Found Family

by Fawn of the woods

Naruto meets a blast from Jiraiya's past and his as well. Who is this person and what connection does she have with the previous generation. Hinata takes a leap forward in her role as a kunoichi. Part of my series. NarHin NeTen AsuNai

1. Family, Friends and Teammates

This one will have chapters. Part of my series. Parts will be confusing otherwise. I am now looking for a beta by the way.

First story: True Friends Truly Believe /s/3953609/1/

Previous in series: Absence /s/4619209/1/

Disclaimer me own nothing

Family, Friends, and Teammates

Naruto was wandering around the cliffs. Jiraiya had wanted to explore something in this area. Naruto was grumbling because the stupid sannin wouldn't tell him what exactly. Not that he could complain much, though he did. They had been gone for 15 months. A year or so more and he would return to Konoha, and Hinata. Seeing his sensei slow down, he figured they had reached the camp for the night. They had been walking all day. Not running, walking, constantly, at a slow plodding pace, for three days it had been the same. Jiraiya had him keep his chakra at a minimum the entire time. He was getting mildly irritated. How could he practice if he wasn't to raise his chakra? Grumbling, he pulled out his dinner from his pack. Jiraiya had already jumped into a tree for the night.

Actually he had been doing that for a while now. Naruto wasn't really sure what to make of it. Kyuubi thought it meant something was bothering him, but Naruto was more certain that he just wanted time to himself. After all he had been traveling alone for quite a time to suddenly have someone with him every second of every day for two and a half years. Naruto shrugged as he ate his dinner. He would discuss it with Kyuubi the next day. He had mastered the art of being aware of the world during his visits to Kyuubi's den several months ago.

Feeding some dried meat to Takamaru, he figured he might as well see what Hinata was up to. Cleaning up and preparing for bed, he lay on his blanket for the night and looking at the stars, he conjured his hime in his mind's eye. Feeling gently along their bond he discovered her to be exceedingly relaxed and very happy. Sending a small greeting her way he felt her startlement, followed by embarrassment. Feeling confused, he started to withdraw, thinking she would rather be alone, but she stopped him with a greeting of her own. She was still extremely embarrassed but she did seem to want to 'speak' to him. He smiled as he closed his eyes and escaped into himself where it was only thoughts and ideas. He trusted Takamaru to alert him if anything happened.

Sending a questioning thought in her direction, he felt her embarrassment triple before he received an image. It looked like water. It did explain her relaxed state, but not quite her embarrassment, until he noted something else in the image, a mirror. Looking at it closely, he saw his angel's bare back in a shower. Feeling himself turning red he hurriedly backed away, sending apologies her way, nearly tripping over himself as he sat up on his blanket. Feeling her amusement he sent a sarcastic thought her way to let her know he caught on to the joke. Closing his eyes again he re-established their link. He could tell she was just sitting in the bath now. Briefly they sent each other images from the day. Naruto showed Hinata the countryside he had watched and Jiraiya as he had scrammed out of the bathhouse in fright, followed by thirty or forty women. He showed her the sunrise this morning and the mountains they had skirted.

She showed him the council chambers, where she had most likely learned more politics, and the training grounds with Kiba and Shino. He saw her sparing with Neji and eating with her sister. He saw Sakura screaming at Kakashi and Ino bashing Chouji. He smiled at all of them. He was ever so glad of this way to keep in touch with all of them, even in a limited amount. He had watched Sakura become a med-nin, Ino become a Psychologist, and everyone else grow. Even if he couldn't send a letter or receive them, this way at least he saw them a little. Sending his gratitude to Hinata, he felt her giggle. She sent him an image she was probably not really supposed to be a witness to, Neji twirling Ten Ten in the air. She had probably just run up to him and he had lifted her off the ground. He brought her down to him and they shared a kiss before dashing off. Naruto smiled. It was about time. He had been keeping tabs on Neji's relationship through Hinata for some time now, since Neji would simply stutter, and that was all he could say. It was about time.

Focusing back on Hinata he sent a picture of Hanabi with a questioning thought. He felt her smile as she showed him them sparing in front of their father. He smiled as he felt her happiness. She had always wanted a better relationship with her sister and now was her chance. He spent the next few minutes feeling her pleasure in the bath and her happiness, something that two years ago he doubted he would ever feel. Sensing her get out of the water, they continued to share thoughts until he felt her weariness wash over her, and him as well. Wishing each other good night they lay in their respective sleeping area. Just before falling asleep, Naruto returned the image of her in the mirror to her with all his feeling of awe at her beauty. He felt her blush as she fell asleep.

Feeling himself fall asleep as well he whispered into the night.

"Sleep well, Hina-chan."

Above him, two dark eyes looked down at him with slight sorrow. Jiraiya wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he knew he had put off looking for too long.

Haru-chan, I'm sorry. I'm here now. It is time to let go.

000

Naruto yawned as they walked. He had been awakened at sunrise again. Didn't this white-haired man know the meaning of sleeping in? He trodded along after him. Takamaru had taken off early, probably to hunt for food. He'd be gone for a day or two. Suddenly he stopped mid-yawn. All around him were mountains, he had seen them for the last two days. The thing that made him stop was the fact that these mountains looked like they had several bites and claws taken out of them. It was worse then the damage Sasuke and he did to the Valley of the End. He watched as Jiraiya walked through the destruction calmly.

"Oi, what happened here?" He scrambled to catch up with the sannin. "Oi, Ero-sannin!" Jiraiya turned his head slightly.

"Demonic anger." Naruto stopped and looked around before looking at him a moment in confusion. With a sigh, Jiraiya raised his hand and pointed in the center of the destruction. "Kyuubi was summoned here." Naruto stopped dead. So did his second voice. Kyuubi had been observing with interest.

"Kyuubi-Kitsune was summoned here..." He looked around with new meaning. Turning he saw Jiraiya walking away. "Oi, if this is where he was summoned, then where are we going." Jiraiya looked at him a moment out of the corner of his eye. Then continued walking. Naruto was about to shout his frustration when he heard Jiraiya.

"To pay respects to someone." Naruto quieted down at the tone of his sensei's voice. He followed slowly. Jiraiya led tham off to one side of the initial destruction. Finding another clearing, Jiraiya stopped off to one side, examining a kunai. Naruto looked around. Seeing a kunai with a peculiar seal he yelled over to his sensei as he went towards it.

"Oi, Ero-sennin, this one has a seal of some kind on it?" Jiraiya turned in time to see Naruto pick it up. Leaping towards his pupil he knew he was too far away.

"Naruto DON'T!" All of a sudden they were in darkness. Actually that wasn't true, it was just night. Once their eyes adjusted they saw that they were still in the same clearing. Suddenly several shinobi landed in the clearing. They were battling each other. They didn't notice Naruto or Jiraiya. Naruto looked at Jiraiya in confusion when he saw that his sensei's attention was focused on a battle behind him. Turning he saw a woman fighting another shinobi. The difference with this fight to Naruto was that the shinobi she was fighting had a curse seal.

"Haruka..." Glancing at his startled companion before focusing on the fight. The woman leaped across the clearing sliding away from her opponent. Her opponent disappeared. She looked around frantically before his foot connected with her neck. She rolled with it but he had disappeared again. She cried towards her comrades.

"Fujiiro! Get over here." Hearing an affirmative, Naruto turned and had to blink. In front of him was a young Hiashi.

"Byakugan!" He activated his kekkei genkai. "36A...127C...274H...108D...215B" He continued in this vein, confusing Naruto. Looking at the woman, he saw that she was spinning and looking everywhere. Then they heard a groan as her opponent flew out of thin air and landed, pinned to a tree by a spear. Suddenly there was a loud roar. Spinning, she looked beyond the trees to see something that Naruto thought he would never see outside of his mind.

Kyuubi.

000

Naruto was watching the moments leading up to Kyuubi's summoning. The woman spun and started to deal out orders to the shinobi around her. After giving some of them, she bit her thumb like she was summoning something, but instead of pressing it to the ground, she pressed it to her neck. There was a whirl as a man appeared in front of her. He was incredibly upset.

"Haru-chan. I- I-" He seemed close to tears.

"Yondiame, I'm sorry for pulling you away from the scene I know you just left but we have another problem." The man seemed ready to droop. It looked as though he barely cared. Then she pointed behind him. He turned. Naruto saw his eyes go wide.

"Haru...Is that who I think it is." The woman stood by him firm.

"Byaka confirmed it, that's Kyuubi, the nine tailed fox." Yondiame stood there a moment, before he steeled himself. About to walk off she stopped him. "What do you think you're about to do?'

"Defeat it." She looked at him like he had grown another head.

"YOU CAN'T KILL KYUUBI. NO ONE CAN. NOT IN THIS STATE, YOU LITTLE IDIOT!" She was nearly screeching at him. He stood there, calm as ever.

"Then what, let him destroy Konoha? That is where he's heading, you notice." She shook her head. "I'll seal him." She looked at him quickly.

"That requires someone with a flexible chakra system and a sacrifice! You know that!" Her voice was dead quiet. He nodded.

"A newborn can handle it. You know that."

"But, a newborn? We don't have any...Ohhhh no you don't!" Yondiame turned to her.

"It's the only way, you know it." She turned to him, hands grasping his sleeve.

"No, not him, not Naruto. After watching me, how can you do this?" Yondiame's hands covered hers.

"Watch him, he'll be an orphan now." With that he disappeared. She screamed after him. Naruto was feeling slightly numb. He watched her spin and give more orders to pull back to Konoha. Naruto watched as everyone leaped out of the clearing and after Kyuubi, who was indeed making his way to Konoha. Suddenly, Hiashi-junior shouted a warning to Haruka. She leaped out of the way just in time to avoid Orochimaru's attack.

"Ku ku ku, you won't get away from me now." She looked at him angrily. Naruto saw her eyes looking weird as a seal appeared behind Orochimaru.

"You will never bother Konoha again!" Suddenly she heard another warning shouted to her. Turning she saw the man she had pinned with a spear pointing at her. Looking down, she saw her bottom half disappearing. Looking over at Orochimaru she saw him swipe some of the seal before it engulfed him completely.

Hiashi ran towards her, but he was stopped by a seal under his feet.

"Fujiiro, this is Jikan Hayai no Jutsu. Please don't get caught. Listen, Orochimaru can't return for ten years. Use them!" She ripped off her bracelet and threw it to him. "Give this to Hinata for me, first birthday and all." She also threw a kunai on the ground. Hiashi couldn't move as he tried to free himself, to reach her.

"Haru-kun!" She slipped into the jutsu further. She turned and reached to one side. Naruto turned to see a young Kakashi heading straight for her. Naruto heard her whisper as she disappeared.

"Ashiteru, Koi-inu-kun." Kakashi landed where she had been a second too late, screaming. He fell to the ground crying out.

"NOOOOO! Koneko-chan. Please. Don't go." Naruto was drawn from Hiashi getting his whimpering future sensei to rise and moving them away by a figure walking towards him. It was the woman who had just disappeared.

"Your chakra has been healed by Tsunade-kun, if it activated this. I need your help. This image will be activated by their chakra again. Please take this to either Tsunade or Jiraiya. They need to know what happened. Go!" Naruto blinked and he was standing back where he had been when this all began. Turning he saw Jiraiya collapsed to his knees.

"Ero-sennin?" He looked at Naruto.

"Genjutsu. It was a recorded illusion. She made several with the ending like that incase something happened. She was so good at those." Jiraiya looked really upset. Naruto decided to leave him alone for a moment and looked around. He could still see the battle. He walked over to the spot the woman disappeared.

000

She was trying her meditation again. It was near torment to be here, even with her companion. She knew that without Byaka, she would have gone insane. Of course, without Byaka, a lot of things would have been very different. She was just starting her meditative stance when she felt something. Awakening Byaka, they felt it together. Feeling hope for the first time in nearly five years, she latched onto it and used it to bolster her own chakra and break out.

000

Naruto was just standing there when he felt Kyuubi go very nuts. Then suddenly, someone ran into him full speed. They tumbled head over heels a good two or three meters before the person righted herself and grabbed Naruto by his ankle, holding upside down, but stopping his momentum.

Placing his hands on the ground, he twisted out of his attackers grip. Standing he saw the same girl he had just seen. Turning to see what Jiraiya thought of this he was surprised to see his normally level-headed sensei charging at he woman.

"Who the hell are you!?" She jumped away, looking at him confused.

"Aren't you Jiraiya?" He stood in front of Naruto, panting. He was practically snarling.

"Of course, and your disguise won't fool me!" She looked at him strangely. So did Naruto, he had never seen his sensei display such a lock of control and thought.

"Why would I wear a disguise?" She looked genuinely confused. Jiraiya continued to snarl at her.

"because the person you are impersonating has been dead for 16 years!" Naruto saw the look of astonishment cross her face.

"Sixteen years." She muttered to herself in shock. Jiraiya, however, seemed beyond enraged.

"I won't let you get away with dishonoring one of the best kunoichi I've known!" As he leaped for her she muttered to herself.

"I wasn't aware you thought so highly of me." Naruto barely heard her as she continued to dodge Jiraiya's assult. She didn't dodge all of it, but he was too infuriated to fight properly. Naruto had never seen him so out of control. Finally, her eyes glowed slightly and Jiraiya tripped. He seemed to be struggling against invisible string. Ignoring the voice in his mind saying this was a stupid idea, Naruto leaped at the person who had captured his sensei. She turned to him. He saw her eyes. They were vibrant purple with vertical pupils. Then he was hanging upside down by his ankles again.

"Enough! Jiraiya-kun, I don't know what happened to make you think someone would even want to impersonate me but surely you recognize this justu?" Jiraiya had calmed down as he lay on the ground. He looked at what was happening, his eyes wide.

"Ha-Ha-Haruka?" He sounded hesitant, as if he wasn't sure it was safe to believe. She sighed in annoyance.

"Jiraiya-no-baka! As if I'd ever tell anyone how I defeat you every time." She eyed him quickly as he flared.

"I was just unprepared! That's all!" She smiled as she snapped her fingers. His arms fell out around him. He stood slowly, wiping his arms and legs off. Naruto recognized a tactic he used when he was about to pounce.

A second later he confirmed his ability to read his sensei as his sensei leaped at her. He lifted her and twirled her around, giving joyful shouts. She laughed in delight as he swirled her around him and danced about. Naruto wasn't aware of most of this though. Apparently, whatever she had used on him was attached to her, because the second Jiraiya started to twirl her, Naruto also started to move. It wasn't in a circle or anything so mundane, it was every which way. She finally noticed this.

"Jiraiya-kun, Ha ha ah ha, hang on!" She could barely speak through her laughter, "I have to release him." He finally set her down so she could look at a very nauseous Naruto. Snapping her fingers, he fell on his shoulder to the ground. Sweet, still ground. Solid, hard ground. Naruto was just sitting there waiting for the rest of the world to join the ground in being stationary. She came over to him, still chuckling.

"Sorry about that. Are you okay?" Naruto smiled goofily at her, still swaying slightly.

"Oh sure, once the world slows down enough." She chuckled again as he shook his head to clear it. She looked around, taking in all the damage.

"Wow, this place recovered nicely. Still...let's not camp here." Jiraiya nodded, still smiling widely. He stood, grabbing Naruto by the back of his shirt. Dragging his apprentice by his shirt, kicking and screeching of course, he led them out of the valley.

000

Back in Konoha

Kakashi was just getting ready to leave and meet with Sakura, after a visit to the monument, when Tsume suddenly dashed out of her corner of the bedroom in the sun and attached herself to his shoulder. The jonin looked at the cat in startle-ment. He had had this cat for nearly twenty years. She had stopped growing old over 12 years ago, but nobody could find anything unusual about her, aside from her age. She was the only cat he saw the nin-dogs get along with, along with his Ninken. He looked down at his unusual pet. He was always a dog person really, but this creature hadn't left him alone, just moved in, though this kept in with cats he knew. He sighed, she hadn't attached herself to his shoulder in many years. He was going to get a lot of strange looks. He had already learned that to try and remove her with the intent of leaving her, was met with incredible stubbornness.

He shook his head and walked out the door. As much as he didn't understand the furball, he had missed her company sometimes.

Oh well He just hoped Sakura wasn't in a teasing mood. Yeah riiiight!

000

The two of them sat around an impromptu fire as Jiraiya made camp. Naruto decided that if he had enough energy to carry him around, he could set up camp this once. After he had set most of camp up, he was about to put up the traps around the camp when the girl, Haruka, stopped him.

"Jiraiya-kun, here let me." He looked at her.

"Are you sure?" She shot him a level look. "Sorry, been a while." She nodded and closed her eyes. When they opened again, they were purple and had vertical pupils. She formed a seal with her hands and gave a loud 'Kai!' and sat back down. She nodded to Jiraiya and returned to what she had been doing before she had spoken to the toad hermit, which was studying Naruto. They had yet to be introduced properly by Jiraiya, though if Naruto read this person right, she would introduce herself if his sensei didn't get to it.

"Oi, Jiraiya! Get over here, and remember your manners." Naruto watched as Jiraiya sighed and came over. He sat down and looked at them.

"Gaki, this is Haruka. Haruka, this is...Naruto." He said like it was a big proclamation. It was. Haruka nearly fell off her log.

"N-N-Naruto!? As in Uzimaki Naruto?!" Jiraiya just nodded and waited. Naruto was getting annoyed. Haruka was looking at him like he'd jump at her or something. Come to think of it, she knew Yondiame was going to seal Kyuubi in him, which meant she knew about Kyuubi, greeeat. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. Suddenly he was face-first in the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" He roared at Haruka, who had hit him.

"You rolled your eyes at me, gaki." He was about to spout off when he caught what she called him. 'gaki' in the same tone as Kakashi and Jiraiya. "And give me a break, the last time I saw you was through a scanning jutsu two days before you were born!" Naruto's head nearly came off as it swiveled in her direction. She was still blabbering about how he looked very different when a baby when he grabbed her by the arm.

"What do you mean, you saw me before I was born?!" She looked at him confused.

"When your mother was pregnant, gaki no baka. Where else would you be a couple days before your birth?" He ignored the sarcasm in favor of the important part of that.

"That means you know my mother!" She stopped her tirade at this point and looked at him weird.

"YYYYeeeesssss, if I used a scanning jutsu on your mother, then I knew your mother?" Naruto didn't even notice her teasing tone as he shook her shoulder.

"Who? Who was she?" Now she did give him a bewildered look. Then she looked at Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya?" He was sitting there looking at his feet. "Jiraiya!?" Naruto let go of Haruka, as she began to shake slightly. She stomped over to the toad hermit and pulled him by the hair out of the clearing. After a moment, Naruto followed quietly. She had looked like she wanted to talk to his sensei without him around, but it was about his parents damn it. He stopped just out of the clearing they were in.

000

Haruka was furious. She had known that the village wouldn't be told about his parentage, but he didn't know either. Jiraiya had some explaining to do. She reached a small clearing a short distance away. Angrily she threw him, by his hair, into the nearest tree. He grunted at the impact but just stood there and waited. A small part of her realized he knew what was about to happen and felt that he deserved it.

"You didn't tell him!" It wasn't a question, it was an accusation. "Why!? He has that right to know about his parents, even if the rest of that stupid village doesn't. How could you watch him grow up and not tell him?" She looked at him. She saw his eyes avert down at the mention of growing up. It dawned on her. "You didn't? Damn it Jiraiya! You left him there, didn't you? Even if the Sandiame is more powerful now, you have no idea what those orphanages are like! How dare you do that." She was practically vibrating in fury. She was about to go off again when she noticed a tuft of yellow hair off to one side. This brought her to an abrupt stop. Naruto didn't deserve to find out this way. She brought herself together and walked towards him, giving Jiraiya a hiss like a cat as she walked.

"Naruto." He eeped as she stopped behind him. He hadn't seen her move! "You really shouldn't eavesdrop." She was looking at him sadly, though he was thankful that he saw no pity in her eyes. "Let's go back to the campfire and I'll introduce you properly." He was confused, he thought Jiraiya had.

000

Kakashi was getting really sick of the weird looks. Sakura had laughed her feet off at the sight of him with a purring fuzzball on his shoulder. He turned a corner and ran into someone he had been avoiding like the plague all day.

"Yo! my glorious rival, I hav-" Gai screeched to a halt at the sight of the cat. When they were younger, it was a common sight on Kakashi's shoulders but in the last decade or so she had been absent. He just stared at her a moment. She opened one lazy eye and looked at him before returning to the important task of purring. He looked at Kakashi's annoyed look. "See ya!" and Gai poofed out of there. He needed to find a certain friend.

Kakashi just stared at the spot that had been Gai.

000

Haruka sighed as she sat down. This wasn't quite the way he should find out about his parents. He was standing in front of her, waiting. Unfortunately, waiting was never one of Naruto's strong suits. She looked at him and smiled as he tapped his foot, looking grumpy.

"You look more like your mother when you do that." He froze. Suddenly he looked very young and unsure. Haruka saw his mother in him...and his father. "Come on. Sit." Jiraiya found a perch above them for this conversation.

"Uzimaki Naruto, eh?..." She smiled, remembering, "She had a temper, that one. Fierce, loyal, and a trouble-maker to boot. Yes you act like your mother in may ways. But you are the spitting image of your father." She smiled at him as he took this in. He had never known anyone who knew his parents. No one knew. That was what he had been told.

"Who were they?" She smiled again.

"Your father's actual name was Minato of the Namikaze clan. He went by a nickname, thus very few people knew his real name. He was a great shinobi. Calm, collected, heh, slightly stubborn. That might be why he got on so well with Kushina." They were sitting on a log and just talking now. "Uzimaki Kushina, there was a fireball if you ever saw one. She was the temper as he was the reason. You know, they always thought you'd end up with her red hair and green eyes." She looked at the ground thinking.

"Why am I named Uzimaki after my mother then?"

"Because the Namikaze clan didn't keep surnames. Your surname is that of the closest current family member not born of the clan. For you that would have been your mother." At his confused look, she continued, "The Kekkei Genkai of the Namikaze family was so powerful that their members were in constant danger. Thus this system developed to help hide the people. Unlike most families with Kekkei Genkais, the Namikaze family wasn't entirely comprised of shinobi. Actually, they were mostly bookworms." She giggled as Naruto thought on this. Then he started.

"Wait-a-minute, so I have a Kekkei Genkai?!" She looked at him and shrugged.

"Not everyone got it. barely 10 percent of the clan had the complete Kekkei Genkai. You may, You may not, we MAY never know. Your father's activated by the time he was 11. That was one of the youngest."

"What's the oldest?" She thought a minute.

"fiftyyyyyyyyyyy-seven? Maybe?" She shrugged as his eyes popped out. Fifty-seven! He wasn't going to wait that long. He looked at her, leaving that train of thought for another time.

"So why doesn't anyone know that they had a kid, if I look as much like my father as you say. Didn't they have any friends?" he was aggravated. Were his parents ostracized too? She shook her head.

"Your mother was from the whirlpool village. And yes they did have friends, but with who your father was and all, he was watched very closely. The war had just ended so Konoha was weary of foreigners for a while. Thus the only people they told were Jiraiya and Tsunade. I found out by accident. I found Kushina during the pregnancy. It was late enough that there was no mistake. Your father was going to adopt you, then marry Kushina when things quieted down a little. I never saw him so proud as the day he told me it was his son inside her. Your parents loved each other, and you, so much." She sighed as she looked down sadly. Naruto digested this. It was a lot. He was happy about one thing though, his parents had wanted him. It left a warm feeling in him. He had been wanted.

000

Asuma was walking down the street after a game with Shikamaru when Gai popped in front of him.

"Yo, Gai." Gai stood there, thinking. Asuma stopped at that. Gai thinking made him quickly review the last time he had seen all of his old teammates. Only something like that could get Gai like this.

"Asuma, do you remember that cat that used to ride on Kakashi's shoulders?" Asuma's eyebrow rose.

"Eh? Cat? That furball's still alive?" Gai nodded.

"Hai, Kakashi stumped every vet in the area as to why that cat's lived this long. It was riding his shoulder again." Asuma froze at that statement. Instinctively, his hand went to his side, under his right arm. Gai nodded. "I haven't felt anything, but remember what Fujiiro said about that jutsu she was caught in?" Asuma's mind slowed down before it sped up to a lightening pace. If it did work that way. No! He knew what must happen.

"If it did work that way then just by speculating, we're putting her in danger. Say nothing and do absolutely nothing. Stay near Kakashi. Of all of us, he will be the easiest to read once he thinks of it. I know he never made the connection then but still...watch him." Gai nodded. Asuma understood her better than anyone. Even Kakashi.

000

Haruka glanced up at the sannin in the tree.

"Jiraiya-kun, I need a history lesson, if you don't mind." Naruto looked at her and Jiraiya. He did have a lot of questions, but he gathered she did too. Over the last year or so, Naruto had started to learn that sometimes he didn't have to shout or throw a fit to find out things. He realized that sometimes if he were quiet, he could learn more, or at least gain a different understanding. He wanted that understanding to be a good shinobi.

Jiraiya leaped down from his perch to stand in front of them. He sighed as he sat.

"Some you probably guessed. After you disappeared, Yondiame sealed Kyuubi within Naruto, using your seal. H-" Naruto interrupted his teacher here.

"Your SEAL!?" Haruka looked at him and nodded.

"I'm the one that developed the seal that currently holds Kyuubi inside you. Your father helped with that." She turned back to Jiraiya to continue.

"As I was saying, the Yondiame survived long enough to bring Naruto to another member of Konoha. You remember, Umino-san?" She nodded, "They both died in that battle. Their son, Iruka, brought Naruto back to Konoha."

"Wait, Iruka-sensei brought me back?" Jiraiya nodded.

" and delivered the Yondime's message." Haruka looked at him.

"Which was?"

"That Uzimaki Naruto held Kyuubi and was an orphan." Naruto looked down. That was what really happened, nearly sixteen years ago, Iruka brought him home after Yondiame sealed Kyuubi. He didn't know how to feel about this knowledge. How should he feel? He had never heard the actual story of how he was found. Not even a revised version. He knew one thing he wanted to do when he returned. He wanted to thank Iruka, for bringing him home.

Haruka and Jiraiya thought they had given Naruto enough time to think. Jiraiya continued his narrative. He talked about several people Naruto only knew by name but not personally. Haruka, however, seemed to know them all and was alternatively pleased and dismayed at the events. Jiraiya told her of Hinata and her sister. Naruto got the feeling there was more not being said but he put that aside for what was being said. He then learned how Hinata lost her mother during childbirth to her sister, and re-learned of how Neji lost his father. When they got to the Uchiha massacre, Haruka reacted violently.

"I refuse to believe it!" Jiraiya had just finished explaining about Itachi and Sasuke, a painful experience for Naruto, who considered Sasuke his friend, Haruka had had enough. "Itachi was a little unstable, but this is ridiculous. He adored his brother, even for the short time I knew of the brat, he would not have killed his entire family!" Naruto flinched at the "brat" nickname, but glared at her regardless.

"Do you think Sasuke was lying?" Haruka looked at him, startled.

"No, it isn't that. Its just,well, Itachi's Mangekyo excels at illusion. If he wanted Sasuke to believe something, he could make his brother believe it. I, however, will not believe he is responsible for the deaths of all his family. Never!" She was standing at this point, shaking. Jiraiya looked at her sadly and softly told her;

"I am only telling you what all the evidence says. After the massacre, only Sasuke was left alive and Itachi was part of the Akatsuki." Jiraiya was quiet for a moment before continuing with his story, once he saw that Haruka was in control again. He told of their graduation from the academy. She looked at Naruto cynically when the incident with Mizuki came up but said nothing. The chunnin exams seemed to upset her, but again she seemed to have used up her share of outbursts. However, she hadn't used up her emotions. When she heard of the Sandiame's death, she froze.

000

Hiashi was walking with his daughter as they returned from a council meeting. Hinata was still reviewing the events from the session. As she straightened them out, they walked to meet Hanabi and Neji for a late lunch out. Hiashi wanted to see his nephew for once. Ever since he became a chunnin, he had been on more missions and it was hard to pin him down for an evening. Actually, Ten Ten sometimes ate with them if he was on a mission with a different group. They still kept the three of them together for the most part, however different required different skills. Today, however, they were in town by now and agreed to meet for a late lunch.

Hinata was just asking his opinion when they found Sakura. She was chuckling at something as she walked, making her path quite sporadic. When she bumped into Hinata, they halted to ask what was up. Hinata couldn't remember anything recently that was this funny.

"Ha ha ha -opps, sorry Hin-hahaha-ata. Hee Hee Hahahaha!" Hinata steadied her as Hiashi watch, curious.

"Sakura-chan? Are you okay?" Hinata started to giggle at the sight. Since Naruto left just over a year ago, she hadn't let lose often enough. Her friends tried but nothing could replace Naruto. If he couldn't make you laugh, you had to be choking or dead. "Heh what's so funny?!" Sakura took a deep breath and looked at her. She seemed in control enough to answer when she started again.

"Ka-hahaha Kaka-hahah" Hinata giggled as she tried to understand.

"Kaka?" This made Sakura laugh harder.

"No-hahahaha, Kakashi-hahahah, Kaka-hahahaha has-hahaha-cat-hahaha-shoulder-hahaha" Hinata thought she got it, maybe.

"Kakashi, has a cat's shoulder?" Sakura shook her head, laughing so hard it was a wonder her stomach was still in her body. She tried hard to control herself long enough to talk.

"Kakashihasacatonhisshoulder-hahahaha." Hiashi just stared as Hinata blinked a moment before separating the words and beginning to laugh slightly. She turned to her father and translated.

"I think she's saying that Kakashi is wearing a cat on his shoulder...maybe?" Hinata was smiling brightly at the mental image. Hiashi however looked at Sakura sharply.

"Cat? What did it look like?" Sakura had calmed down slightly, but his tone caused her to get serious, though confused.

000

Haruka couldn't believe it. Dead? Sandiame? He couldn't... He was... Dead. Haruka was shocked. The man who showed her what a shinobi was. Who helped her become one, showed her how. The one to listen and understand. He was her first friend. Her best supporter, before she even knew what they were, or how important they were. He got her into the academy. She met Asuma and Hiashi. Asuma! His father was dead! Haruka just sat there thinking.

Jiraiya had stopped after telling her of the death of his sensei. Naruto even seemed to be quiet, reliving the funeral and honoring the old man in his own way. Finally, Haruka looked at them.

"Who is Hokage now?" Her voice was flat and controlled. Jiraiya glanced at Naruto.

"Tsunade." He waited. Naruto looked at him confused. He wasn't for long

"WHAAAAAAT! TSUNADE!? How the blazes did you convince her of that?!" Jiraiya looked at Naruto, who was looking at the ground in embarrassment. He knew Jiraiya gave him credit for that, even if he thought he didn't do it.

"Naruto came with me, and he convinced her." Haruka looked at Naruto incredulously. He kind of chuckled nervously.

"Yeah well, I didn't do much. And she's only keeping it warm for me! I'm going to be Hokage!" Haruka stared at him a moment and began to chuckle, then laugh. Naruto frowned. She clapped her hand on his shoulder. He just stared at her. He was beginning to think he would never understand this woman.

"The Yondiame used to say the same thing." She was smiling at him now. She turned to Jiraiya. "What happen then?"

Jiraiya went on to describe the rest of the time leading up to them leaving Konoha 15 months earlier.

000

Hiashi was irritated. After having a quick late lunch with his daughter and nephew, during which he had stayed out of the conversation, he had tried finding his old team with little luck. Finally, he tried a different approach and asked someone. Shikamaru might know where his sensei was. He then added another person to find to his list as he continued to circle Konoha. That cat was back. He didn't think it would ever return to Kakashi's shoulder, but it had all the same. Where are they!?

000

Naruto was watching Haruka take in the new information. It was interesting to see her very expressive face blank to nothing as she tried to understand and follow everything with Sasuke, Orochimaru, and the Akasuki. Naruto had seen her fighting Orochimaru so he knew she did know about him. When Jiraiya ended with the Chunnin Exams Naruto had participated in nearly a year ago, making him a chunnin, she stood. Brushing her hands over her face, she sighed as she thought.

Naruto took this moment to truly look at her. She looked to be about 20, several years older than himself. Her strawberry-blonde hair fell past her knees in its high pony-tail. She was about his height now, which placed her just shorter than Jiraiya, lean, and had those woman curves girls get at that age. Her blue eye sparkled on her soft oval face above a firm pink mouth. Her motions so far had been fluid and precise and quick. Her outfit was pretty standard, black capri pants with a ouch on one side and open toed boots common to most of Konoha shinobi. She wore a black high-neck without sleeves, covered by the standard vest, though hers was blue. Her hitae was on her neck, reminding him briefly of Hinata, except hers was thinner and tighter, worn more as a choker. She had two short white braids hanging from her hair on one side and three on the other, attached with blue and green beads and she had blue half-gloves Kakashi-sensei wears accept hers had turtle shells on the back.

"I should probably explain what happened to me. Did you get the gen-kunai?" At Jiraiya's nod, Naruto supposed it was the Kunai he had tripped (GENjutsu KUNAI) "Makoto's seal was the Jikan Hayai, fast time. It creates a shrinking dimension that is held by chakra. Time goes faster out here than in there. From my point of view, I've been gone 5 years, not 16. I'm only 22. The only reason I survived is because of Byaka." Jiraiya frowned as he processed this.

"How did you get out?" She nodded at Naruto.

"I borrowed some of Kyuubi's power to expand the dimension to intersect ours. He'll be out for another day or so, Naruto." Indeed Naruto couldn't feel anything more than a presence from his passenger. He frowned slightly but let it go until tomorrow. He was getting antsy for dinner. Haruka stood and stretched again.

"I'm going to take a bath. DON'T PEAK!" She walked off in a direction Naruto hadn't been yet, presumably towards a lake of some sort. Naruto looked at Jiraiya as his sensei set up for dinner. He wasn't going to peak! Naruto knew there was something wrong with this picture, since when does Jiraiya not peak on a cute girl? He looked at Jiraiya long enough to draw attention from the sannin. Jiraiya looked at him a moment before figuring out what his student was wondering.

"When she says not to peak, it means she has Konoha business that is top secret to deal with and thus we don't peak. When she forgets, though, she's fair game." He said the lat with a wink and a large grin. Naruto cocked his head in thought. Deciding something he told the old man he was going to collect more firewood because he hadn't collected more than it took to simply start the fire.

He wandered off for a few moments before he veered in the direction Haruka should be. He was curious as to what Konoha business she could have to deal with now, with no contact for 16 years. He found her next to the pond setting her vest down. She made a sign in the air before Naruto was grabbed by the back of his shirt. He turned angrily to see Jiraiya. His face was white as he hissed at the blonde.

"Baka! I told you not to look for her! She-" Suddenly both were unable to move. Glancing behind Jiraiya confirmed to Naruto that Haruka had come up behind them. Her face was stone, eyes sparkling angrily.

"I will excuse this only once, Naruto, because I do not have my mask, but I am ANBU and you cannot spy on me when I stress it. The penalty is death by law after interrogation. Do not do it a-gain!" She tossed them towards camp with her last decisive order. Jiraiya helped Naruto to his feet, shaking. Naruto hadn't ever seen his sensei shaking. He decided that this was one time, he'd better do as he was told the first time and not to push it. As he sat down, Jiraiya looked at him.

"Don't take that personal. It would have killed her to harm either of us, but she accepted the risk when she accepted her position. Naruto, don't tell Hinata about her until we talk to her. She is supposed to be dead and we might want to keep it that way." Naruto nodded slowly, he could hold off telling Hinata something for a night or so.

000

Haruka let out a breath to calm herself after they left. She had figured it would take a demonstration of some sort to grind it in Naruto's head just like his sensei. She turned back to her seal. Activating her Kazegan, she re-activated her Kakushibeya no Jutsu. A swirl between dimensions opened in front of her. She waited until it was the width of her shoulders before touching it to open the gateway.

Immediately a scrawny hand snaked out to grab her throat. She snatched it out of the air and growled before spitting out her password. The head attached to the arm appeared.

"Chonbo, it has been a while." Her tone was gentle but the creature still shook slightly. It bowed its head and spoke in a creaky voice.

"Mistress, Chonbo is sorry. Chonbo is here." She clasped the reaching hand.

"May I come for a visit, Chonbo?" Chonbo bowed and pulled her into the dimension. She stood in his study as he backed up to give her room. Chonbo was a person she had found accidentally while doing research in an old tome in a monastery not far from Konoha. According to the monk, Chonbo's original name has been lost but he was the focus of several experiments. His captors were unkind to say the least and the monks doubted Chonbo could ever function in society again. When she tried to talk to him, he would only repeat the word Chonbo. Only one monk could talk to him with any success. Yoshi could get him to help in the library. The little creature had a memory like a trap. When the monastery was attacked, Haruka hurried to help but could not get there in time. She found Chonbo holding Yoshi as the monk died. Yoshi asked Haruka to help Chonbo. She created this pocket dimension for him. At first he would only talk to her. Over time he could handle limited communication with select others. She had tried many times to get him to stop calling her "Mistress" or to change his name, but those were the only things he actually stood up to her on so she let them go, happy that he would at least stand up to her on something.

"What can Chonbo do for Mistress? Chonbo is so happy to see Mistress. Chonbo missed Mistress." His arms and legs were gangly and his bald head was dark grey that was once pink as was the rest of him. He wore a thin brown vest and shorts, both of which suited him just fine. Anything more would be forgotten in his hobby. He used small nonsense objects to create things. Haruka wasn't sure if they were art or machines or what. Every now and then they actually seemed to accomplish something, and he love all of them. Every time she came she brought him more of these little treasures.

"I apologize Chonbo, I was trapped. I tried to get here as fast as I could. Chonbo who has contacted you with information since my last hello?" Chonbo hugged her hand at the mention of being trapped, then stepped back and answered her question.

"Fujiiro has left one message with Chonbo 16 years ago, Fushi says hello to Chonbo every month but leave no messages, Inu hasn't visited Chonbo, Tai has left many messages but only four he said are to be delivered to Mistress, the rest he called a journal, and Akai has left a message for Mistress nearly every month for 10 years." Haruka nodded and internally translated that. Fujiiro probably had left a message right after the fight in case she got out, probably saying to contact him and that she was a baka for not letting him help her. Fushi was just fine waiting for her to contact him of her own right and helped her out by keeping Chonbo active with communication. She would have to thank him for that later. Tai had probably used it as a diary of sorts, leaving only important updates for her should she return. Inu, she hadn't expected anything, it would have been too painful for a while and then he would have given up. Akai was the one she needed information from, but that would be nearly 100 reports! She sighed and asked for the earliest 10 from Akai and the first from Fujiiro and Tai.

She watched him bow and go down his shelves. The dimension was red and bathed everything in it in red light. It was nearly the size of Konoha. He knew right where everything in it was, even though to Haruka it was a maze of shelves and bookcases of scrolls and past "creations". She sat on one of the two wooden chairs in the room to wait for him. She didn't have to wait long.

000

Hiashi had found Shikamaru eventually and thus located Asuma and Kurenai on a walk on the edge of the village. Usually he wouldn't interrupt, however, after looking all over for him and not finding him, he was going to talk to Asuma tonight and not spend another day like this. He stepped out in front of them and they turned a corner. Both stopped abruptly before the clan head. Asuma and Hiashi stared at each other a second before he turned to Kurenai.

"I think our evening just got cut short, Nai. Will I see you at lunch tomorrow?" She nodded and gave him a peck on the cheek. Glaring at Hiashi, she sauntered off towards home, knowing Asuma would sense her if she was still there to spy.

After she had left, Asuma glared at Hiashi.

"What do I owe this visit?" Hiashi eyed him, still disgruntled to have spent a large part of the afternoon looking for him.

"How long has Kakashi had Tsume on his shoulder?!" His whisper was harsh as he started walking, letting Asuma take a large stride to catch up before they fell in step. Asuma had always had longer legs than Hiashi.

"Only a day, Gai informed me." Hiashi's eyes narrowed.

"Sakura-chan told Hinata and I. Soon the whole village will know. Some might still remember the old rumors regarding that furball." Asuma shrugged slightly, lighting his cigarette.

"It wouldn't matter if they did. Koneko isn't here. She hasn't contacted us, nothing. So I'll tell you what I told Gai, stop talking or even thinking about it. The more fuss the more attention. She obviously doesn't want help." Hiashi looked at him sharply, but Asuma's face was blank. It had been like that since She had disappeared. That was part of the reason it had taken Hiashi so long to find the man, they went out of their way to avoid each other. Hiashi bristled at the last comment.

"I already apologized for that fight. I-" Asuma cut off Hiashi's firm whisper.

"I never wanted an apology, I wanted my teammate. We lost her, we didn't need to lose each other." His eye bore into Hiashi's as he stepped in front of the clan head. Hiashi glared at him.

"I didn't go anywhere!" Their whispers were becoming harsher.

"No, you gave up instead. So did Inu and Tai. Akai was the only one of us that tried to complete our mission. Even I didn't have the strength to try without her! I have spent nearly every day beating myself up for it! Akai had been without all support and we lost him!" Asuma was breathing harshly as he tried to calm down. This was an argument he had wanted to air for a long time, but Hiashi had been too busy, Inu too hurt, and Tai too concerned for Inu. He spoke next in a quiet voice that Hiashi recognized from their youth. A voice he knew Asuma hadn't used in a long time. "I never needed explanation, because I've always believed she'd be back. I wanted my friend." Hiashi froze. He had thought Asuma was angry at him for just watching her disappear, but it was Hiashi who had avoided Asuma, not the other way around. He had always felt slightly outside the pair, they had known each other since She was 3. It hadn't occured to him Asuma would want to be his friend without their third.

He was about to say something when a commotion reached their ears. Hiashi activated his Byakugan. At the last second he shoved Asuma out of the way as the wall blasted towards them. Asuma sat up with Hiashi on his lap. Looking up he saw Neji land in front of him. As the dust settled he saw Hyuuga Jushiro wavering in the center of the destruction. Hinata was on the other side, her sister next to her. Three other Hyuuga landed there and they all attacked Jushiro. The man seemed to wiggle his way through the Juuken headed his way. As Hiashi stood, Asuma decided Jushiro was drugged or something.

Hiashi shoved Asuma towards the side as he dashed the opposite way. Asuma, annoyed as he was with Hiashi, recognized the pattern and fell in step to the old attack. Anger and resentment fell away as Hiashi leaped in. He was going to stand by his friend this time. They knocked Jushiro out easily and the other Hyuuga took him into custody. Asuma found his assumption to be correct. Jushiro had been in the doctor's office and had tripped, and accidently ingested a stimulant. Asuma was about to inspect the damage from the initial blast when he heard Hinata's voice.

"Tou-sama!" Turning, he caught Hiashi as the man slumped slightly. There was a large gash on his back. Asuma tallied the fight, trying to place when he had gotten hurt, realized it could only have been from the first blast when he shove Asuma out of the way. Looking down at his former teammate, he saw that the Hyuuga was conscious.

"Kajou no baka." His tone was affectionate this time. "You could have just warned me Fujiiro." He saw Hiashi smile slightly at the forgotten insult his teammate used to throw at the Hyuuga.

"Gomen Supaikiikatoo. I'll behave next time." His answer was quiet and breathy. Asuma shifted his arm to support the other man.

"I'll be by in the morning to make sure you behave and stay in bed to rest." Hiashi felt a real smile form as his daughters and nephew came over, anxious, to help him home.

He had his teammate

He had his friend

He had his family

---

Kakushibeya-hidden room

Chonbo-grievance mistake

Supaikiikatoo-spiky cut

Kajou-spiral

her team has undercover names:

Inu-dog

Fujiiro-purple/lavender

Tai-from Taijutsu

Koneko-kitten

Fushi-knuckle

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oo-o-okay! I will leave you with this, at least until the end ish of November. Any questions just ask. Also, this one is a chapter one.