Home at Last

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Tenjho Tenge

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This chapter finally finishes the Tea Country Arc. Enjoy!

Last time:

Naruto was surprised to see Gazeru come in the room. He was even more surprised when she took her mask off and gave him a passionate kiss. When they separated, she gave him a big smile and her green eyes glittered with happiness. "I've missed you Naruto-kun. I'm so happy to see you."

The blonde seal master smiled happily and said, "I'm happy to see you too Hikari-chan. What brings you down to Outpost 6? Are you on a mission out here or can you talk about it?"

"My mission is to escort Team 11 and your client back to Konoha along with ANBU Bear and Dove." explained the kunoichi.

"It's a shame you have to keep your pretty face under a mask the whole trip." said Naruto.

Hikari giggled before she set her mask down. "It will just be something you can look forward to when we get back to Konoha." Then Hikari got more serious. "I heard you had a run in with Natume Shin. Is Maya okay?"

Naruto nodded, "Maya-chan got pretty beat up but she fended him off. She seems okay but I'm worried about her. That had to be a huge stressor. I plan to talk to her about it once we get back to Konoha."

"I'm sure all of you will need to see a Yamanaka after this." said Hikari. "You weren't meant to take on high level missing nins on just a C ranked escort mission."

"Compared to the village we had to destroy the missing nins were a cakewalk." replied Naruto with a shudder.

"What exactly happened?" asked Hikari with concern in her voice.

Naruto answered, "Until we clear the situation with the Hokage I'm not sure I can talk about it. Let's just say it was a living nightmare for now."

Hikari gave Naruto a warm hug. "Once we get back to Konoha we'll take care of all three of you Naruto-kun." The pair sat together talking about inconsequential things and were soon joined by Hinata and Maya. Naruto was happy to see all three girls were getting along so nicely. He hoped that Hikari-chan could 'officially' be his girlfriend as well with Maya-chan and Hinata-chan's approval.

After a quiet dinner everyone turned in a bit early so they could leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow…

…

Chapter 34

Fire Country, Ninja Outpost Station Number 6

It was early in the morning and Team 11 and company were having a big breakfast before they set off for Konoha. Natsuko was making conversation with Naruto. "I had my eye on your amazing skills all along Naruto-kun, but after you saved me at Numa no Mura, I knew that you were destined to be my partner. In the Nadeshiko Village we kunoichi have to be very particular in choosing a husband. The man must prove himself stronger than her and when you rescued me, I was helpless. After my mission to the Fire Capital was done, I intended to come to Konoha and declare myself to you."

'Suuuure you were…' thought Maya and Hinata as one.

"What happened in this Numa no Mura Village that was so bad anyway?" asked Bear puzzled.

Natsuko piped up and said, "It was infested by demons and only Naruto-kun's amazing skill with seals saved us. I would certainly have died or worse."

"Demons?" asked Bear.

Yūgao growled, "That information is classified for the Hokage's ear only Natsuko. Speak no more of it."

"But Naruto-kun was really brave and I-" started Natsuko.

"If you want safe passage through Fire Country then shut up now Natsuko." said Yūgao in an iron tone. The Nadeshiko kunoichi pouted.

"Getting back on track, our team seems to be in good shape all things considered." said Maya. "I personally can't wait to get back to Konoha."

Naruto nodded. "I'm with you there Maya-chan. We should consider taking an easier mission when we get back so we can unwind a bit."

"It might be a good idea to remain in Fire Country this time." added Hinata.

Yūgao said, "After everything that happened on this mission Team 11 will have a mandatory rest period and will get full physical and psyche evaluations. That is standard protocol for missions in the A and above range. I'm proud of your work ethic but you three have to realize that you need to rest your bodies and minds, or you'll burn out. The Hokage would say the same."

The three genins on Team 11 sighed and said in unison, "…Yes Yūgao-sensei."

Hikari stifled a giggle at their droning response…

…

Konoha Village

The Kazekage and his group arrived at the Konoha Village front gates around 9 A.M. and were received warmly by Tsunade. Accompanying her were her advisors Sarutobi Hiruzen and Hyūga Hanako who had agreed to become an advisor the evening before. Talk of the village was split between the Kazekage's visit and the dawn executions of Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura for acts of treason as well as the announcement of Shimura Danzo's previous execution. Rasa and his entourage were a bit taken aback at the news.

"Please forgive the poor timing Kazekage-sama." said Tsunade conversationally. "The date of the executions was set long before we knew the date of your arrival. As I am the new Hokage I'm afraid that I cannot falter in delivering swift justice to traitors of all kinds. I have the eyes of the villagers and the nation to consider after all."

Rasa was sweating slightly and said, "I understand perfectly Hokage-sama. I would do the exact same if I was in your position." After some brief introductions the Kazekage and his entourage were set up with some luxurious guest quarters and Rasa agreed that he and Tsunade should start their talks the next morning and simply have a welcoming luncheon for the Kazekage and his party today.

At the hotel the Sand Siblings were soon standing in front of the Kazekage. "You three will be sitting with me at the luncheon so treat our hosts with the great respect they are due. You will all be wearing formal attire. Temari, make sure your brothers are presentable. Kankuro; no war paint. And Gaara…try to be amiable." Rasa sounded stressed on the last bit. "I expect you all to display model behavior as Suna shinobi."

As soon as the Kazekage departed Kankuro groaned. "I have to dress in a formal kimono and go without my war paint? I never signed up for this duty."

That's when he got clobbered by a large scroll with his formal clothes in it that Temari tossed at him. "Take a shower and get dressed Kankuro. Gaara, when Kankuro gets out go ahead and shower. I'll be across the hall getting ready myself."

"This whole trip has been one strange stunt after another." said Gaara forlornly. "Mother thinks this is ridiculous."

"I agree with 'Mother' entirely." said Temari as she left the room irritated.

"On the positive side some people got executed" said Kankuro with a grin at his younger brother. Seeing Gaara's flat look he said, "Right...I'll be taking that shower now."

"First the hot springs and now a formal lunch." muttered Gaara. "What will the Kazekage have us do next?"

…

Southern Fire Country

"You've got to be kidding me!" roared Maya as the silver of the Reiki flashed in front of her and crashed into the ronin samurai's katana in a shower of sparks. It seemed that the universe was conspiring against Team 11 getting home safely. "This is ridiculous; are we cursed?! I am sooooo fucking pissed!" growled the silver haired beauty as she cut the man down with brutal efficiency. Blood sprayed everywhere as she hit a major artery. If the Natsume heiress had left it at that he would have bled out and died regardless but she spun rapidly and removed him as any sort of threat by beheading him before the thug hit the ground.

Unfortunately for the ronin involved that tried to ambush Team 11, Yūgao and her genin were tired of being on the butt end of this cosmic joke called a simple escort mission and these poor, hapless rogue samurai were on the receiving end of Team 11's ire.

For her part Yūgao was rather pleased with her new katana. 'Originally I was going to turn this blade in but I think I'll keep it after all. It needs a better name though. Sword Breaker is kind of unimaginative.' thought the purple haired sword mistress. By channeling chakra through her katana the leading edge of it vibrated at incredibly high speed which vastly increased its cutting power for brief periods of time. She was particularly pleased with the look on her opponent's face when his blade was cut in half –along with his arm. As he dived for cover with a shriek Yūgao noted that the ANBU and Natsuko were certainly holding their own but Naruto, Maya and Hinata were tearing up their opponents with extreme prejudice.

Hinata was against a skilled swordsman that kept deflecting her hits so only flat end of the Hakutsume blades would make contact. The heiress got a bit peeved at his obnoxious, buck toothed grin. 'Well, I have to admit he has lots of experience compared to me. He always stops my blades a fraction of an inch from hitting him. Judging by his smile he's showing off and trying to taunt me into making an error. Maybe I can use his overconfidence against him….'

The Hyūga heiress charged her Hakutsume blades with chakra and intentionally aimed to hit him in the head with the flat end of her blade where he could block at the last second. The result sounded like a thunderclap as the equivalent of a metal edged, chakra enhanced bitch slap took the buck toothed swordsman's head clean off his shoulders in an explosive manner. In spite of being showered with gore Hinata found herself inordinately pleased with the results of her improvised technique…

The noise distracted Naruto's opponent (seeing a friend's head explode usually does that) and the blonde ninja ran the ronin through the heart with Shippuuhime before taking his head with the ever-bloodthirsty Kurimuzo-kougou. The macabre spectacle of the sword drinking the dead man's blood as he fell to the ground was still a bit spooky to Naruto but using his strength of mind the Uzumaki Prince could command the sword to stop at will. Naruto turned and spun the demonic wakizashi in a crimson arc to get the excess blood off of it and turned to face another opponent that was terrified by the crimson edged blade…

The morale of the ronin was falling rapidly given what they thought was easy prey due to their superior numbers was turning out to be like being thrown into the water with a bunch of frenzied sharks. One of the rogue samurai that was apparently high in the pecking order yelled for a retreat and the ronin quickly withdrew of their own accord after that. ANBU Bear and Dove were both shocked at the sheer numbers the three genin took down. "I expected Yūgao to take out as many as she did but those genin…" said Dove quietly.

Bear was at a loss for words himself and said, "I guess they really are ANBU Brats…"

Natsuko was congratulating Naruto on his sword skills though in his opinion he was less skilled than the girls. "You were amazing Naruto-kun! That wakizashi of yours…I remember some story about a sword that drank blood. I think it belonged to a royal family or something…" said the Nadeshiko kunoichi.

Naruto looked like a deer caught in the headlights but Yūgao intervened and said, "Get your swords cleaned up Naruto. We're moving out quickly. Natsuko, are you injured?"

"No, I'm fine." answered Natsuko.

Yūgao nodded. "Good; in that case go over to Dove and inform her you are uninjured."

As Natsuko walked over to Dove; Naruto said to Yūgao; "Thank you sensei. I was at a loss for words about Kurimuzo."

Yūgao patted his shoulder. "Any time Naruto-kun."

Gazeru finished wiping off her katana and said. "Well done guys. That was some impressive swordsmanship there."

"We still need to improve Gazeru." said Maya shaking her head. "We're all more fatigued than I realized. I just want to go home."

The roughed-up group was soon underway again…

…

Konoha Village

The luncheon for the Kazekage was…different…as far as Temari was concerned. She had been to many formal meetings of this nature but never in a foreign country and never with someone that could be the Kazekage's equal. 'Tsunade-sama has a presence and power that I've only seen matched by the Kazekage himself. I wonder if I could have that same kind of strength someday.' pondered the Suna Princess. She also felt the very imposing presences of Hiruzen and Hanako but they weren't projecting it as much as Tsunade. The only time Temari made eye contact with Hanako she felt as is the older woman could see her every thought…

Rasa was sitting with Gōza and Sajō of the Suna Senior Council who were acting as his advisors. Baki was also on Council also, but his job was monitoring his team for now. As it was, Gaara seemed rather subdued so nothing bad had happened so far. Rasa was making small talk about the trip from Suna and both leaders were sizing each other up.

Rasa thought to himself, 'I had little doubt that Sarutobi-sama would pick a worthy successor but Orochimaru's assurance that she is no threat is a total lie. I've met Sarutobi-sama before and he is certainly no slouch despite his age. I'm not sure what to think of Hyūga Hanako-sama but there is no doubt in my mind she is formidable. Her gaze is absolutely unnerving. I know Temari felt it too. My daughter is quite good at reading people and even then Temari is shying away from the woman. That is unheard of with her discipline.'

Kankuro was sweating a bit. There wasn't any pressure aimed at him per se but being in the presence of so many powerful people had him nervous. 'Gods I hope Gaara doesn't snap.' He glanced over at his little brother who was simply eating quietly. 'Well, he looks calm enough I guess. I can't wait till this luncheon is over.' Looking over at Temari the puppet user thought to himself. 'Nee-chan is forcing herself almost as much as I am.' Temari caught his glance and nodded to Kankuro in a reassuring manner. Kankuro nodded back. 'Things will work out okay.'

As Gaara quietly ate he got the odd feeling that both Temari and Kankuro were protecting him in their own way. 'I wonder why I feel that way. It is a strange sensation…' thought the redhead. The bijuu trapped within him was silent for once and he simply decided to tune out the conversation and eat.

Baki watched his three charges carefully. 'Gaara isn't showing any signs of instability. Kankuro and Temari are coping as well as can be expected. Maybe once this luncheon is over, I can take them someplace to relax.' The Suna jonin was feeling a bit of the pressure himself. 'If it's bothering me then the kids must be in hell…'

…

Fire Country, Forest

Naruto finished setting up a seal barrier behind a camouflage barrier and activated it. "Now we can eat." said the blonde ninja as he sat down.

Bear looked at the ironclad barrier around them and said, "No offense but isn't this…barrier a bit overkill?" Seeing the genin of Team 11 glaring at him the ANBU said sheepishly, "On the other hand; safe is always good."

ANBU Dove watched as the genin quickly and efficiently broke out their meals from storage scrolls and passed her a plate of shrimp tempura that was piping hot along with some green tea. Dove stared for a minute and then saw Gazeru was digging into her meal with gusto and complimenting Hinata on her culinary skills. "I can't believe how well you can cook Hinata. This is good enough for a restaurant!"

Bear and Dove both dug into their meals and Bear said, "This really is good! How did you bring it out without heating it up first?"

"I fried it up three weeks ago and Naruto-kun sealed it up straight out of the sesame seed oil." explained Hinata. "It's still fresh and hot from then."

"But how?" asked Dove befuddled.

Naruto simply said, "You can accomplish anything with seals. Hinata-chan's food is the real magic here. All I did was seal it in scrolls."

Maya nodded. "Best of all we have great food that takes no time to prepare in the field. Of course, we normally don't treat ourselves this way."

"You kids deserve it now and again." said Yūgao. "Anyway, this has been a hard march. Those ronin showing up when they did earlier was incredibly bad timing."

Bear and Dove were scheming to get into Team 11's good graces so they could eat like royalty in the field instead of the cardboard flavored rations they normally had…

As the quiet banter went on Natsuko looked at Naruto and Team 11's damaged uniforms with bloodstains and burn marks. She thought, 'Naruto-kun; you and your teammates are very special. What is it that drives you so hard to succeed? The Nadeshiko Village would welcome such strong and skilled members into our village with open arms.' Natsuko looked at their sensei. 'Yūgao calls them genin but most chunin I've met wouldn't have survived this journey.' Looking back at Naruto the Nadeshiko kunoichi thought to herself, 'How can I get you to come home with me Naruto-kun?'

…

Konoha Village, Hotel Guest Quarters

The Sand Siblings were having an impromptu family meeting back at the hotel. All three of them looked stressed. "Well, on the positive side we survived that meal. I feared it would be my last." said Kankuro.

Gaara said quietly, "There was simply too much power there. It was overwhelming. Even Mother was silenced."

What's Shukaku saying now?" asked Temari. "I can see by the way you are twitching that it's yelling at you little brother."

"She wants me to crush Baki so we can run away from this place." said Gaara in a monotone. Seeing the looks of apprehension on the faces of his siblings Gaara said, "I told her it was too reckless. I need to preserve my existence."

Temari and Kankuro both sighed in relief. "Yes, you staying safe is important for all of us Gaara." said Temari sadly.

'Why does Temari sound so sad?' wondered Gaara. 'This whole trip has been very strange. I normally don't think of Temari and Kankuro at all except when our team is in battle. Why am I concerned about them now? Is it because Mother has been so unsteady lately?'

Alas, the redheaded jinchuriki had no answers to his questions…

…

Konoha Front Gates

Izumo and Kotetsu saw Yūgao with her genins approaching in a diamond formation with Natsuko protected in the center. ANBU Dove, Bear and Gazeru separated from Team 11 at the front gates. Yūgao signed in and said, "Jonin Uzuki Yūgao and Team 11 reporting in from Tea Country Escort Mission." She motioned to Natsuko. "Our client Natsuko of the Nadeshiko Village is accompanying us. We need to report to the Hokage directly."

"You'll need to report to Jonin Commander Nara Shikaku." said Izumo. "Hokage-sama is in conference with Kazekage-sama."

Yūgao visibly sagged. "The fun never ends. Where can we meet the Jonin Commander, Izumo?"

Kotetsu chimed in and said, "He's at the mission hall where the Hokage normally is." He noticed the very beautiful Natsuko and said, "I'll need to see your travel papers Nadeshiko kunoichi-san."

Natsuko said, "I have clearance papers from your border station commander Captain Tenzo. Will those work?"

Team 11 was taken slightly aback at Natsuko's all business-like attitude. 'I'm surprised she isn't batting her eyelashes at our gate guards or at least flirting with them.' thought Maya. 'I'll never figure this woman out.'

Naruto and Hinata were thinking along the same lines as Maya while Natsuko went through the standard check in procedures.

As the battered team marched towards the Mission Hall, they were spotted by Nagi Souichiro and Makihara Bob. Souichiro went to say hello but a businesslike nod from the usually jovial Naruto made him pause. The two Academy students saw their friends looked like they'd been through a war. Maya mouthed 'Later' as Team 11 marched on by.

"Damn Bob, did you see them?" asked Souichiro. "I was going to talk with them but they were all bloody and dirty. Do you think they are alright?"

Bob was a bit dumbstruck as well. "Well, none of them were limping or moving like they were hurting. Maybe we ought to go out to the Natsume place. Masataka is probably out there helping Aya with her homework now."

The blonde nodded. "That sounds like a plan Bob. We can just say we came out to help Aya with her homework too."

Bob shook his head and sweat dropped. "No one would ever believe you're helping anybody with bookwork Souichiro. If anything, Aya's grades would drop. Let's just say we saw Maya was back and decided to tell Aya. I don't want to get smacked by Hanako-sama for lying."

Souichiro cringed. "Good point. That old granny is a walking lie detector."

…

Mission Hall

Team 11 came into the Mission Hall and people were stepping aside looking at the war torn group that appeared to be on a death march. Yūgao stepped up in front of Nara Shikaku and said, "Team 11 reporting in Commander." Using ANBU hand signals she signed [Full S-Class Report].

Shikaku took in the sight before him and said in a bored tone, "Well, things just got troublesome."

Natsuko looked confused and the genins of Team 11 just had a huge group sweat drop. 'There's absolutely no doubt he's Shikamaru's Father…' thought the three genins in disbelief.

…

Natsume Clan Home

Aya was sitting with Masataka discussing the lesson on ninja tactics and Aya had swirls in her eyes. "Tsubaki sensei expects us to understand this?!" she asked confused.

Masataka smiled softly. "It's a bonus question Aya-chan. It's supposed to be really hard. You know Tsubaki-sensei never gives out extra points for free."

"No kidding." said Aya. "We should get bonus points just for understanding the question. I'll skip it. I don't need bonus points to pass. I wish I was smart like you and Maya nee-chan, Masataka-kun."

They heard a knock at the door and a "Yo; is anyone home?" in Souichiro's usual loud voice.

Masataka sweat dropped and Aya giggled. "I'll get it." said Aya.

However, Natsu shot by in a flash and said, "I'll get it Aya-sama!" Opening the door Natsu sighed at the (usual) disheveled appearance of Souichiro and Bob. She said formally, "Makihara-san, Nagi-san; what brings you young gentlemen by?"

Souichiro smiled and said, "We came to see Aya and tell her Maya and Team 11 made it back earlier. We thought you'd like to know."

"Maya nee-chan is back?! That's great news." said Aya happily.

Natsu let the two troublemakers in realizing they actually had a legitimate reason for being there. "Come in and sit. I'll get some tea for everyone." said Natsu. Then she whispered harshly to Souichiro. "No swearing in front of Hanabi-sama or I'll juken you again!"

The blonde held his hands up in surrender before Natsu shot off to the kitchen. "Damn, sometimes I forget the maid's a kunoichi too Bob."

"Just turn on your filter Nagi." said Masataka helpfully.

Bob laughed. "This is Souichiro we're talking about here; I don't think he has a filter."

Hanabi came out with Natsu. "I heard Maya nee is home! Are Hinata nee-chan and Naruto nii-san home too Nagi-san?"

"Hey Brat!" said Souichiro. Noticing Natsu glaring daggers at him the blonde coughed and said, "I mean Hanabi-chan. And yeah, they are all back but were headed towards the mission hall. I guess they had to make a post mission report."

Aya said, "How did they look?"

The blonde replied, "Oh, they looked like shi-"

Bob smacked the back of Souichiro's head and made him face plant on the table to keep him from swearing. "They looked really tired from their mission." said Bob diplomatically with a weak smile.

Hanabi raised one eyebrow skeptically and said, "Tired huh?"

'Curse this little mini version of granny Hanako!' thought Souichiro. 'It's like she can read minds!'

Bob nodded. "Well, more like exhausted. It's been a long trip for them I imagine."

Aya smiled and said, "We'll see them when they get home Hanabi-chan."

…

Mission Hall

Over the last two hours; Shikaku had listened to the most confounding mission report a genin team had ever given on in his lifetime. 'Thank the gods this wasn't Shikamaru's Team 10. Yūgao's Team 11 is tougher than nails.' "So what happened after you left Outpost 6 this morning?"

Yūgao said in a bored tone, "That's when the twenty-nine ronin attacked us. They weren't aware of our ANBU escort and we suffered no further injuries."

"So, the ANBU Team drove them off?" asked the Nara.

The purple haired sword mistress shook her head and said, "No, everyone was engaged in combat with the ronin. Only about a third of them had real skills so we drove them off fairly easily."

The Jonin Commander cringed. "I hate to ask but how many actually got away?"

Yūgao motioned to Hinata. The Hyūga heiress said, "Eleven escaped but one was missing half an arm. Odds are he bled out later but there is no way to confirm it."

"So eighteen ronin lost their lives and probably nineteen because they made the simple mistake of crossing your path?" asked Shikaku.

Naruto answered, "Actually they attempted to ambush us but Hinata-chan spotted them in advance, so we were able to surprise them."

Shikaku was seriously considering getting something to drink…or retiring…or both. "So, to sum up Team 11 racked up the highest body count for one C-ranked mission in the history of the Elemental Nations?!" asked the Jonin Commander. Seeing the flat look on all four members of Team 11's faces he simply said. "This is beyond troublesome. Keep the business about Numa no Mura quiet for now. Discussion about that is for the Hokage to decide. The rest is at your discretion. You are dismissed Team 11."

…

"Well, I guess that mission description was a bit hard to follow." said Yūgao. "Fortunately, we already had our written reports done in advance. Otherwise, we would have been in the mission hall until midnight."

"I just want to go home and soak in the hot springs." said Maya.

"That sounds like a great idea." said Natsuko appearing out of nowhere.

Team 11 jumped and Yūgao growled, "Never do that again!"

…

Natsume Clan Home

Maya, Hinata and Naruto dragged themselves home after depositing Natsuko at her guest quarters at the hotel. They'd already been scheduled for a mandatory visit to the hospital along with Yūgao the next morning so sleeping in was out of the question. The collective thought of the three genin was 'Regulations are evil….Sensei is evil….I want to sleep.' As the three sleepwalked towards home they heard the Academy students and Hanabi carrying on rather loudly from within the house.

"Sounds like a party is going on…let's go crash at my apartment." said Naruto.

Maya and Hinata shook their heads 'no' in perfect unison and each grabbed one of Naruto's arms before pulling him forward. Maya opened the door and said in a subdued tone, "We're home everybody."

Aya looked up and happily said, "Maya nee-chan!" Then she saw her older sister's battered appearance and said in shock, "Maya nee-chan! Are you alright?" Aya's eyes got wider as Naruto and Hinata filed in looking just as bad.

Hanabi rushed over and hugged Hinata. "Hinata nee; are you okay?"

Hinata hugged Hanabi warmly and said, "I'm glad to be home Hanabi-chan. Seeing everyone safe here makes me feel so much better."

Natsu was soon fussing over the trio of worn-out teens and sat them down to relax and eat some dinner.

Souichiro was shocked seeing Naruto's uniform. The right arm was shredded and the mesh was ruined…not to mention the bloodstains and burn marks. Souichiro had seen Naruto from the left side earlier. He asked, "Naruto Aniki, what the hell happened to your arm? How are you not in the hospital?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "It was a near miss from an exploding tag. I'm fine now; I heal fast after all. Shame about the uniform though."

All three members of Team 11 were bombarded with questions after that until Natsu quieted everyone down. "Everyone give them time to eat! Hinata-sama, Maya-sama and Naruto-san need to relax. It's obvious they had a rough mission. I believe a good shower and some sleep is what they really need." It was obvious the maid was a bit frazzled because she hadn't even smacked Souichiro for cussing in front of Hanabi-sama.

About an hour later the three members of Team 11 finished eating and each took a hot shower before they went to bed early. All three of them wanted to curl up and hold each other but explaining why Naruto and a clone of his were sleeping with Maya and Hinata was a question they really weren't up to answering that evening.

…

Hanako got home after the three teens went to bed. She found the rather subdued Aya and her classmates sitting with Hanabi playing cards. The Hyūga matriarch had seen Team 11's mission report and could honestly say she was immensely proud of the children for handling such a trial by fire so well. 'The business with Numa no Mura alone was astounding.' thought Hanako idly. 'The fact their mission all turned out in vain had to be disheartening though. I'll need to talk to Maya about her run in with her older brother as well. Still, to say three genin did that well under that kind of pressure is truly a testimony to the kind of ninja they are growing up to be.'

Hanako was soon comforting the distressed Aya and Hanabi and to a lesser extent put Masataka, Souichiro and Bob's fears at rest. 'Gods, I feel like I am turning into some kind of Granny…'

…

Hokage Tower

The next morning Tsunade and Rasa sat down for their formal talks. 'Now we can get down to business.' thought Tsunade. 'No advisors, no bullshit. I want to preserve the Konoha-Suna alliance. I have to convince Kazekage-sama that he is making a mistake siding with Orochimaru in this upcoming conflict.'

Rasa seated himself and thought, 'I wonder how much Hokage-sama actually knows. Suna is at a precipice. Which way we turn depends on the outcome of these talks…With no advisors to say one way or another I can make the decisions that need to be made without interference.'

"Good morning Kazekage-sama." said Tsunade. "I hope these talks prove to be productive for both our villages."

"As do I Hokage-sama." replied Rasa.

Tsunade thought, 'Time to make the first move…' "It has been brought to my attention that the Wind Daimyo has been foolishly cutting badly needed funds to Suna. Given we are close allies I feel that one of Konoha's duties is to help out before Suna ends up in a financial bind they can't get out of…"

…

Konoha Hospital

While the two Kages were having their morning conference, Team 11 reported in for their physicals and the medic ninjas on staff were very impressed with the entire team being in good such good physical shape. They all attributed it to Hinata being a combat medic on their team. Hinata was blushing slightly as Naruto and Maya hugged her. "It's all thanks to you Hinata-chan!" said Naruto happily. "You patched us all up more than once."

"Naruto-kun is right." added Maya. "You really saved me after that run in with Shin." 'Which reminds me I need to talk to Aya-chan about Shin. I also have to dig out the family scrolls about our Great-Grandmother about this wood bloodline. Could Shin have been talking about the mokuton?' wondered the Natsume heiress.

After clearing their physical exams, Yūgao made sure they all got psyche checks scheduled with a Yamanaka and gave them the rest of the day off to themselves. Naruto turned to his two girlfriends and said, "I guess we ought to go down to the ANBU Armory and talk to Taro and Mura. My mesh shirt is shot and we all need newer clothes."

"I guess you are right Naruto-kun." said Hinata glumly. "I'd rather spend money on something more fun though."

Naruto said, "You girl's safety is the most important thing on my mind."

Maya smiled at her boyfriend. "I doubt we'll get this torn up on a regular basis anyway."

…

Konoha Village, Hotel Guest Quarters

Gaara was twitching over breakfast…badly. 'Mother senses something…A fox roaming around that she hates?' "Yes Mother I'll go look." the redhead said aloud.

His siblings looked up from their meals. "What is it Gaara?" asked Kankuro.

"Shut up or I'll kill you." said Gaara in a flat tone. "I have something to investigate." He stood up and started putting his gear on.

Temari said in a reasonable tone, "Baki-sensei told us to stay put Gaara. We shouldn't leave the hotel."

Gaara looked at Temari briefly and said, "Baki can't stop me and the Kazekage is too busy. I can do what I want." The redhead quickly left the room leaving his brother and sister behind.

"What should we do?" asked Kankuro.

Temari answered "Hurry up and get your gear on. We have to follow him before he does something bad for Suna's reputation!"

The two siblings soon took off after their younger brother…

…

ANBU Armory

The genins of Team 11 came marching into the ANBU Armory and saw Taro asleep at his desk. "I guess business is slow today…" said Maya as she rapped on the desk to wake the sleeping weapons master up. "Wake up Taro! We need some gear."

Taro slid an eye open and said, "Well, well; if it isn't Team 11. I heard you guys had quite a trip. What do you all need?"

Naruto said, "I need a new Type Two ANBU Mesh shirt and both girls need to be outfitted with full Type Two gear."

Taro raised an eyebrow. "I know you want to protect your Teammates Uzumaki but can you afford this? Type Two gear isn't cheap."

Naruto pulled out a credit card and said, "Bill it to the Arashi Seal Company."

Taro's eyes widened as he picked up the card and saw it was legitimate. "…I had no idea…I'll get this approved with the bank while Mura gets you three get outfitted."

…

Konoha Village, Hotel Guest Quarters

After looking about for his wayward charges; Baki picked up a note pinned to his door with a shuriken. It was in Temari's handwriting. 'Went out against orders at 9:15 A.M.; trailing Gaara.' was all it said. "Shit!" thought the Suna jonin aloud. "I'd best try to track them down before an international incident occurs. Kazekage-sama will not be happy. It's already 10:30 so who knows where they are by now."

…

ANBU Armory

Naruto, Maya and Hinata left the Armory equipped with new mesh and some new clothes to replace their damaged ones. They were generally in high spirits but couldn't seem to shake the feeling they were being watched. Hinata looked around with her byakugan and said, "I don't see anything out of the ordinary Naruto-kun."

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid. I guess we have been under a lot of pressure lately."

"It's rare you are wrong Naruto-kun." said Maya. "We'll just keep our eyes open."

Naruto's instincts were right. Team 11 had a tail…

…

POSTSCRIPT:

Well, a little bit of a cliffhanger there but not too bad. The Kazekage is in conference with Tsunade and Gaara is following Mother's advice to hunt down a certain fox. What are the results of that situation going to be? See you next time. Blue out. 7/9/23