Chapter 51

Naruto caught up with Temari in a flash, and she didn't so much as flinch at his sudden presence. "What happened?"

Naruto shook his head, "Nothing. Danzo just wanted to play some mind games with me."

"I have to admit, Naruto. That guy gives me a bad feeling in the stomach."

Naruto gently took the begs of vegetables from Temari. "Danzo has plans to be Hokage, Temari, and that is all he cares about. He won't pay even the slightest attention to those he tramples on in his quest. We are nothing but pawns for him to play around with, that is what he believes."

Temari frowned as they walked towards their home. "Pawns, you say? Reminds me of a certain elder back in Suna. I hated that guy."

Naruto smiled slightly, but then became serious again. "He also wanted to know when we were planning on having babies."

Temari choked on air, her face reddening rapidly, though from embarrassment or anger, it was hard to tell. "He what?!"

Naruto shrugged, "That was when I told him to fuck off, in no uncertain terms. I have no doubt that he will be keeping a closer eye on us from now on. I will have to upgrade our home's defenses a bit. Maybe make a mine field….."

"Just don't go overboard," Temari remarked, amused. "Say, how about we get some ice cream?"

Naruto brightened up a little. "I could use some ice cream."

XXXXXXX

"Looks like the Kyuubi jinchuriki has grown quite powerful than our last encounter. Don't you think so, Itachi-san?"

"Hn."

Itachi gave the typical Uchiha response to his partner's question. He was silently glad, however, that Naruto had stopped Sasuke from reaching Orochimaru. Nothing good would come out of that.

Now he didn't need to worry about Sasuke on top of keeping the village safe from outside.

XXXXXXX

Naruto arrived on top of his father's head. He felt him before he saw him, looking over the village. "An unusual spot for you to choose to meet up."

Jiraiya smiled in melancholy. "I guess you could say that."

Both of them stood side by side as they overlooked the village. It was a while before Jiraiya told him why he called him here. "Akatsuki has been moving."

"Oh?"

Jiraiya nodded seriously. "Right now, they don't seem to be going after any of the bijuu. My sources have told me that they are building their capital right now, leaving the jinchuriki as they are, for now."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. "Why are you telling me this?"

Jiraiya looked at him with grim eyes, looking his age for the first time in a long time. "Naruto, you are my apprentice, regardless of your summoning contract. You are Konoha's greatest asset, but most importantly, you are my godson. And I refuse to just sit by when someone is after my godson's life."

Naruto folded his hands. Jiraiya had never been this serious with him, but Akatsuki was serious business. A group of S-rank missing nin was no joke at all, and their goal could twist the very way the world operated. "What do you want me to do then?"

For the first time in their conversation, Jiraiya smirked. "I want you to come on a training trip with me."

Naruto took a deep breath as he turned back to the village. A training trip with Jiraiya…

There was so much he could learn from the man. But first, "How long would the trip last?"

"Three years."

Naruto pursed his lips. "Why three years?"

"You see, I have received reports that Orochimaru has switched bodies once again, which is strange considering how much he wanted Sasuke's body. Now that he has, however, he won't be changing bodies for another three years. Here's the kick though- at the same time Orochimaru has decided to go underground, so have the Akatsuki as well. This gives you a nice, three year window to get stronger, strong enough to not worry about them.

"I plan to make you capable of defending yourself and your loved ones in that time. When I'm finished with you, you will be one of the most dangerous men in all the nations."

Naruto exhaled and sat down on a spike beside his godfather, face contemplative. "While that sounds terribly tempting, I would have to leave my wife behind. And you know well enough just how big of a target she is due to her relationship with me. Many things could happen to her, and I can't take that risk."

"Then it's a good thing that she won't be in the village, right?"

Naruto's head snapped to Jiraiya, confusion written on his face. "What do you mean?"

Jiraiya smirked as he took out a scroll and handed it over to Naruto. He opened it to see a map of the elemental nations, but a particular path had been highlighted. The path began from Konoha and ended in the mountains between Hot water country and the Land of ice. It marked a particular spot over there, in a red circle.

"What's this?"

Jiraiya puffed out his chest. "Well, I knew that you would not agree to leave your wife behind, so I came up with an alternative. The spot marked in the red circle is the home of a retired warrior named Ankita Ryu, who specializes in the usage of war fans. Your wife probably knows of her. She can use them unlike anyone I've seen, and trust me, shinobi of Suna don't even compare to her. What I mean to say is, while we are on our training trip, your wife could embark on her own training trip as well."

Naruto glared at his godfather and was about to snap at him when he paused. That actually sounded like a considerable idea.

Jiraiya's hopes went up on seeing Naruto actually thinking about it. "What do you think?"

"And just what makes you think that she will accept my wife as her pupil?"

Jiraiya crossed his arms and smirked in a triumphant way. "Well, recommendation from a Sannin, for one. Her relationship with you, secondly. Connections are important, after all. And last, her latent talent. She is already very much skilled in the usage of her war fan, and if she trains with Ryu, she will probably become the most dangerous wind user in the entire nations at a very young age. You do want her to be strong enough to protect herself without you, right?"

Naruto nodded, rolling the idea in his head. After a few minutes of thinking, Naruto replied, "I'll have to talk to my wife about this. And I'll agree to the training trip only if we escort her to this lady first."

Jiraiya thrust out his hand. "Deal."

Naruto nodded after shaking hands. "Deal. And also, when are we leaving? Because I need to talk to baa-chan and Sasuke before we do."

Jiraiya looked conflicted, but gave a resigned sigh at that. "I wanted for us to leave as soon as possible, but if you need to talk to Sasuke, we can only leave after five days. What is it that you want to talk to him about anyways?"

Naruto brightened up, completely ignoring Jiraiya's question. "Great!" 'Though I wonder what Temari will have to say about us separating so early after our marriage, for three years at that.'

He stood up, rolling his shoulders. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

He was gone in a flash after that, causing Jiraiya to scoff. "Show off."

XXXXXXX

Five days later, Sasuke was finally moved from intensive care. While he just laid on the hospital bed, only one thought flashed across his mind.

How Naruto beat him.

He had been thinking pretty deeply about how he had been beaten by his former comrade. Why was he beaten? Was his reason for fighting not strong enough? Was his hatred not strong enough?

He slowly clenched his fists as he fought down his frustration. Now that he was in Konoha, it would be a long time before he would be allowed to go after Itachi, and that too if he was lucky.

'I'm so weak…..'

"I wouldn't say that."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open at the voice. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto sat down in the seat. "I came to talk to you, Sasuke."

Sasuke closed his eyes as emotions threatened to overwhelm him. "We have nothing to talk about, Naruto. You can leave."

But Naruto was persistent, like always. "Yes we do. As much as I would like to say that your actions were the result of the influence of the curse seal, they weren't. You were genuinely trying to kill me. Why?"

Sasuke opened his eyes to gaze at the ceiling. "You won't get an answer out of me, Naruto."

Naruto sighed despondently. "Sasuke, I know that you have the answer to my question. What have I ever done to you for you to try and kill me like that?"

"...Because you were in my way. Orochimaru was offering a way to gain power so I can kill my brother, which Konoha would never give me. That is my goal in life, and no one will stop me from achieving it, not even you."

"You mean to say that revenge is more important to you than your comrades, than your bonds with them?"

"Yes."

There was no hesitancy in his answer, and that stunned Naruto. Sasuke didn't give a crap about anything else other than killing Itachi. Naruto was hoping that Sasuke would at least consider before giving the answer, but he was wrong. To Sasuke, nothing mattered except for killing Itachi. Not anymore.

Changing topics to avoid the grief he was feeling, he said, "Your punishment has been decided."

For just a moment, Sasuke was afraid. He was afraid that he would die before he killed Itachi. But he pushed it down and asked instead, "What is it?"

"Six months of imprisonment, followed by six months of suspension from the forces, and six months of duty with probation."

Well, Sasuke couldn't say that he was entirely surprised. Given how desperate the village was when it came to the sharingan, they won't be willing to lose the only pair of eyes they had left. Still, better than being killed.

But this could turn in his favor if he played this right. "I see."

"Don't make revenge your defining purpose in life, Sasuke. It will bring you nothing but emptiness, Sasuke. Mark my words, killing your brother would bring you not satisfaction, but anguish."

Naruto got up from his seat and moved to the door, but before he could touch it, Sasuke's voice stopped him. "Naruto."

Naruto turned his head sideways, signaling that he was listening. "When will you come next time to visit?"

Naruto smiled wistfully as he turned around. "I won't be coming back for three years, Sasuke. I'm leaving for a training trip with Jiraiya."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Then know this- Konoha will not hold me for the entirety of my punishment. I will escape, and I will gain power to kill my brother. Three years later, when we meet again and we will….we shall meet as equals. That I can promise."

He then continued in a much softer tone, surprising the blonde with the vulnerability in his voice. "Naruto…..you are the only person in this village who understands me, and you are the only person in this village that is the closest thing to a friend. You may think what you want for me is for the best, but it's not. Itachi's death will give me the closure I need.

"The least you can do, is let me have it."

Naruto didn't know what to say to that. On one hand, he could tell this to Tsunade, and ensure that security is even tighter so that Sasuke doesn't escape. On the other, Sasuke would never beg like this. It was somewhat sad and pitiful that Sasuke seemed to think that his main purpose in this world was to kill his brother.

But it wasn't his place to decide what he could do. Sasuke's punishment had already been decided. But Sasuke's promise…there was something in those words that made Naruto take him seriously. Perhaps it was a good thing for Sasuke that Naruto was alone in his visit.

He turned and looked directly into Sasuke's eyes, his eyes twinkling with an unknown feeling. "Don't give Hokage-sama a reason to finish you off for the sole reason that the sharingan is more trouble than it's worth."

Sasuke scoffed and looked away. "Oh, and Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned his head towards the door to see Naruto looking at him seriously, with the barest hint of a smirk. "About that day where you said we will meet as equals," Sasuke narrowed his eyes, curious about what Naruto would say, "I look forward to it."

Naruto left after that.

Sasuke snorted softly, turning his head away. Naruto's position as jonin may not allow him to help him, but he was pretty sure that he just received Naruto's blessings to escape from this village. Naruto knew just as well as he did that Sasuke would only become Naruto's equal if he would be able train that hard, and it damn sure wasn't going to be in this village.

"I hope you're ready that day…..Naruto."

XXXXXXX

Orochimaru sat on his chair, thinking deeply. Kabuto's report had upset him greatly. He had never foreseen this event, so now he had to decide upon an alternate initiative.

He had to have Sasuke's body, and no doubt, Sasuke would be under heavy guard, now that he was back in the village. Worse, he had no way to know of any happenings inside the village, since Kabuto was his only spy in there.

It was starting to look like he would have to play the waiting game, and he did not like to wait.

This required some heavy thought.

XXXXXXX

It was night, and Naruto and Temari were relaxing on their bed. Naruto was gazing forwards with such intensity that it worried Temari a bit. His left hand was resting around her shoulder, his finger gently rubbing small circles on her side. Temari was resting on his chest, but most of her attention was on her husband.

Finally, she huffed and sat up, straddling Naruto and breaking him from his trance. "Alright, you've been acting a bit out of it ever since you came home from the hospital, and it's been driving me crazy. What is it?"

Naruto gazed at his wife with adoration as his hands went up to stroke her sides under her t-shirt. "It's actually not that big of a thing. Me and Sasuke talked, that's all."

Temari poked him in the chest and dryly pointed out, "If it wasn't that big, you won't be slipping into trances ever now and then. Now spill, what has got you so worked up."

Naruto smirked and sat up, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around her form, planting kisses on her neck. "My sweet wife is so caring towards me. Just what did I do to deserve you?"

Temari moaned as she tried to resist. "Don't try to change the topic- ngh!"

To her partial disappointment and approval, he stopped and sighed. "It's just…..Sasuke made a promise to me today."

"Oh?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. He said that he will escape, and when we meet three years later, we will meet as equals."

Temari's eyes widened. "He told you that he would escape?! Have you told Tsunade?!"

Naruto gently grabbed her shoulders and shook his head. "Temari, you don't get what I'm saying. He said that he will escape, though I have confidence in our ANBU."

Temari frowned at him. "Then what do you mean?"

"We both know, that is, me and Sasuke, that this village will never give Sasuke the power he needs to kill his brothers. For him to say that we will be equals after three years…..that means that he will have to go back to Orochimaru to gain that sort of power. But even that's not the issue."

Temari took a deep breath. It was rare for her to see Naruto so troubled, but she was beginning to get the gist of his and Sasuke's relationship. From what Naruto had told her, Sasuke considered him the closest thing he had to a friend. Naruto felt the same, but he didn't hold so much negativity. He wanted to help Sasuke, be by his side, and prevent him from going down a rabbit hole from which return is impossible.

"Then what is?"

Naruto gazed into her eyes that told her how much havoc his thoughts were in. "Is it wrong for me to feel that I look forward to that day? That I want him to return to Orochimaru so that he can gain power to become my equal?"

Naruto sighed and held Naruto's hands. "Naruto, only you and Sasuke understand the bond that exists between you. If you look from a standpoint of a shinobi of Konoha, it certainly borders, no, is treason. But if you look at it as a…well, let's say rivals, then perhaps it benefits your friend."

She stroked his cheek with her thumb. "Sasuke is driven not just by his desire to kill his brother, but to be better than you. You motivate him to get stronger so that he could look at you, eye to eye. And that is perfectly normal behavior for rivals. They push each other to get stronger. Sasuke wants you to see him not as a subordinate, but someone who is equal to you."

Naruto averted his eyes from hers in thought. "Maybe you're right. Sasuke's promise is what will drive me, along with getting strong enough to protect you."

Temari smiled at that. She found it endearing that Naruto wanted to be strong enough for her.

"Speaking of training, are you sure that you want to undergo training from that lady?"

Temari rolled her eyes. "Yes, I do! I don't see what has gotten you so worked up about that. Most people would give an arm and a leg to be trained by her. She is a legend in the land of the wind. Do you know what she can do with her fans? It's said that she can create entire-"

Naruto smiled and raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine! Now that that is decided, how about we have some fun?"

He kissed her, pulling her flush against him. She responded enthusiastically, wrapping her arms around his neck. Naruto pulled both of them down on the bed, his hands going down her back.

Their activities would continue late into the night.

XXXXXXX

Naruto and Temari were standing at the village gates, making out against the wall. Strictly speaking, Tsunade had talked with them that should they ever be paired together for a mission, they were to act professionally, not as love-struck idiots. But then again, Naruto was on temporary leave along with his wife, so their actions were justified.

At least that's what Naruto seemed to think.

Izumo and Kotetsu fingered their collar as they failed to avert their eyes from the pair. "Man, they sure are going at it full steam, don't you think?"

Kotetsu shook his head. "No, my friend. If they wanted to go full steam, they would be in their bedroom, not here."

"See, that is how you take care of a woman!"

Any shout like that would have made any couple spring apart with surprise, but not Naruto and Temari. Naruto just slowly broke their lip contact, turning to look at a Jiraiya who looked like he would burst with joy, a smirking Tsunade and an eye-smiling Kakashi, who was positively beaming.

Naruto put some distance between himself and Temari, shrugging innocently. It was rather surprising how quickly his face was cleared of its blush. "You got late, so we just decided to pass the time."

Temari's blush was still receding, but she just huffed and swatted his arm. "There's no we. It was your idea! You were the one who jumped on me!"

"And yet you completely failed to resist," Naruto easily returned, smugness increasing along with her blush.

Jiraiya could feel his manliness starting to slip away. 'Even if Minato was never this bold with Kushina, he didn't fail to pass along his penchant for mushiness,' he lamented.

Outwardly, he cleared his throat. "Ahem! Well, let's be going brats! We need to reach the mountains in less than a week."

Though he flinched when Tsunade glared at him. "Shut up!"

Though her face turned into a soft smile when she turned to Naruto and Temari. She drew the former into a hug. "Now, you take good care of yourself, Naruto. Eat properly, and don't work yourself into exhaustion every time you train."

Naruto rolled his eyes as he returned the hug. "I'll try my best, but no promises."

Tsunade punched his arm lightly, then turned to Temari and drew her into a hug. "Do take care of yourself, Temari, and try to come back before three years are up. This idiot here needs you more than he shows."

"Hey!"

Temari was surprised when Tsunade hugged her, but returned it nonetheless. "I will, Hoka- Tsunade. Someone needs to keep him in check, after all."

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted to the side. "I swear, I'm being attacked today."

Tsunade released the hug and stepped back. Kakashi stepped forward, eye smiling. "Get strong, and maybe we can have a one-on-one match."

Naruto scoffed, a challenging glint in his eyes. "Trust me Kakashi, when I return, you won't stand a chance against me."

"We'll see Naruto, we'll see."

With that, they waved goodbye one last time and turned away, walking away from the village.

'So Kurama, now that we've got a whole three years to ourselves, how are you going to train me?'

Kurama hummed in thought before replying. 'These three years will be a good opportunity to train you to master my chakra. I will push you hard, Naruto. And mastering of each tail will only get more difficult as you progress, especially from the fourth tail.'

'…..I see.'

'Which is why you'll train to master my chakra in the fox realm. I will be able to teach you better over there, and you will have comparatively less difficulty in mastering my chakra over there.'

'Why? Is there something that will aid me.'

'Something like that.'

Kurama's vague reply caused him to raise an eyebrow. Just how special was the realm of the foxes?

Jiraiya asks once they were out of Konoha's view. "So kid, how do you feel about leaving your home for three years?"

Naruto looks at Temari once and looks back, smiling wistfully. "Honestly? It feels like the end of an era."

He looked up to the sky, as if speaking to it. "I will become as strong as I can, because you are my limit."