It was a cave like any other, that is if every cave was wide and open with a design chiseled with agonizing detail into the reachable and some would say non reachable surfaces. The cave was dim with only the desolate light of molten lava radiating from the core room to guide their way, long haunting shadows cast from the angle and making every step longer.

His team was cautious, looking for traps and hidden death in every shadow and step but he knew his student and there would be no traps. Orochimaru was a perfect ninja, so silently loud and precisely destructive, but he never did bother himself with traps, why kill an enemy when you couldn't learn from it. He never was one to miss a lesson.

Finally reaching the core they found large vaulted room, fifty feet in diameter and with a sudden stop leading down into the molten hellscape. Across the small cavern was a single platform, barely able to shield the lone occupant from the firefly sparks that danced the air. On it the occupant kneeled, his arms weak and pale chained without give to the scolding stone surface.

The old man smiled, if for a moment before jumping the open air leaving his men behind.

Landing with not a sound the old man closed his eyes and smiled the best grandfatherly smile that he could, one he had practiced in the mirror every morning for almost two decades now.

"Hello my boy." The old man said, taking a knee to look at the young man in front of him, barely fourteen years old yet with an experience in him most would never understand.

Blonde hair covered hunched shoulders and a dipped head. From beneath it cold blue eyes cut up and looked at him. Slowly the head raised and whiskered covered cheeks dimpled.

"Old man." His voice was older than remembered and cracked from lack of use. "Your late."

The old man laughed, small at first before rising to shake the cave in power and joy. Naruto smiled the best he could before his power failed him falling to the earth. Hiruzen moved to catch the boy, aged and beautiful grace glossing the ground to sweep the boy into his arms.

Looking to his small team he gave a nod of approval before leaping once more to join them.

"Sweep the area, find what you can and plant the tags. You all know what to do." Hiruzen said as he took to the entrance of the cave.

Slowly the smoldering heat of the cave faded into the cool sweat air of iron land mountains. Behind him a set of feet landed and began to walk in step.

"Is that really him? We finally did it?" Kakashi asked, his lone eye focused on the pale face that he vaguely remembered. Gone was brutally bright smile and golden skin, even his father's hair had been replaced with a pale gold.

"Yes." Hiruzen smiled. "He is home."