway if he were to live long enough. Nothing we can do about it now but move on."

No one missed the underlying hatred in the man's voice as he talked as though Naruto were already a lost cause. "Depending on how the stories get blown up this could become a problem..." Everyone looked at Shikaku, who seemed to be thinking things through. "If what Jiraiya-sama believe will happen comes to pass, we could find ourselves being raided just so the world can get rid of Naruto-san before he becomes a larger threat. We could have more enemy ninja trying to sneak in to try to take out the boy that went toe to toe with the sannin and survived."

"Then we should cut our losses." Koharu announced.

"What exactly do you mean Ukatane-san...and you had best be careful with your words." Tsume was in no mood to play games, and even she could see where this one was headed.

"We oust him from the village. Move the target in order to keep hostile eyes away from us."

"You want to use him as a scapegoat? How could you even say such a thing?" Inoichi slammed his hand on the table in frustration with those across from him. The boy had a bad enough life. To banish him for no other reason then to save their own skins was...appalling.

"We do what we must to satisfy the greater good." Denbe barked. "If he stays here he becomes too large of a security risk for us to deal with so soon after an invasion."

"While you have a point, there is more to think on. Here at least there will be deterrents from outsiders to attack him, but outside these walls he becomes an open target. It would be like painting a target on him as soon as the other villages get wind of this." Shibi fixed his glasses as he stared down the other side of the table. Both options had down sides and up but it didn't sit easy to have someone like Naruto, who had done so much for them recently, tossed out.

"Then I will go with him." Jiraiya stated matter-of-factually as he got ready for the coming storm.

"Unacceptable!"

"You need to remain here until we deem it safe for you to leave again."

"If word were to get out that one of the sannin has left again we would be in for even more trouble than before!"

"Che, like I care what you prunes think. I am a sannin and I have spies that I need to keep in contact with. If you don't approve of me leaving, not that it really matters, you will be weakening the village through insufficient information. That I will not allow." The toad hermit eyed them carefully, daring anyone to oppose him.

"...We will...think on this. Should it be deemed appropriate for you to leave again we will discuss the possibility of you checking in on the boy every now and then." Junzo spoke his words carefully in an attempt to wrest some of their control over the situation back.

"Like I said. I don't care what you people think you can do to control me, I will do as I please as long as it's not a danger to Konoha. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do than sit here and argue with you all." Without waiting for a dismissal, which none of them truly had the authority to give him anyway, he left the room.

"Well that was fun. If you'll excuse me as well, I could use some lunch." Chōza began to stand but was halted by a cough from the other side of the table.

"I do believe we have a few new things to discuss now, about Jiraiya-sama and...Naruto-san." Homura brought about the topic he hoped they would now discuss. His hopes were dashed though as most of the ninja gathered stood and started making their way to the door. "Come now, where are you all going?"

Tsume turned to answer him. "We were dismissed by the ranking ninja so this meeting is over. I'm sure well see you all again soon enough anyway so until then..."

"What do you mean dismissed? No one dismissed anyone."

"Jiraiya-sama dismissed us. If you couldn't see underneath the underneath of his words. Any ninja here knows that what he said was a dismissal. If you were too caught up with your own plans to realize what he was saying that's your own problem. You're more than welcome to sit here and do absolutely nothing that will matter at all though. Without an acceptable standing of ranking ninja present there isn't much you can do until another meeting is held. I would advise, for your sakes, that the next meeting be more productive than this one, otherwise we may have to reevaluate the necessity of these meetings altogether." Turning on her heal the Inuzuka head walked out of the room, leaving the red-faced council behind.

• • •

Jiraiya walked into the hospital wing where Sarutobi was being held and nodded to the guards as he passed. Entering his sensei's room he found Tsunade and Shizune cleaning up their supplies. "What's the verdict?"

Tsunade sighed, but didn't bother turning his way before replying. "He'll live, for now, but beyond that I'm not making any promises. It's a miracle he made it this far to be honest. The only thing I'll commend what passes for a medic her is that they knew when to take his arm. If they hadn't he'd be half decayed by now."

Jiraiya flinched at her words. "So I guess the council will want a new Hokage now if he's that bad off."

"..."

"Hime, I know you have your reasons to stay away from here, but you need to face your duties. I can't take his place because of my spy network, but you can. Hell you can even work on the hospital staff that you seem to detest so much right now. With some personal training you could help a lot of people so that they won't have to deal with the same losses."

"..."

"There'll be a council meeting soon enough to discuss it. At least show up and listen to them. For sensei, please."

"We'll see." Grabbing her last bit of equipment she sealed it away and lead Shizune out of the room.

He sighed and sat in the chair near the lone bed to consider what was about to happen in Konoha. Sarutobi would be forced to retire, not that he would complain, then the council will try their damnedest to get Tsunade or himself to take up the mantle. He already knew that if Tsunade declined, he would be forced to take the office himself as he could think of no other person available to step up, or at least no one that was ready...yet.

He smiled slightly at the thought of Naruto. Despite his interactions with the boy and how he acted towards him, Jiraiya really was fond of him. It was fun having the kid around and he had to admit it wasn't boring. Add to that just who he was and that he seemed to be following right in his father's footsteps...no, overlapping his father's footsteps. The next few years would be interesting indeed.

"Sensei you would be so proud of Naruto. He's done more than you could imagine and he'll only get stronger."

A weak voice came from his side and Jiraiya jumped a little as it hit him. The sounds were soft and the breathing apparatus hindered them more, but he could hear the words clearly. "I have been...proud of him...since the day he was...born, Jiraiya-kun."

"S-sensei! You're awake already?"

"Tsunade doesn't...realize her own skills. I've...been awake for awhile...now."

"So then you heard us...Sensei, I'm sorry. We have to do what's best for the village and if another sees our Kage in the state your in..."

"Don't be...sorry...Jiraiya-kun. I would have been...in this condition...even if there wasn't an...invasion. I'm old...Jiraiya...It's time to pass on my robes...as they should have stayed passed on...with Minato."

"Sensei...We fought Orochimaru at Tanzaku-gai. Tsunade, Shizune, myself...and Naruto." He chanced a glance at the old man to gauge his reaction. It seemed that he was far too tired to even force a facial expression, but the rising heart rate was all he needed to hear to make a quick follow-up. "Naruto is fine sensei, don't worry. He fought so well and saved us all even though Orochimaru got away."

"Will you...train him?"

Jiraiya chuckled. "Still worrying about others even in your condition. Don't worry sensei, I plan on training him up well. That's where the next issue comes in though." This was going to be hard on the man but he had to know, he was the closest thing the boy had to real family. "Because of the possibility of other villages attempting to take Naruto out early...They want to boot him out, at least until they feel safe having him here, but we both know how that will turn out."

There was a long silence and Jiraiya had to look up a few times just to make sure the man didn't have a heart attack. He could see the water gather in Sarutobi's eyes, threatening to spill over onto the sheets before his face became steely hard.

"Jiraiya-kun."

"Hai, sensei?"

"Go to...my office. Get me...scrolls...pen...ink...seal. Then come back." Hiruzen let out a deep breath as he struggled with his breathing mask. "If they are going to...abandon a hero...we're going to give him...what he deserves...another way...Go."

"...Hai...sensei." Though he was slightly shocked initially, he couldn't really blame the man for taking action. After all, this could very well be his last act as Hokage.

It took no longer than twenty minutes to get from the hospital to the office and back with the supplies in hand. It probably would have taken less time but when he got there he was force to throw out a pair of snooping advisors and seal the doors and windows shut in order to make sure the room would stay secure for now. They tried to argue their purpose for being there, but the classified scrolls they were trying to leave with only served to earn them a non too gentle security search before they were thrown out on their asses.

Reentering the room, he found his sensei simply staring out the window with one eye, seeming to be too tired to move his head. "Sensei, I'm back." Even though he probably heard the door, Jiraiya decided to be polite for once and announce himself.

"Sit. You will...be writing what I tell you...When it is done...I will sign it...and stamp it." The old man's eyes shifted from the window to the hermit and he tried to smile. "Be happy Jiraiya-kun...we are going to change...fate."

"I-I understand sensei." Wheeling over a small supply cart, Jiraiya got prepared to write whatever the Hokage dictated to him.

"Jiraiya...what do you estimate...Naruto-kun's level to be?"

"Considering recent events...high chūnin to low jōnin. He's almost like Itachi..."

"My first order will be...to announce the new...chūnin. They will be...Nara Shikamaru...Aburame Shino...Amagawa Haku...Namikaze Naruto..." The sound of a pen dropping made him look at his temporary secretary.

"A-are you sure it's a good idea to announce that?"

"They will find out soon enough...but perhaps you are right...use Uzumaki and they...can be left guessing...when the storm hits."

While his words were a little cryptic, Jiraiya shrugged it off and finished the order. "Anything else?"

"Uchiha Sasuke...is to be sent back to the academy...along with Haruno Sakura."

"Sensei, both the Uchiha and Haruno are in the ANBU prison for actions taken against Naruto during and after the invasion." The sannin watched his sensei's knuckles whiten. "Along with Haruno Isako."

"I see...Then leave it at that for now." His consciousness slipped and he fell asleep.

The even breathing signified to Jiraiya that his sensei wouldn't be saying anything else for a bit so he sealed up the scroll he'd written and left to grab a quick bite before returning to wait for the next orders. 'I hope you have a good plan for this sensei. Things have gotten worse than you could imagine without you to steer the wheel.'

• • •

It was late afternoon by the time they got back home. After lunch they decided to just meander around for a bit. Because of that their group had grown a bit, adding Tenten, Ino, Harume, Shino, Shikamaru, Chōji and surprisingly Kiba to their ranks. Naruto was leery of the latter and was watching him like a hawk, but for all he could see the worst the Inuzuka did was throw him a couple dirty looks.

Dropping back, he came up beside the boy and signaled for him to slow down a bit, now curious to his changes. "Kiba...We aren't on the best of terms so I have to ask you...why are you here?"

Kiba scowled at him and huffed. "Like I have a choice. I'm teamed up with Haku and Kin now since the Uchiha and Haruno are shackled up. I tell ya man, I don't know how the hell you do it. They're like demons that nag and nag and nag. At least with Haruno I never had to worry about her constantly pushing me, she just concentrated on the Uchiha most of the time. I couldn't imagine being around them more than I already am, but they seemed to insist to drag me along today."

"So you're not going to be chasing them anymore?"

Kiba paled slightly. "I, uh, I think I'll wait a bit before I worry too much about finding a mate...women are scarey dude."

Naruto just laughed causing the girls to turn around, finally realizing just how far they were away. He just waved them forward to which they took on considering looks before doing as asked. "Your problem isn't how women treat you Kiba. As I've tried to tell you numerous times now, it's how you treat them. If you would try to be nice instead of commanding for once they might actually start liking you."

Kiba seemed to think for a moment, something that looked odd on his face as it was an action rarely used. "So if I try to be nice...I could get Hinata to like me." As soon as the words left his mouth he felt an icy chill go down his spine.

"Kiba, I will only say this once. If you continue to pursue females that are already spoken for I will hunt you down, neuter you then hang you by your empty scrotum outside the Inuzuka compound with a message to your mother to let her know exactly why you were taken out of the gene pool. Clear?"

Gulping, Kiba nodded his head quickly. "W-whatever you say man. Just don't go overboard with my mom...or my sister. You have no idea what they're capable of."

Just like that, Naruto was smiling once again. "Glad we have an understanding. Now, I'm sorry to say, but even though you're on the team of two of my girlfriends, I don't trust you enough to let you into my estate." Looking around, Kiba realized they were in fact just outside Naruto's estate. "...That means 'scram' Kiba..." Spiking a little of his killing intent was enough to get the boy's brain moving and he scampered off down the street as Akamaru bounced on his head.

"So what was that all about Naruto?"

"Just setting some things straight Shikamaru. Nothing to worry about. You're all welcome to join us inside if you want. After such a long mission it'll be nice to just lounge for a bit."

"As much as I'd like to lounge around, I have to get home for dinner or mom will get pissed again. It's just too troublesome to deal with so I'd rather just not chance a confrontation."

"I understand Shikamaru. How about you Chōji?"

"Sorry, dad's having a pig roast tonight. No chance I'm passing that up." As if to agree with him, Chōji's stomach growled.

Most of them laughed at him and his stomach. "Well we wouldn't want you to starve now would we?" The Akimichi just smiled at them and waved his goodbye as he turned and walked away. "Shino?"

"I believe my presence here will not be needed. It would also hinder the plans I have made for Harume and myself." As soon as the words were out of his mouth Shino found his arm trapped in the grip of one belonging to his girlfriend. He smiled in spite of himself and blushed a little at the display of affection, then blushed a little more at Naruto's catcall.

"Well I guess that covers the night for you two then. Have a nice night you two and don't do anything I wouldn't do!" He called out to their backs as they walked off and was surprised to get a response from Shino...even if that response was a single finger salute. Once again he found himself laughing. "Guess she's breaking that Aburame shell little by little." He sighed wistfully as he turned back to the rest of the group. "Well, shall we?" He opened the gate allowing the girls to enter ahead of him before heading in himself.

Entering the house after them he was surprised to find them all already heading to the second floor. Seeing his questioning gaze, Hinata jumped back down and jogged over to him. "Don't worry Naruto-kun. We're just going to slip into some more comfortable clothes. Nice dresses and shoes are great for show, but they're really uncomfortable to wear sometimes. We'll be down soon and then we can start dinner." She gave him a peck, well that was what it was meant to be but it soon turned into a short make-out session before she stopped and put her head to his chest. "I missed you a lot Naruto-kun. I'm so happy you're back."

"So am I hime...so am I. Now if you want to spend more time together you'd better go change quickly." He shooed her up the steps as he took a seat in one of the armchairs and closed his eyes.

• • •

Tsunade had been in the council chamber for all of half a minute and she was already starting to get a headache. It wasn't bad enough that they brought her here while in the middle of trying to get drunk, but now they were doing little more than bickering back and forth amongst themselves. All in all it was aggravating and the only consolation she got was her apprentice's hand on her shoulder in an attempt to ease her growing rage. An attempt that was quickly starting to become pointless.

"Tsunade-sama you must become the next Hokage! There is no one else ready to take the title!" Junzo shouted.

"Didn't you hear what she just said Shiratori? The Hokage is alive and as such he will be able to appoint someone he deems fit." Inoichi tried to remain calm, but the past weeks had been straining his nerves to their breaking point. After his incident with the Haruno he found himself in a constant state of unease. If one civilian councilor was capable of such vile acts, what could the others be hiding.

"Yes, yes, but she also said that he will be unfit for duties. That means we need to figure out who is going to lead us. We can't just have an invalid sitting in the office. We'd be the laughing stock of the elemental nations!"

"Shut your mouth you insolent swine!" Tsume was on her feet in a heartbeat. "How dare you make a mockery of Hokage-sama. Don't forget your place civilian, lest you need to be reminded of it." To emphasize her point she flexed her clawed hand.

"Is that a threat Inuzuka?"

"Only if you keep your trap shut. Otherwise it'll be a reality."

"ENOUGH!" Immediately the bickering stopped as all heads snapped to the blond sannin. "First of all, Sarutobi-sensei isn't dead yet, so stop treating him as if he is. I may think there is little in this village worth pissing on, but I'll not have you badmouth him. Second, since he is still alive he is free to name his successor if he so chooses. You all only get a say if his choice is outrageous or he allows you to choose for him. Kami, I've been out of this village for how man years and I still know the laws better than this damn council does. I be a kid fresh out of the academy would know them better than you old fossils." The snickers off to the ninja side were not lost on her causing her some slight concern about the true state of the council.

She was saved more worries, depending on how you look at it, when Jiraiya opened the door to the council chamber and raised his hand in greeting with a smile plastered on his face.

"Ah, Jiraiya-sama. I heard you've been talking with Sandaime-sama. Perhaps you'd like to share with us his state of health?" Fumihiko shuffled himself around in his seat in order to better see the man.

"Well, he's sleeping right now, but he's still kicking. Almost seems excited to get back in the saddle." He noted the paling faces of some of the council members at his introduction.

"Sensei woke up?" Tsunade seemed generally surprised at the announcement.

"Heh. He was awake before you even left the room hime. That's not to say he's ready to go dancing or anything,but he's coherent enough to hold a conversation. He's even getting started early on his backlog of paperwork." With a small flourish, Jiraiya pulled a scroll from his pocket. "I present to you our chūnin promotions."

"He decided on who to promote? But the exams never completed."

"True, but with the explanation of everything that went on during and after the invasion, he was able to decide who would be acceptable to be promoted and who would...fall back."

"Well don't just stand there, tell us who our new chūnin are!" Tokiko exclaimed.

"Ahem. The first to be promoted was Nara Shikamaru. Congratulations Shikaku." The man received congratulations and pats on the back from his comrades, making him wake from his nap. "Next was Aburame Shino. Congratulations Shibi." The stoic Aburame head just nodded at him in response. "Next up was Amagawa Haku."

"Wait, how could she be promoted? She only just recently joined the village. Can we really trust her enough to give her a promotion?" Denbe asked.

"Not to mention the company she keeps." Scowls and glares responded to Hiashi's comment, but he looked unperturbed at the attention.

"Be that as it may, she was in the exams and as such has every right to be promoted to chūnin. Her actions during the invasion also helped as she prioritized the safety of the various Diamyo and helped get them to safety."

"I still don't like it."

"You don't have to like it. It happened and it's done with. Now the final promotion went to...Uzumaki Naruto."

Shout of discontent rang out around the chamber as those who were still against the boy made sure their opinions were heard. Those that supported the idea were equally as loud, arguing that he had just as much right as anyone else to get a promotion.

"I will not accept that thing as a chūnin. He doesn't deserve such privilege!"

"Yet you would probably have showered it on that cowardly, traitorous Uchiha if given the chance."

"At least he has a name backing him. He isn't just some orphan off the street."

"A name doesn't make a ninja and anyone who thinks it is better be ready to attend a funeral with the best seat in the house cause they will get themselves kill with that attitude."

"Regardless, we will not accept this promotion."

"It's not yours to accept or deny. He's a ninja under the command of the Hokage and as such the Sandaime can promote or demote him as he sees fit."

"He's done far more for this village in the past couple months than most of you have done in a decade. I for one will be happy to know that he might be leading my son on a mission."

"Just because you want your son to die doesn't mean we want all our ninja to be at risk."

"What!? Say that again. I dare you!"

"ENOUGH!" For the second time that night, everyone's' head snapped towards the enraged Tsunade. "You all are acting like a bunch of children bickering over who gets to play with a new toy."

"Apologies Tsunade-sama. We only wish to voice our concerns over the future safety of the village." Jiraiya sniffed at the man's comment, clearly not impressed.

"Which is something not of your concern. You keep your nose where it belongs and that is far from ninja matters. If you want me to be Hokage, fine, but there are going to be a lot of changes, and no I won't tell you what they will be. Now if you'll excuse me I have more important things to do than sit here and listen to you all bicker about something that is out of our hands...for now." Like Jiraiya before her, Tsunade left the chamber without looking back.

• • •

Shizune had decided to keep herself busy at the hospital while everyone else seemed to be off doing their own little chores. She had already seen to many patients and had quite the stack of medical records in her hands from those she released. After stopping by the front desk she was able to get direction to the main medical file vault for Konoha, and quickly made her way their, hoping she would be able to get a little more work in before the end of the day.

Upon opening the door to the vast room she was able to spot a few other doctors and nurses sifting through the files as well. After finding and replacing her own stack of files she decided to familiarize herself with the shelving systems while she was there. Curing coughs and healing sprained ankles could wait if it would allow her to quickly find a file on a critical patient. The shelves were arrayed in what looked to be alphabetical order by family name, given name then date of birth for the civilian section. The ninja section, which was by far larger, was organized slightly different. The files were first arranged by rank, then family name, given name and finally their ninja license number.

Just for her own personal amusement she decided to look up some people she knew and go over some of their files. Tsunade was rather easy since she new all the needed information about her mentor. She couldn't help but laugh at some of her early injuries being bruised knuckles from punching Jiraiya. The toad hermit himself was also easy since there were only two files available of sannin rank and his was noticeably thicker. Again she couldn't help but chuckle that most of his early injuries were bruises and broken bones, most likely matching the dates that Tsunade had her bruised knuckles. His would have been thicker than theirs regardless though, simply because he had spent more time in the village and doing missions. No doubt being treated there for more missions whereas Tsunade and herself had treated many of their own wounds. She was also able to find her own file which was much smaller than the other two due to her young age when it was last updated and her long absence from the village.

After musing over her own file a little and adding some updates, Shizune placed it back on the shelf and moved towards her next target. Jiraiya had told them to look into the boy's life after all, so she might as well do it while she was here. After searching for a few minutes she was unable to find her target. 'maybe they only move the files annually?' Considering that thought, Shizune move to the civilian section and was once again denied her target. 'What the hell...'

She was brought out of her musings by a friendly voice coming from down the row. "Excuse me, you look lost. Can I help you find someone?"

Shizune looked at the older nurse and smiled. "Yes actually. I was looking for the medical files on Uzumaki Naruto. He's a genin ranked ninja and I thought they might not have moved his file yet."

The older woman blinked at her, then blinked again before her face soured. "You're new here, aren't you?"

"You could say that..." She didn't like the change of tone the woman took up.

"What business do you have with Uzumaki's files may I ask. Last I heard he wasn't a patient here."

"Personal study you could call it."

"I don't think you should be snooping around his..."

"Oh, Shizune-san, is that you?! It's been ages." An elderly male voice spoke up behind the nurse and she moved to the side, bowing for the doctor.

The frown that had begun to mar Shizune's face was instantly replaced by a huge smile. "Kikuchi-sensei!" She ran over to the man and gave him a hug. "It has been a long time. Tsunade-sama has kept me very busy lately."

"Yes...we haven heard from either of you in so long that we started to fear the worst. If it hadn't been for the Sandaime reassuring us that you two were still out there we may have moved your files to the other vault. Either way it's good to have you both back in the flesh. From what I saw of Hokage-sama you both did an amazing job. You must be quick filling your mentor's shoes. I'm proud to have started you on the path." He waved the old nurse away and she bowed again before leaving after sending Shizune an appraising look.

"Thank you sensei." She bowed in respect to the man that had initially set her on the path of the medic. Had she not become Tsunade's apprentice, or rather been pushed into accepting the offer by him, she probable would have been his own apprentice.

"Now, I'm sure we both have things to do, life of a medic and all, so if it's quick I'll try to help you find what you were looking for. Now what was it you were looking for?"

"...I was looking for the file on Uzumaki Naruto."

"May I ask why?"

She was slightly nervous in answering, but at least he didn't seem to have the same negative response as the nurse had. Instead he seemed to just be genuinely interested. "He was the one that went with Jiraiya-sama to bring Tsunade-sama and myself back. I was just going through the files of people I know and got a little curious at what his file might contain. I haven't been able to find it though, in either section."

For the first time ever in her memory, the old man seemed to just stand there and look at her. There was no readable expression on his face and if he hadn't been breathing she would have thought he had died standing. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, he sighed. "Are you fond of the boy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you seek to hurt him in any way?"

"No! Why would you even ask that?!"

"...I had to make sure Shizune. There is far too much hate in this village towards him to allow any bigots to have more information than they should. I'm sure you've seen at least one scowl at the mention of his name." He paused to looked over his shoulder in the direction the nurse had retreated to. "People like that are no longer allowed near him or his files, so they are kept in a separate area to keep them safe. There are only two keys to that vault. One is given to the Hokage and the other is in the possession of the head doctor...me. I will show you his files, but you are not to let his information be public knowledge, nor are you allowed to let anyone else in the vault regardless of whether you are in with them or not. Many of his files have already been destroyed because of such events and I won't risk further damage. Do you understand?"

His voice was firmer than anything she had remembered in their previous interactions and it scared her slightly. He wasn't on the level of an angry Tsunade, but he was well on his way. She suddenly felt slight pity for those that had destroyed the files. No doubt they had met his full wrath. "I-I understand sensei. I will not let any harm come to those files. Wait...files? Plural?"

Again Kikuchi sighed. "Come, you will understand shortly." He turned around and led her away and down a hall off the back of the room. "Down here are all of our most sensitive files. In these rooms you will find files on the treatments of criminals as well as high priority cases. The data that cannot be release on certain persons, such as all of the Hokage, the sannin and high ranking ninja are kept in these vaults. Most of them hold hundreds, or up to thousands of individuals." Passing numerous doors he came to one that had a lock and a seal on it. "Here we are."

Swiping the seal and using his key on the lock, the doctor opened the door and turned on the light inside. He quickly ushered her in and closed the door behind them. What met her were filing cabinets, shelves and racks of all shapes and sizes. Each held a set of dates and a listing of contents. Medical records, x-rays, treatments, severe cases. One thing it all had in common though was that none of the labels had a name attached.

"You will find what you are looking for in here. When you are done just shut the light off and close the door, it will lock itself." Before she could ask where she should start looking, the door clicked shut and she was alone.

"Great, thousands of files and I have to search them to find Naruto's." Letting out a huff she started towards the nearest cabinet. She noted that it seemed to be dated around the time that Naruto would have been born, so it was as good of a place as any to start looking. Opening the top drawer she plucked out the first few files and set it on the small table in the middle of the room before taking a seat. The very first sheet nearly sent her into shock.

Name: Uzumaki Naruto

Date: October 11th * * * *

Doctor: * * * * *

Age: 1 Day

Diagnosis: Lacerations to the abdomen and back, broken femur, various bruises.

Treatment: Bandaged wounds.

'Less than a day old and it sounds like he was dropped out of a tree.' She read through the 'treatment' and was slightly shocked at how minimal it was. Flipping to the next page she looked over the next injury.

Name: Uzumaki Naruto

Date: October 11th * * * *

Doctor: * * * * *

Age: 1 Day

Diagnosis: Mistreatment of injuries.

Treatment: Set leg. Ointment to bruises and lacerations. Stitches to lacerations. Properly re-bandaged.

Side Notes: Doctor * * * * * relieved of duty and escorted off the premises.

'At least he got treated correctly then. Did they really hate him so bad as to hurt an innocent baby?' Slightly relieved at the rectification she placed that file aside and opened the next one.

Name: Uzumaki Naruto

Date: October 12th * * * *

Doctor: * * * * *

Age: 2 Days

Diagnosis: Assassination attempt. Poison.

Treatment: None required.

Side Notes: Poison seems to be purging itself from the body with no treatment.

Again she almost dropped the file, but instead closed it and shuffled through the remaining files before opening one near the bottom of her stack.

Name: Uzumaki Naruto

Date: October 16th * * * *

Doctor: * * * * *

Age: 5 Days

Diagnosis: Assassination attempt. Stab wound to the chest. Blade lightly grazed heart and lung.

Treatment: Cuts to heart and lung seem to have healed before medical attention could be administered. Wound has been cleaned and stitched.

Side Notes: Assailant has not been found despite numerous possible witnesses.

Not wanting to believe what she was reading, she quickly stacked the files and took the back to the cabinet. Looking across the dates again she decided on something a little later. Opening a drawer from a few years after the Kyūbi indecent, she flopped down in her chair once again before opening the top file.

Name: Uzumaki Naruto

Date: September 2nd * * * *

Doctor: * * * * *

Age: 4 Years 327 days

Diagnosis: Assassination attempt. Friction burns to the wrists and ankles. All limbs dislocated on arrival. Stretching of the skin around thighs and shoulders.

Treatment: Ointment applied to burns and bandaged. Joints reset and casting applied.

Side Notes: I can only be glad that this is not my child.

'This isn't possible. Is there even one normal injury in any of these files?' A realization suddenly hit her. Each file she had touched thus far had held only one patient's name. Not wanting to believe it she ran over to the cabinets and began flipping through files. 'Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto...Uzumaki Naruto...' She picked out files at random spots in each cabinet and found them all to hold exactly the same patient. She knew now exactly why this vault held such security. Konoha hated Naruto and this was the result. Thousands of files built up over the years for one person, most of which were written up before he had even become a ninja. She dropped to her knees in stunned silence as she considered how he seemed to act despite how he was obviously treated. The only thing she could come up with to say was: "How...?"

• • •

Dinner went smoothly for the most part and once again Naruto found himself hosting an all female slumber party. He made sure that both Ino and Tenten had permission to spend the night from their parents before he allowed it after hearing about Tenten's interaction with her father. No matter how stubborn she tried to be, he made sure she respected the wishes of her father. It must have impressed the man when she told him why she was even bothering to ask because she came back with permission so long as the other girls were there as well. Not like they had anywhere else to go save for Ino.

While they were eating he had them fill him in on anything he missed. It was during that time that he gained a bit more hatred for the villagers and some more respect for a select few others. He also became more determined to make good on his promise involving Hiashi at some point down the line. One thing that disturbed him though was when Ino said her dad came back from an interrogation one night in a very bad mood. The only indication to her of it was that he didn't call her princess and only had a small dinner before going straight to bed.

After the meal they moved to the sitting room and he told them all about his trip. Like their stories to him, his story made some of them come to some rather harsh conclusions. Tenten for one had a new outlook on Tsunade. The sannin was still her idol, but she announced that she would no longer try to be just like her. Instead she would strive to surpass her in skill while remaining true to herself. A noble goal in Naruto's eyes. Hinata and Haku were, of course, ready to knock some sense into the woman but were kept from doing so when Naruto told them that such an act could endanger their lives and that would be something he would never wish them to chance.

Aside from the verbal thrashing that Tsunade got, they were shocked and awed at his retelling of the battle with Orochimaru and Kabuto. He tried to leave out some of the worst parts, just so they wouldn't worry too much...or try to kill Tsunade in her sleep. With the stories told and any questions answered, Naruto decided it was time to turn in for the night. Kissing the girls goodnight he laughed off their whining. It had been a long time spent away from home and he wanted nothing more than to just crash onto his bed and fall asleep. With one last 'goodnight' he left them to their own devices.

He went over all their stories in his head as he laid staring at the ceiling. There was so much that they had to tell him that it would have been difficult to sort out what went where with whom if he hadn't done so much work with Kage Bunshin already. There did seem to be some inconsistencies though. For one, the advisors hadn't been nearly as aggressive as they should have been while he was away. He should have felt relieved at that, but for some reason it only served to concern him. There was also the attitude of the villagers towards the ladies in his care. It frustrated him that they would be treated like he was and there wasn't much he could do about it except threaten people.

'How am I supposed to protect them from the same people we are supposed to protect. If things start to go like they used to be for me...I don't think I would be able to restrain myself...'

Before his thoughts could run too far he heard a soft click and light from the hall spilled into his room.

"Naruto-kun? Are you still awake?"

He propped himself up on one arm and gave her the best smile he could manage. "Hai Hinata-chan. What do you need?" Cautiously, she walked into the room and shut the door behind her. The action made him slightly nervous which grew as she started to walk towards the bed. She was dressed in her bed clothes and staring at the ground as she made her way towards him. "Hinata-chan?"

"Na-Naruto-kun...I missed you."

Again he smiled at her though this time it was more loving than happy. "I missed you as well my Hime."

As if his voice was an invitation, Hinata jumped into the bed and hugged him, shaking slightly. "I love you Naruto-kun..."

Though he was startled he hugged her as well and rubbed her back. "It's ok Hinata. I'm here now. It's ok..." He continued to rub her back until he heard her breathing even out. Thinking she fell asleep he looked down into her open eyes.

"Please let me stay here tonight..."

"Hinata, I..."

"Please..." She leaned up and kissed him softly.

"..." Naruto stared at her for a few minutes trying to calm his nerves as he lost himself inside her lavender eyes. Something about her twin pools calmed him down. Finally he sighed. "Fine...hime. Just...to sleep."

Hinata smiled and kissed him again, a little deeper before snuggling into his chest. "To sleep."

It seemed like an eternity to him, but eventually Hinata fell asleep in his arms. As he looked upon her slight frame he couldn't help but revel in her alabaster skin shining in the light that streamed through his window. 'Someday Hinata...someday.' It took a couple more hours for sleep to claim him, but for the first time ever he managed to fall asleep in a bed with another person. Neither were awake to see the grin on Hinata's face widen as her subconscious mind took in the atmosphere of calm contentment.

• • •

"Phase one seems to be working out nicely. The plan seems to be going just as you said it would sir."

Danzo looked at the ninja reporting to him. "Excellent. It may take awhile for the full plan to succeed, but I will take my rightful place. With Koharu and Homura pulling the strings of the council while I pull their strings from the shadows, everything will fall into place. No need to rush things. How far along is phase two?"

"It is being set up now Danzo-sama. We will be ready to start within a week."

"Notify me when you are ready. If Tsunade is anything, it's predictable."

"Of course Danzo-sama."

As the ninja left, the door to his office opened and in walked his two main puppets. "Greetings advisors. What brings you to my humble abode?" He asked with a smirk.

The advisors answered with their own, but it changed to a bit of a scowl as they recalled the night's past events. "It would seem Tsunade was a bit better than we thought she would be. Hiruzen woke up early and was able to promote the demon to chūnin before Tsunade accepted her station."

Danzo just waved Homura's comment off. "It matters little. We can easily push her to revoke that decision once she takes office. Demoting someone is much easier than promoting them. Especially if done under stress."

"You were already planning for this...weren't you?"

"What makes a great tactician is the ability to plan for any and all contingencies." Danzo replied as he walked over to a map on the wall depicting Konoha and her surrounding territory.

Koharu coughed to bring him out of his musings. "Tsunade also seems to be a bit more stubborn than initially thought. We're not certain she will cave as quickly as once thought."

Danzo spun on his heal and faced the two, his face now hard and emotionless. "Then we will just have to break her through other means. We broke the Sandaime and were able to gain power over him, surely his student will have exploitable faults as well. We will find them and we will use them. Now I believe you two have some work to do."

"Understood. We look forward to our future ventures Danzo." The pair walked out, knowing a dismissal from the ROOT leader when they heard it.

'Pawns, all of them. By the time they realize, it will be far to late to stop my ambitions. Konoha will be mine and then we will rise to the forefront of the world to become the power that my predecessors would not allow. The power that should have been ours long ago. By the time the world realizes what is going on we will already be running half of it.' The old warhawk allowed a rare smile to grace his features as he turned from the map of Konoha towards his ultimate goal, a map of the elemental Nations labeled: Nation of Elements. 'My ambitions will be realized!'

• • •

The early morning sunbeams breaking through the window and shone on two figures locked in an embrace in the center of the bed. The female was the first to open her eyes and as she took in her first conscious breath of the day she couldn't help but smile. Looking up she stared at the face of the still sleeping boy that held her and kissed him lightly. He stirred a little but didn't wake up so she decided to snuggle into him a little longer.

Half an hour later the sunbeam became too much and Naruto began to stir. Upon taking his own breath of fresh air, his reaction was slightly different. His eyes popped open and he immediately shot into a sitting position, staring at the girl he accidentally threw off of him. "H-Hinata?" Slowly the haze of sleep lifted off his mind and he recalled the events of the previous night. Rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment he tried to apologize to the sad looking girl. "Eh...Sorry about that Hinata-chan. I'm..not used to waking up with people covering me." To himself a different though finished the statement. 'At least not with any good intentions.'

"I-it's ok Naruto-kun. I'm just happy that you didn't pass out...again."

His movements stopped as he realized what she said. Slowly a grin spread across his face and in a flash he was hugging her and kissing her. He felt his own heart rate go up a bit, but he was too happy to care at the moment. Giving one last hug he backed away a bit, breathing heavily and shaking a little. "Hinata-chan, I may not be normal in most senses of the word, but I think you are helping me get there little by little." He surprised her more as he bowed to her right there on the bed. "Thank you Hinata, for staying with me despite how I am."

Hinata nearly started crying in joy as she shuffled over, trying her best to not give into her emotions and just jump on him. "Naruto-koi...I will always be there for you. No matter what." She slowly grabbed him and lifted him back to a sitting position before leaning in and kissing him gently. "Now let's get ready for the day. I have a feeling it's going to be a beautiful one." Slipping off the bed, Hinata left the room to give Naruto his privacy.

'Yes Hinata-chan, it looks like a wonderful day.' Naruto said as he looked out the window. The sky was clear and blue and the sun was bathing the village in it's warm glow.