Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto characters. But I do own the thought and ideas behind this story.

Summary: This takes place 4 years after the beginning of the second part of Naruto. The rookie nine was reduced down to eight along with most of the nine being Jounins and one is now an Anbu member. So the story continues and we find ourselves in the middle of a peaceful time between the villages of Kohona and Suna. And so our story begins with the lives of some of the Kohona ninja and one lone Suna ninja finding their way and finding out peace sometimes comes with a price of its own.

Notes: 'Thoughts of the person'

"A person talking to another person"

(Probably will be updating these as the story moves along)

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The years passed by and things have changed around Kohona, we find out how the teams have adapted and have grown and how some things have changed.

Team 7 – Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura

In all its dysfunction and cracked foundations was back together, the original team seven. This team consisting of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura along with their original Sensei was back together for the most part. The original plan happened to bring Sasuke back to the village; Sauske had defeated Itachi and therefore completing his task with -Snake- he decided to return to the village to do what his dream was to do. To recreate his clan with someone he loves.

Sakura after the return of Sauske decided to dedicate her life being a Medical Nin and healing at the hospital more than going out on missions. Sasuke and Sakura got married a short time afterwards. Sakura thought it better to stick by her husband and love, than to go out on missions where she could get hurt and could hurt her children when she started having them.

Tsunade was being a mentor and training Naruto in all the ways of becoming Hokage. She would tell him all he needed to know and all that there was to being a Hokage. Tsunade knew that the villagers would judge Naruto harshly if he made any mistake so she was rough on him. But as time passed Naruto got the hang of what it meant and started to understand how much pressure it was to keep the village on track and paperwork from building up.

If Naruto was not spending time in the Hokages office which was almost all of the time, he would be out training. His body had been adapting to the time and training that he had taken upon himself to do. The years that had passed by made him taller stronger and much more mature although he did have that perverted side that he couldn't get rid of because of Jiraiya and his experiences.

Team 8 – Kiba, Hinata and Shino

Kiba spent most of his time on missions and seemed like he was always around Hinata and his teammate Shino. Kiba however was also being trained by his own family members as well as his own Sensei. He trained as hard as he could improve his canine skills like smell and all this other senses so that even Akamaru would be jealous of his skills even though it wasn't meant to be that way.

Hinata being on the same level as her cousin Neji and being in a group mostly consisting of her old team members had experienced a new revelation to her jutsu. She found a new way to aid her teammates and kept her own power to its maximum. Hinata was just as strong as Sakura was before this time skip and maybe even more in some ways. Hinata had gotten over her crush on Naruto who thought of her as a friend and nothing more.

Of course that doesn't mean that her love life wasn't dull. The fact was that Hinata found love within one of her teammates. It all happened on a mission one night. Kiba and Hinata and a few others were on a mission when Kiba and Hinata were split up from the rest of the mission team, they were cornered by a couple of Missing Nin which was too powerful for the couple who had already been fighting almost the whole day. Hinata made a bold move using the rest of her chakra and skills to kill one of the Nin and injure the other. With the other leaving Kiba and Hinata there by themselves. Kiba had grabbed Hinata before she fell to the ground, and they exchanged a few words before Hinata succumbed to her chakra loss. Kiba carried her through the night until they got to a cave. He sat there and waited for a bit before he fell asleep too, he had her hand within his and was lying next to her to keep her warm. Nothing but the exchange of chakra on that night happened but, each of them realized that they had feelings for each other. They became close as a couple Kiba and Hinata were lovers. Much to the shock of themselves and their friends but were accepted as this.

Shino had been working a lot on operative missions as an Elite Jounin; he was his usual quiet self and did not talk to anyone but his teammates, Naruto and sometimes Shika. Team 8 was the only team that was truly completely full and still trained together every now and then. Like a crazy jigsaw puzzle with jagged edges you wouldn't think the pieces would fit they fit together. Team 8 was the only Team who basically stayed together through this time.

Team Gai – Lee, Tenten and Neji

Lee being a Jounin and having his own dojo had a lot of things on his plate. But he still found time to train and train over and over again. Being stronger for his friends and with the help of his Sensei, this was his way, even if it meant his life. This could have been compared to the strong duty that Naruto always had and still has as well.

Tenten was a part of a force usually on elite missions as a Jounin of course she also was a teacher at the Academy she decided to teach the new ninja about different weapons. She would explain how each weapon had its own special abilities and how some ninja like staying to one type and others use a barrage of them. She was enjoying this job very much and liked working with the academy students it seeming nostalgic that she used to be one of them. Of course there was always a piece of her that would never be whole because she never got to see Neji anymore.

Neji was apart of the Jounin exchange between the two villages, even though this part really didn't fit his character at all he still had diplomatic skills that none of the others could even come close to. This is why he was sent instead of anyone else from Kohona, his skills as a nobleman. Of course this did distance him from the things that he had known and the relationship that he and Tenten had built. His seemingly cold heart had a gentle side around Tenten at times which only she could see.

Team 10 and the Female Sand Shinobi – Chouji, Shikamaru, Ino and Temari

There has been the first fatality of the original rookie nine Chouji during a mission had saved the lives of his teammates by taking an poison needle to the heart…killing him almost instantly, of course the medical nins tried to save him but it was no use there was no time and it was already too late.

After the death of Asuma and the most recent death of Chouji, whatever left of team 10 had faded into the past. It seemed the two remaining members of the team had each went their own separate ways, which made it even more difficult on the two of them.

Shikamaru, stayed the way he was in most aspects, of course there was soreness inside losing his Sensei and now Chouji. He found his days gazing up at the clouds the only way to escape the painful reality. There was also other things that kept his mind off of the past and that was Temari, she had came a part of what he was after that point in time. He spent most of his time with her; making sure village business was accurate and taken care of. Along with the female Sand Shinobi was happy with what was going on with her village and the village she now called her home for quite some time. But there was still that part of him that was missing talking with Ino but every time he saw Ino or met with her he couldn't say too much and would just leave if the opportunity was held open.

Shikamaru wasn't the only one feeling the strain of the relationship between the two Ino was as well. Ino had tried to talk to her old teammate over and over again but the words that spilled out in her mind could never come out of her mouth. This is how she became so detached from everything she was.

Ino was the first of the rookie nine to pass the rank of Jounin and attain the rank of Anbu agent. Over the years that had passed she was training under Ibiki to become an Anbu agent. She didn't spend that much time at the flower shop because of training and the fact that if she was going to become an Anbu agent she wouldn't be there anymore anyways.

When she was accepted to the Anbu her first mission was with a couple of experienced Anbu, they're mission was to hunt down the Akatsuki. (This being before Sasuke came back to the village, after defeating Itachi.) She got separated from the group and found herself in the clutches of the pair of Itachi and Kisame. She was surprised when she wasn't killed instantly actually she was captured and placed in a cell. She was tortured only by the silence until one day Itachi had grown tired of letting her sit there and interrogated her. Not much came out of Ino in the state she was in by that time she could care less if she lived or died. Finally she was released; there was a connection that was developed between Itachi and Ino during some time after before she truly left. They taught each other much during some time after and built a relationship understanding each others pain and coming to front with their own decisions. She was near when he was finally killed; she had to witness the release of his spirit, since she had gotten so attached to him. No tears came from her eyes though, it seemed like they would be pointless.

Ino returned to the village 2 months after the death of Itachi, it seemed that Anbu thought her dead or missing, they were shocked when she walked through the gates but she was still and Anbu so she had to be interrogated, so the interrogation went on and only a few things were said. She revealed all that was told to her by Itachi about the Akatsuki. She then was put through a new Anbu training. The cruelest of them all, the new tactics that the Anbu had to learn is to break down the emotional tier and replace it with cold emotionless bricks, building immunity to feelings. This increased her power to a different level that anyone had seen before without the hold of emotions she took off into a new chakra level. It took her almost a year to complete the training and after that she was hollow almost emotionless. It would take her mission after mission to return to a sort of normal state.

This drove the stake between Shikamaru and her even more. But when separated she found comfort in another person, after the main Anbu missions were done she was put back on duty to watch over the Hokage and Naruto. One day Naruto asked Ino if she was doing alright, they hadn't talked in so long it seemed like years; in fact it was years almost 2 years to be exact. She would seem emotionless telling him that she was fine but after must pressure from Naruto the brick wall that was built crumbled a little to show a bit of her old self to Naruto…her vulnerability. Naruto and Ino found comfort in talking with each other and expressed everything freely when they were in private. Ino finally felt joy again and continued to watch over the Hokage and Naruto as far as her mission was to go.

The New Mission – Rescue and Return Tenten and Gai Sensei!

At then end of the day while day was turning to dusk another headache came forth for Tsunade it seemed the mission to the hidden waterfall village had ended in disaster. The team that was supposed to retrieve a scroll from the village leader was attacked by a bunch of unknown Nin. This was trouble; the team that was attacked consisted of Gai, Lee, Shino and Tenten the mission was a failure. The only two that were not captured who returned with non fatal wounds were Shino and Lee. These two were questioned and Tsunade had all of the papers ready to set up another mission to retrieve the two captured Nin.

She called for the following 6 Ninja to hold this special mission. Ino, Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba, Hinata and Temari were selected. With the team of 1 Anbu and 5 Jounin they were sure to get to the bottom of what happened and defeat the unknown Nin and retrieve the ones that were captured. She would call for only 1 tonight, the one who would lead this mission, Ino.

Tsunade was sitting at her desk when the doors opened to her office, in walked the beautiful blond Kunoichi, her body had strength showing how her muscles were toned, and her hair was not in a ponytail as it was so long ago it was flowing freely. Her dress attire was the formal uniform of an Anbu, the tattoo of the Anbu was showing on her right upper arm. She had her mask over her face then pulled it up off her face placing it up away from her face then looked to Tsunade. She bowed, "You sent for me, Hokage-Sama."

Tsunade smiled and then waved her hand to the formality then motioned for her to sit down. She had a bottle of Sake near her then her smile turned serious. "The secret mission to retrieve a scroll from the Hidden Waterfall Village as failed; two of our Jounin are missing. I need you to head a team of 5 other Jounin." She then grabbed a clipboard and handed it to Ino. "There is all we know of our unknown Nin problem. If there is anything else you want to know I suggest you go to the Hospital in the morning and question Shino and Lee yourself. I sent messages to the Jounin and told them to meet you at the gates in early afternoon and they will be briefed before then."

Tsunade shifted back, "Take that with you and read over it tonight." Tsunade then stood up and walked over to the window looking out over the village. "We need them back alive and we need the unknown Nin brought in for interrogation or killed. Which ever of these options will be up to you at your own discretion? That is all for now, I trust you know how to handle things from here out. Is there any questions before you go?"

Tsunade shifted her gaze towards Ino. Ino stood up and then she gave a head shake, "No Hokage-sama. I understand everything that must be done." Ino bowed then took her leave. She would hop from building to building until ending up at the Yamanaka estate, slipping in quietly as a ninja could be. She grabbed some tea and sat down in a chair looking over the chart then she gave a slight sigh after sipping some tea thinking.

'This mission is going to be difficult, not because it is retrieval of our own and capture or killing our enemy. The uneasiness is that I will be on a mission with someone I haven't spoken too in far too long…Shika…how will we handle this.' This was the last thought she had before sub coming too her need for sleep, she fell asleep in the chair.

End Chapter One

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(First try at a FanFic, review and comment please. I want to know how I am doing!)