Normal speech

Thought

Kyuubi/Nine-tails/Other big voices

InnerSakura

A/N: I'm still working out the kinks in my storytelling but I'm sure I've gotten at least a little better at it. Anyway, this is the second part of my story. It's not very complicated or anything but taking a look at the first part wouldn't be such a bad idea... if it's still there...

Disclaimer

I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form, but I do own the OCs in this story… :-b This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!


Homecoming

A pink haired girl approached the window of the Hokage office. She looked out into the bright world with a smile nearly as bright as the sun.

"You seem pretty cheerful, Sakura," the Hokage pointed out.

She turned flashing her teeth and perkily said, "Yes, Master… today's the day they're finally supposed to return! If it's ok with you, may I go to greet them?"

She nodded in agreement and Sakura was out the door. She left the Hokage's Tower and headed for the village gate. Along the way she ran into Konohamaru and his team with an exhausted Ebisu lagging behind. They greeted Sakura and asked what she was up to. She informed them that today was the day that Naruto was to return. Without so much as a word, the three preteens followed the pink haired kunoichi. They made it to the gate to see a stream of people entering and leaving, but there was no sign of Naruto. They took a seat on the bench to bide their time as more people walked by.

"Heh… It's been so long since we've been here. I wonder if anything's changed…"

"Yeah, it's been a little more than 2 years since we left. I can't wait to see everyone!" a female voice spoke.

A small shadowy figure darted through the village gate and the same voice shouted, "Hey, where do you think you're going…!?"

"I told you that you couldn't let him run free… Don't lose him!" a young male voice exclaimed.

The two youngsters chased after the shadow while Jiraiya happily watched.

Konohamaru noticed a few blurs speed by them and followed. The others on the other hand were so bored that they hadn't noticed. That is until a big guy with a horned forehead protector approached them.

"Master Jiraiya…!" Sakura said in a pleasantly surprised tone.

Seeing him, she knew that Naruto shouldn't be too far behind. She looked around him but didn't see Naruto or Yuuki. She was a little disappointed but tried to hide this fact when she asked for the two.

"Those two were so energetic that they took off as soon as they entered the village. You just missed them," he answered.

It was news to her but then the news that Konohamaru was gone reached her as well…

"Mmm… Where did they run off to?" she grunted.

"There you are! I told you that you could stay only if you behaved." Yuuki scolded.

"If you cause any trouble then we'll have to send you home," Naruto mentioned.

Konohamaru ran around the corner just in time to see Yuuki grabbing something into her arms and asked what it was. She turned to show the shadowy figure to him and he was amazed at the sight of it…

"So… how did you enjoy your travels Master Jiraiya?" she stalled, trying to make small talk.

"Oh… it was ok. Some things went right and some things went wrong. We just did the best we could at times, but I'd say that things went well enough. Both Naruto and Yuuki have grown since we first left the village…"

"That's good to hear."

Sakura was starting to get a little impatient now. No disrespect to Jiraiya, but she was anxious to see her old teammate. Her wish was granted as she felt a sensation and heard Jiraiya say that they were back. He pointed over her shoulder and she turned to see two shadowy figures on the roof. With the sunlight beaming in her face, she couldn't get a good look, but she could make out some things.

"Is that…?"

"It's Naruto!!" Konohamaru confirmed as he returned.

The others watched as the bigger figure flashed his teeth. There was a puff of smoke as something disappeared and the two figures jumped from the rooftops. They landed and made their way over to the others.

"Long time no see, Sakura," Naruto greeted.

"Naruto… is that really you?" she asked while taking it all in.

Naruto was now much taller than she was, about 5'5". That was new as was Naruto's appearance. He wore a blue hooded, short sleeved shirt zipped to his collarbone with white stripes at the end of the sleeves. Over it he wore a white hooded, sleeveless v-neck vest. Designs on this vest included blue markings that traced the center from bottom to top, the same over the shoulders, and a blue version of the usual swirl on his back. His blue waist sash draped past the knees of his long, baggy white shorts. He had the usual ninja sandals that were the same blue color of his gloves. Also, his once blonde hair was now white with a long blue headband.

A/N: He's actually shorter, but, eh. I had the intention of making his clothes look similar to Hayate's from Dead or Alive, more or less.

Even with all the changes, she could tell that he had gotten much stronger since they last saw each other. As he brightly smiled, Sakura remembered the old days and the road it led them down. She began to wonder what he was thinking seeing her as well…

"So, Naruto… how do I look? Am I more womanly now?" she cutely flirted.

Naruto looked her up and down and analyzed her appearance. She must've been somewhere between 5'2" and 5'3". He noticed that her clothes were different than he remembered. She still had her short pink her but had a red headband. She wore a sleeveless, white karate top with a red ring on her back. She also had red tights with a white pouch bag acting as a skirt. Finally there were her knee high boots.

Naruto thought she looked nice, and to her question said, "You look fine. You haven't changed much at all."

Although he thought it was a compliment, it just seemed to upset Sakura. She had put years into her current appearance and she developed as best she could. She gave him a sour look as the others just laughed. A bit embarrassed, Sakura's vision panned over to one of those laughing. She quickly took notice of the cute red head and figured that it must be Yuuki.

First thing she noticed was her flowing crimson red hair. It was long and feathered as it reached down to the center of her back. It seemed to be nicely messed as several strands jutted from the main body. She was also surprised that she was a couple of inches taller than herself. For clothes, if you could call them that, she wore a halfshirt as red as her hair and short blue tights with a red belt hitched with a weapon holster. Her legs weren't very exposed though as she wore blue thigh-high boots that shortly passed her knees. Sakura was shocked to see how cute she had grown to be.

Naruto was ecstatic. He couldn't seem to stop smiling. He was beginning to get homesick on his travels but today was shaping up to be a great day.

"I missed this place! It's changed a little but it's still home!"

"Yo, you've grown a lot, haven't you, Naruto?" a familiar voice said.

Naruto looked over and surely enough, it was good old Kakashi. Same old hair, same old clothes, same old same old…

"Ah, Kakashi sensei…! You haven't changed a bit. I'm not that surprised but I am surprised to see granny's old ugly mug on the Hokage mountain. Ha ha…"

He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a book and tossed it to his sensei. He said that it was the "pervy sage's" new book. It was signed and to be given especially to him. Kakashi was astonished to receive such a great present, the latest book in the "Makeout Paradise" series. As soon as it was in his hands, he opened it and began reading. He was so involved in his reading that he didn't notice Konohamaru's little "exhibition".

In true Naruto fashion, Konohamaru surprised the group and some of the passerbys with a terrific "Sexy Jutsu".

"WOW!! THIS KID'S GOT A GREAT TALENT!!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "How would you like to become my pupil?!"

Sakura just looked at him in disbelief. He wanted him to become his pupil just like that over a useless technique like that? She was about to scold Konohamaru for his lewd behavior but Naruto beat her to it…

"Hehehe… Konohamaru, I'm sorry but I'm no longer a kid. I won't be using that weak jutsu and neither should you…"

Sakura was impressed. He definitely looked more mature but she didn't think that he had actually become it. Though happy that she wouldn't have to put up with his childishness any longer, she was a little sad that it wouldn't be like old times. Things were changing and that's just the way it had to be.

With animated enthusiasm, Naruto went on to say, "THAT OLD THING IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE NEW JUTSU WE'VE COME UP WITH!! LET'S GO YUU!! WITNESS OUR NEW 'GRAND' PERVERTED NINJUTSU!!!"

"That's great! A new jutsu… A Grand Pervert--," Sakura stopped herself as she realized what had been said. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING, YOU IDIOT!!?" she roared as she popped Naruto in the face.

He first bounced off the ground before crashing into a row of barrels. As she grinded her foot into his body, she told him that he should be ashamed of himself. She then turned to look at the accomplice.

"Please don't hurt me big sister Sakura," Yuuki pleaded as she cowered in place. "It was all big brother's idea," she blamed while pointing at Naruto who's jaw dropped in disbelief.

Seeing and hearing this, she felt like a bit of a monster. She assured Yuuki that no harm would come to her because she just had a bad influence…

"That liar…! She had put just as much into developing that jutsu as I did," Naruto thought but didn't say. "What about me? I was negatively influenced too. I was brought up around nothing but perverts—," Naruto negotiated but was silenced by a series of stomps from a still irritated Sakura.

Everyone was a bit frightened as she was relentless. She wouldn't stop until he apologized for ruining the atmosphere and respect she had just had for him in such a short time after they were reunited. Unfortunately, if she kept this up, he would end up unconscious and unable to speak at all if went too far. Kakashi tried to neutralize the situation by pointing out that she was scaring everyone around her. Embarrassed, she stopped and began apologizing to those around, even going as far as grabbing Naruto's limp frame and forcing him to bow and do the same. While this went on, Jiraiya noted that it looked like they had another Tsunade on their hands.

With the situation diffused, the group made their way to the Hokage Tower. Tsunade wanted to see them as soon as possible to gauge Naruto's growth over the past two years…

"As promised, I'll leave Naruto in your care. I fear the Akatsuki's been growing impatient… They may make an attempt on Naruto soon. I'll be heading out soon to gather some information," Jiraiya whispered to Kakashi.

While walking to the tower, Sakura couldn't help but pick up on a lot of stares from guys, and some women as well or them showing signs of disgust. She didn't quite understand as she never seemed to get this kind of attention. It must have been someone else. She looked around and finally got it. Apparently Yuuki had developed into a fine young woman and couldn't help but show it. Instead of walking normally, she spiritedly bounced with each step. Even in her tight top, her breasts joined in. Sakura couldn't help but feel a little envious at their size. They weren't as big as others she'd seen, but they made hers seem nonexistent. For the rest of the way she just pouted to herself. Naruto noticed her expression and raised an eyebrow in confusion. He thought of asking her what the problem was but figured that she must still be upset about before.

As they neared the Hokage's office, they could hear yelling. The closer they drew, the louder it got. A little uneasy, Sakura knocked on the door. The yelling quieted to mumblings as the door was opened by Shizune. There in front of the desk were a surprised Hokage and…

"Hey, Shizune… Granny Tsunade… Grandma Hitomi," Naruto greeted.

"Grandma Hitomi…!" Yuuki walked over and gave her a big hug.

"It sounded like you ladies were really going at it," Jiraiya pointed out. "Ladies, ladies… you don't have to fight over me. There's plenty of the J-man to go around," he chuckled confidently.

"WHO WOULD FIGHT OVER YOU!!!?" the two hot-blooded grannies put him in his place.

Jiraiya drearily slumped as he was doubly rejected. Ignoring this overreaction, Naruto reached into his bag saying that he had something for the 5th Hokage, Tsunade. He pulled out a pouch that looked like it had a lot of something in it. He handed it to her and her eyes lit up at what was inside.

"This is for me? Where did you get all this money Naruto?" she inquired while checking if it was real.

"I was lucky enough to win it and, though tough," he said while peering at Jiraiya. "I saved it until now. I thought that I should bring you something back, but I'm not old enough to buy alcohol. I also figured it would be helpful since I thought that you'd have the village in huge debt by now."

"Na-Naruto…!" Sakura frightfully tried to scold.

"Naruto… I should ground you into dust for that, but I think I'll let it slide just this once since you brought your granny such a thoughtful gift," she said affectionately while suffocating him in her bosom.

Once released, he apologized for not bringing Sakura, Shizune, and Hitomi anything. He hadn't even expected Hitomi to be in the Leaf Village.

"What are you doing here Grandma?" Yuuki asked.

"What, a grandmother can't come to visit her grandchildren…?" she questioned while hugging Naruto and Yuuki.

"Grandchildren…? But who-…? Huh?" Sakura said dumbfounded.

"Hitomi…!!" Tsunade tried to stop her before she said too much.

"It's perfectly alright… We've already gone over the fact that I'm their grandmother. They passed through the Sky Village a short while ago…"

A little worried, Tsunade asked them how much they knew…

"Grandpa slipped up and told us that we're twins after we noticed how similar we looked in a reflection," Yuuki answered.

"He didn't let it slip out!! He told us because you were always after me! It didn't even help!" Naruto exclaimed.

"That's because you stole my heart from the moment I laid my eyes on you," Yuuki flirted as she moved closer.

Naruto just rolled his eyes as Jiraiya finished explaining, "After that, I told them who their grandfather and grandmother were. We paid her a visit and I'm still sore for the beating she gave me out of nowhere. The only thing I left out was who exactly their parents were. We agreed that one day they'd learn it but that they should just leave it for the time being."

A/N: The beating was a result of how Jiraiya raised Yuuki to be a little pervert back in part 1.

"Twins?" thought Sakura.

"I guess that's fine. For now, let's leave it at that for now. We have more important matters at hand," Tsunade pointed out. "Naruto…! Sorry you won't have much time to relax, but I want to survey your current abilities. From there I'll know what to do with you."

"It'll be different than before. We'll no longer be teacher a pupils. As of today, we're equal comrades and shinobi of the Leaf," Kakashi declared. "But before it's official… I'm going to administer a little test," he said while pulling out a couple of bells.

Naruto and Sakura immediately knew exactly what he had in mind. Naruto was getting a little excited. Once again he would get the chance to test himself against Kakashi… oh and Sakura would be there too. He would give the two time to get their things together and meet him in the usual place. He left through the window and the others headed for the door. As they opened it, there stood Shikamaru and Temari. They greeted each other and after Shikamaru and Temari's business with the Hokage, they joined the little group, not by choice but Naruto wanted to catch up.

Jiraiya and Hitomi left the kids to their own devices while she "talked" with him in private(yelling at him again). While walking around aimlessly, Shikamaru and Temari noticed how Yuuki had wrapped herself around Naruto's arm and didn't seem to be letting go anytime soon.

"Hey, Naruto… did something happen between the two of you while you were away?"

The hair on the back of her head and her ears perked up as Sakura awaited Naruto's reply…

"No, she's my sister Shikamaru."

"Yeah I know. She never let anyone forget it. But it's not like she's your real sister…"

"No, she's my sister. We're twins."

"Seriously?" Shikamaru and Temari asked in disbelief.

Naruto and Yuuki nodded to confirm this. It seemed that they accepted this after closer observation, but now Naruto had a question for them, "Sooo… are you two on a date or something?"

Shikamaru simply denied this and Temari scoffed at it but for a brief moment, Yuuki saw her blush. They explained that with the upcoming Chunin Exams, the two of them had to take care of the preparations.

"The Chunin Exams, huh?"

"It brings back memories, right?"

"The Chunin Exams…? I never took that," Yuuki stated.

"Then that would make you the only one in our age group that hasn't. Everyone else has already been promoted," Shikamaru mentioned. "Neji, that Kankuro guy, and this person here have all become Jounin."

"Re-Really…? The-… then what about Gaara? " Naruto inquired.

"He's the current Kazekage," Temari told him.

Naruto was a little jealous that Gaara had already become the Kage of his village in such a short time, but he was truly happy about it. This meant that the village had finally accepted him as their own. This just made Naruto more determined to achieve the same in his village.

After a little catching up, Temari and Shikamaru went on their way. Soon after, Sakura left to get things she would need and pick up something from her home…

Later…

Sakura arrived at the training grounds but saw no sign of anyone. Since she was alone, she decided to take a look around for anyway to keep the fight in her side's favor. She walked around a tree when she was startled by someone falling right in front of her face…

"Aaaaaaaahhhh…!!" she screamed until she recognized the face that was in hers. "Naruto…! You shouldn't scare people like that," she demanded.

"But big sis, I'm not my big brother… It's Yuuki."

Her hair flowed as she dropped from the branch, proving her point. Sakura was embarrassed that she mistook her. She knew they were twins but she just couldn't see it. Could it be that she just had Naruto on the brain?

"Heh… It's no surprise when people mistake us for each other when they don't get a good look," Naruto was sitting up in the tree.

"We-Well I guess and I get the whole twins thing, but I just don't see it."

Naruto pondered of a way to clear this up. A lightbulb went off as he noticed Yuuki twirling her hair. He stood next to her and told her to smile…

"Watch closely Sakura," he chuckled.

He changed his hair color to match Yuuki's as the both cracked a big smile. Sakura was astonished at the resemblance. How could she not have seen it before?

"You're in a good mood Naruto… You must be pretty confident to use that much chakra before we begin."

They weren't surprised to find Kakashi appearing out of nowhere after an unexpected comment. "I assume that you've properly prepared and are ready to begin… The rules are the same as before. You have until sunrise to get them. The last time you had the help of another…"

"Last time there were three of us," Naruto gloomily stated.

"Last time… Sasuke was with us," Sakura said, depressed.

As depression took over, with a hint of anger, Kakashi wished he hadn't brought it up. The loud closing of his book snapped them out of their funk. It was time to begin. Naruto tightened his headband and noticed that both he and Sakura were adjusting their gloves. He also noticed a rather large double-headed axe on her back.

"So when did you start using that, Sakura?" Naruto pointed at the weapon on her back.

"Oh, this…? My mother insisted on me getting used to a weapon like her. She uses a sword but I grew to like this axe. Thanks to her and my master's training, I feel as though I can finally be useful in battle," she explained.

Naruto was pleasantly surprised by Sakura's new found self-esteem. He was glad that she now had some belief in herself.

"That's great to hear big sis, but you'll just be in the way. I'm sure my brother can handle it on his own," Yuuki commented.

"Nah, this is all about teamwork. We'll definitely have to work together to succeed."

"I guess big brother… It'll definitely be interesting to watch," she returned.

As they took their positions, Kakashi lifted his headband, revealing his sharingan. Last time he was thwarted from using it at all. This time, he would have to be more serious as well.

As Kakashi slowly took a step back, the bells jingled. Naruto reacted by tossing a handful of shuriken which Kakashi ducked and retaliated in like. Kakashi's phased right through Naruto as if…

"Shadow Star…!" Kakashi exclaimed.

Luckily he was very experienced with his sharingan. He managed to follow Naruto's movements and jumped into the air. Kakashi rained down kunai while over him. He watched as Naruto was belted with this shower, but…

"When did he…?" Kakashi managed to blurt before receiving a dropkick from another Naruto.

The one below dispersed as Kakashi was sent hurtling towards Sakura. She stood her ground and, with devastating power, laid into Kakashi's flying frame. Or this would be the case had he not used a "Substitution" jutsu at the last second. Instead, Sakura smashed a log and volleyed it back at Naruto…

It traveled at break-neck speed and, still in the air, Naruto was now in a vulnerable position. He created a clone which yanked him out of harm's way.

"I-I'm sorry Naruto…!" she apologized. "Kakashi used that jutsu with perfect timing. Because of that, I nearly injured my own partner. Fortunately, Naruto was quick and clever enough to avoid taking any serious damage even in such a vulnerable situation. He's as impressive as always."

Naruto landed but from the ground behind him, Kakashi sprang up. He placed a kunai to his back and talked as if it was all over. This was disproved as another Naruto stuck a kunai to his back in a similar fashion.

"He's gotten very good with his usage of shadow clones," Kakashi noted.

He tried to quickly turn on the Naruto behind him and run but was wrapped and lifted off the ground. He struggled as he had the life squeezed out of him. After he exploded into smoke, he was revealed to be a shadow clone as well.

Sakura had no time to take in Naruto's new image as he pointed out that Kakashi was underground. He and his clone jumped into the air to keep from being easy targets. With a windup, Sakura smashed her fist into the ground and split it open. As earth shattered and spread, everyone was amazed.

"Wow…!" Yuuki's eyes widened with amazement as she looked on.

"Wha-… What insane power! The 5th didn't just train her in medical ninjutsu," Kakashi thought. "She's always been good when it came to chakra control and the 5th must've taught her to build up the maximum amount of chakra and release it at the right time. Medical ninjutsu plus amazing strength and her talent for genjutsu… She may become an even better ninja than the 5th."

The hell…!?" thought Naruto. "Earlier when she hit me, she could've knocked my head off my shoulders! Maybe I shouldn't joke around in front of her anymore…"

Before they could take advantage of his state of shock, Kakashi rapidly cycled through seals and blasted fire at his opponents. The two dodged and noticed that Kakashi was making a run for it. Sakura grabbed her large axe from her back and hurled it at him. Kakashi ducked into a grove of trees for safety which proved effective. The first couple pairs of trees were cleanly chopped through but the axe lodged itself halfway into a third.

The two headed into the grove to retrieve Sakura's axe. As they did, there seemed to be no clear sign of Kakashi.

"Hm… This is turning out to be pretty tough. I may have to go all out," Naruto considered while swishing his long tail.

Sakura thought about asking Naruto about it but decided now wasn't the time. Instead, she suggested that they find a way to disable their sensei's use of seals and ninjutsu…

"Yeah… Kakashi sensei is pretty tough. He's as good at taijutsu as Bushy-brow, he's just as smart as Shikamaru, and he's even better with the sharingan than Sasuke… What's more, he most likely knows what to expect of us now. Even if I can find him no matter where he hides, if we don't have a good plan and make mistakes, he'll just capitalize on them and stall all night."

"Yeah, but even Kakashi sensei must have a weakness," Sakura gathered.

They thought it over and Naruto realized just what that weakness was. With a devilish grin, he informed Sakura of his plan. As the moon rose high into the sky, the two set off to implement it…

Kakashi was keeping himself hidden. He knew it was pointless to hide, but he hoped that they would make the mistake of splitting up and Sakura being the one to find him first.

"Although I'm proud of their growth, it's very much a hassle. As they are, both could overpower me, and I wouldn't dare want to take on Naruto if he got serious. If it weren't for Jiraiya's warning, I might've been overtaken in the very beginning."

Kakashi was rattled from his thoughts as a hail of weapons flew at him. He jumped from his hiding place and took a defensive stance. He was ready for both to burst from the shadows but Naruto was the only one. He calmly stood before Kakashi with a devilish grin on his face and a deadly look in his eyes. The look he gave him gave Kakashi the impression that Naruto had some evil intentions in mind…

"Shit…!" he cried as Naruto made a move.

He readied his kunai and focused completely on Naruto. He was shocked that instead of coming at him, Naruto began talking…

"The last joke in 'Makeout Paradise'… the truth is that the main character…!"

Kakashi realized that Naruto was about to spoil the new book he had just started reading. He didn't want the dramatics of the book to be revealed before he got to them so he covered his ears. He kept his eyes on Naruto but was horrified that, due to the sharingan, he could read his lips as well. Without thinking, he closed his eyelids as tight as he could. The next thing he felt was a couple of pokes and taps as if trying to get his attention. He opened his eyes and uncovered his ears to see Sakura behind him with a bell and Naruto in front with the other.

Kakashi was in awe. Of all the ways he thought he would be confronted, he never contemplated one so… scary. He was relieved that nothing of his book was spoiled… and that his former students proved their worth. With that, he congratulated them. With this out of the way, they could take the rest of the night to relax.

"That was a pretty nice plan, you two," Kakashi complimented them as they walked through the town.

"It was a pretty lame way to win if you ask me," Yuuki countered. "I expected it to be so much more exciting, but I guess a win is a win."

Irritated, Naruto told her, "You know, you shouldn't be so critical of other people when you haven't even done anything."

"Then how about we change that," Kakashi interjected. "The 5th had been thinking of a fourth member for our team. Who better than Naruto's sister. They've spent the last two years together so they probably match up pretty well."

"Really…!?" the three youngsters questioned.

Kakashi nodded before telling them that all he had to do was some paperwork. He then left them with various expressions. The girls looked fairly happy with this information while Naruto looked a bit uneasy.

"Great…! Another girl on the team! Now I won't have to be subjected to nothing but guy stuff. We can have 'girl talk' and things like that while on a mission," Sakura proclaimed.

"I know…! Isn't this great big brother…!?"

Naruto didn't look as excited about this as the girls. He soon expressed his thoughts, "I don't think this is such a good idea. Yuu… I think it'd be better if you stayed in the village. It's safer that way."

"No!" she refused. "I'm not gonna just stay in the village like a good little girl… not this time! After all we've been through, I'm sure you're worried about me, I feel the same about you, but there's no way I'll just sit around constantly worrying about you while you're far away!" Yuuki seriously declared.

"But--,"

"Besides, as long as I'm by your side, I know I'll be safe," she added.

Naruto looked into her big, sparkling blue eyes as he considered her request. He agreed to allow it as he just couldn't seem to say no to her. She bounced around with joy. Sakura was happy to see them work things out, but she couldn't help but be a little embarrassed as more attention was averted to them the more Yuuki jumped. She finally stopped as her stomach rumbled loud enough for everyone around to hear. She announced that she would go fill her belly and left with a gaggle of guys following who offered to pay for her. Her intention, though she wouldn't admit it, was to give Naruto and Sakura time alone to "catch up".

Sakura tried to object to this but it was too late. She had been drowned out by the argues of Yuuki's wannabe suitors. She was even more shocked that Naruto didn't say a thing about this. Instead, he just let it go and asked Sakura if she wanted to grab something to eat as well.

"How can you just be ok with something like this? You're sister just went off with a bunch of strangers!"

"There's nothing to worry about. Yuuki can take care of herself… besides, with her gone this means…"

"It's just the two of us," Sakura finished. "So you're after a date then," she concluded.

She had perfectly read his mind. He was sure she knew the answer he wanted, but would she give it to him? Naruto tried to remain calm and keep his cool. He found this hard to do as he nervously began to sweat while waiting for her answer…

"Sure," she replied.

Naruto couldn't believe what he had heard. Unsure, he asked her if he had heard her correctly…

"I said ok… It' s just one date, so it isn't really that big of a deal," she expressed while sporting a slight blush.

Naruto was ecstatic. After years of trying, he was finally going to have his first date with Sakura. His long tail was now out of his control as it wagged happily. It came to an abrupt stop as Sakura added, "I'm alright with it as long as it's your treat…"

He quickly checked his froggy wallet and, to his dismay and disappointment, he barely had enough to buy one bowl of ramen. He looked up from his with a depressed expression. Immediately, Sakura knew what it was that had him so down. With him unable to hold up his end of the bargain, Sakura walked away with a dissatisfied "bye".

Naruto's jaw dropped as he wasn't expecting this. He missed his chance all because of a little mistake like forgetting to keep a little money he had given away for himself. What a horrible turn of events. His hunger grabbing his attention, Naruto decided to eat something alone. Hoping that a bowl, or so, of ramen would cheer him, Naruto made his way to Ichiraku's. There, he met a few familiar faces…

"Iruka sensei…?"

"Ah, Naruto… long time no see," he greeted. "My, you've grown. I'm pretty sure your appetite's done the same, am I right?" Iruka remarked.

Naruto sheepishly chuckled as he was greeted by his former sensei and the old man of the ramen bar and his daughter as well. Even though he had little money, he was in luck tonight as the owner would let him eat as much as he wanted for free. He sat down and joined Iruka as the two caught up. Naruto told him a little bit about his tough training session over the past two years and his aspirations for the future. They talked into the wee night before parting ways, finding his sister, and turning in for the night…

The next morning…

Naruto shuffled in bed as the morning sunlight gently touched his face. He scrunched his face and gradually opened his eyes. He excitedly kicked off the covers and hopped out of bed. He did a bit of stretching but noticed that he was snagged by something. He looked back and saw that Yuuki was cutely wrapped up in his tail. He didn't want to wake her but they were kind of pressed for time. In one swift motion, he yanked his tail from around her and spun her off the bed. She crashed to the ground and awoke with a startle…

Sakura was in the middle of errands for the Hokage. She figured that it was better to be productive while she waited for her team to show up.

"Sakura, why don't you take it easy for the time being. I'll have Hinata finish things when she returns," Tsunade authorized.

Since she was given some time off, Sakura decided to meet up with her team. She left the office and made her way to Naruto's room to give him a little wake-up call and apologize for last night. As soon as she got to the door, she heard a thud from inside…

"Naruto… Yuuki…!" she yelled while barging in.

"Sorry about the noise," he apologized. "We kind of overslept and I upset Yuu," he said while sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"What did you do to this poor girl?" Sakura said while coddling Yuuki.

"It was so cruel big sis… I was peacefully sleeping when big brother rolled me out of bed and onto the floor where I hit my head," she exaggeratedly cried.

She would pay for taking things too far. Using his long tail, Naruto wrapped hers with his and hung her by it…

"I think you were dropped on your head a loong time ago," he commented.

"Naruto, you shouldn't mistreat your sister like that," Sakura said.

"It's punishment. It's the only way she'll learn," he sternly put. "Besides, I think she does these kinds of things just to get me to react this way," he added.

"What way of thinking is that…!!?" she yelled as she punched him through the wall. "There's no way this sweet girl would intentionally do something like that…"

"Actually…" Yuuki piped up. "I tend to do it on a regular basis. What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment," she cutely winked.

A good bonk on the head quieted her and caused real tears to fall this time…

"Ow, big sis…!" Yuuki wailed.

"See…!!" Naruto pointed out with his index fingers and the tip of his tail alike.

"Whatever," Sakura grumbled as she examined his tail from the corner of her eye. "Just get dressed already. We're supposed to go on our first mission today," she mentioned while leaving the room.

They got dressed and, after some sounds of a scuffle that stopped once they noticed Sakura glaring through the hole in the wall, the two exited the room. This time, Naruto was wearing a black version of his white outfit with much of the designs matching his white hair. Yuuki was wearing the same type of outfit from the other day with a few additions. These included red gloves that were almost identical to Naruto's but she had red gauntlets that reached up to her elbows with blue fiery-like designs. She also had similar shin guards that reached from the top of her feet to her knees. They were finally ready and with the appearance of their team leader, they marched to the Hokage's office. They lined up and prepared to learn of their first mission since reuniting…

"Team Kakashi… there are a number of missions that have compiled so far. Since it's the first since your team's formation, maybe we should start out with something easy…"

"No way!" Naruto interrupted with Yuuki motioning with a big "X" with her arms to make the point. "We aren't little kids anymore! After all the things we've been through these past years, we don't need to be treated like that!" he proclaimed.

"But Naruto…" she tried reasoning with him but he wasn't hearing it. "Fine… I'll probably be scolded for this, but since you're so adamant about it…"

"Obnoxious is more like it," Sakura bitterly thought.

After looking through the reports, Tsunade finally decided on one. Receiving their marching orders, Team Kakashi gathered outside…

"So…. we're supposed to spend the mission babysitting some old guy," Yuuki recapped.

"No, we're to be bodyguards for an old friend of my master. There's been a few attempts on his life and he would like for us to get to the bottom of it. Our mission is to protect him, find out who it is that's targeting him, and, if possible, eliminate this problem," Sakura thoroughly explained.

"The toughest thing about this mission should be finding the culprit. That is, unless we're opposed by other shinobi," Kakashi added.

"This is pretty nostalgic. It reminds me of the first big mission we had as genin," Naruto mentioned.

After a moment of silence, the group quickly moved out. They would be meeting their client at a nearby village. He had a meeting to attend there later in the day and hoped that his trouble would be solved before then…

Tsunade was sitting at her desk finishing up some paperwork. Shizune had just left and she was finally all alone. She reached into one of her desk drawers and pulled out a big bottle of sake. She was about to take a big swig when she heard a knock on the door…

Fearing that she would be scolded by Shizune, like usual, Tsunade quickly dropped the bottle. It shattered and sake splashed everywhere behind the desk. Tsunade was both shocked and a little relieved to see that it was only Hinata rolling in ready to defend her master…

"Is everything alright?" she worriedly asked.

"There's nothing to worry about Hinata. You just surprised me and I dropped my sak-… er, uh…"

Puzzled, Hinata questioned, "You… dropped Sakura…?"

That's what she had heard from her master, but she couldn't make sense of it.

"I dropped something," the Hokage corrected.

"I'm sorry… It seems that I often cause you to drop or break something. I must be nothing but bad luck to you… I'll go get a broom," Hinata said exiting the office.

"Get a mop as well!!" Tsunade shouted as she departed.

She felt a little bad about letting Hinata think she was the cause of the chaos that went on in her office. She recalled the time she mistook Hinata for Shizune and threw her sake bottle out the window to avoid being caught. She told her that by being suddenly surprised, she accidentally threw her stapler through it. Later in the day, they were seeing to patients when one of them explained that they were walking around the Hokage Tower when something fell on their head and left them concussed. Hinata repeatedly apologized and did all she could to make the patient's hospital life as easy as possible. Tsunade was such a bad person. But that's just the way she was when she hadn't had a drink every now and again.

The doorknob rattled and, thinking it was Hinata, she warmly welcomed her back. She was devastated to see that she was mistaken again. Instead of the sweet and understanding Hinata, Shizune walked through the door and freaked out at the sight liquid oozing from behind the Tsunade's desk. All it took was one glance and she knew exactly what it was…

"Lady Tsunade…!! You don't have time for a drink when you have work to do!!" Shizune screeched as Hinata walked in behind her. "And what's worse is that you've got this poor girl thinking she's responsible for the problem again! You should tell her the truth right away so that she doesn't go through life thinking she's nothing but bad luck!"

Hinata was confused. Sure she was beginning to feel like a jinx, but she had no idea of what Shizune was yelling at their master about…

"Hi-… Hinata…" Tsunade began. "There's something I think you need to know…… Naruto's come back and he's a lot more handsome than before," she stalled and diverted.

Shizune fell to the ground as she couldn't believe her master's audacity. Surely she was saying anything to dance around admitting the truth. She looked up to see Hinata holding herself as if she was trying to hold something in…

After a moment of gathering thoughts, Hinata spoke, "I… I've had the feeling that he'd been back… I… I wanted to greet him, but… after all these years… I still couldn't. I've done everything I could think of to avoid seeing him because… I'm not sure what to say."

A few tears began to fall. Shizune didn't know what to say, but Tsunade on the other hand…

"Just say hi and I'm sure things will just flow," she warmly advised.

A smile appeared on her face as she wiped away her tears. As she cleaned up Tsunade's mess, it dawned on Shizune why Hinata would react in such a way. She didn't want to ruin things but decided to silently root for her.

Elsewhere…

Shikamaru and Temari decided to grab a bite to eat. They entered a small diner and noticed a couple of familiar looking hairstyles from behind. The two were getting pretty close to one another in their little booth. Shikamaru also noticed that he and Temari weren't the only ones that were looking. In a different booth sat a kunoichi dressed in purple, Ino, and his best buddy, Chouji, watching on intently. The two approached the nosy couple and asked what they were up to…

"Shhh…" Ino shushed. "Asuma sensei and Kurenai sensei are over there cuddling, and if we time it just right, they won't be able to deny their relationship anymore."

Seeing a chance, Ino grabbed Shikamaru and Temari and shoved them into the seats in front of the senseis. She sat Chouji right beside the others while she cut off Asuma and Kurenai's escape. With six people squeezed into one booth, Ino made her point clear…

"Now there's no way you can deny your relationship now. We watched as you snuggled in this booth and we're gonna keep you here until we get a confession."

"With the three of us together, it's almost like we're on a triple date," Chouji pointed out.

"As if…!" Ino snapped. "No offense Chouji, but you aren't my type. Also, we're friends and nothing more."

"C-Come on Ino, you're being unreasonable," Kurenai said.

"Unreasonable, eh? Then how's this…? If you won't admit to going out, then I'll have Chouji eat as much as he wants and have you pay for it," she said with a dark smile and aura.

Returning from their mission, Team Kakashi, and Jiraiya, made their way into and through the village. Yuuki seemed to be in high spirits since she couldn't seem to stop laughing…

"It isn't funny Yuuki," Sakura groaned.

Barely able to breathe, Yuuki said, "Of… Hahahaha…! Of… of course it is," she laughed. "He's about to become a rich man. Maybe you should have taken him up on his offer…"

Sakura dealt a quick punch to the dome as punishment…

"Ow…! Sis… what was that for!?"

With a blush on her face, Sakura angrily grumbled, "As if I would get involved with a guy that old. And what's worse is how big a pervert he was."

"What kind of mission was that…?" Naruto complained. There was nothing difficult about it at all. All we had to do was beat up a few hundred goons, and for what…!? An old guy and his brother feuding over who should be paid for coming up with an elixir so they could continue with 'adult things'."

"But you know…" Yuuki mumbled while looking out the corner of her eye.

Both she and Naruto had the same thing in mind while glancing at Jiraiya…

"What were you doing there, grandpa?" they asked.

"Me…? I-I-I…" he stuttered trying to come up with something. "I sensed your chakra and decided to see what you were up to," he stressed.

Not believing him, the twins figured, "He wanted a sample of the elixir."

While this was going on, Kakashi noticed a bird fly over head. He didn't say anything about the fact that it was carrying a note, but just that they should report to the Hokage's office to file their report. They, along with Jiraiya, went to the tower and Naruto opened the door with his tail. Seeing this, Sakura had to ask about it…

"Naruto… I've been meaning to ask you… what's the deal with your tail? It's nothing how I remember."

Sakura recalled that before he left for his training, he had a brown tail, not too short, not too long, that resembled that of a monkey's. But now, it was all white with a black tip. If fully stretched out, it was as long as his body.

Before Naruto could answer, Jiraiya responded, "It's due to his hard work over these past years."

"Then… why isn't Yuuki's tail like that? Is yours…?" she inquired.

(*)"That's a good question," Jiraiya said while rubbing his chin and wagging his brown monkey-like tail. "Naruto seems to be a special case. Normally, among our kind, our tails only change form if we transform, either partially or completely. Naruto seems to have found a way to lock himself in that form, at least his tail anyway," Jiraiya explained.

"But why?" Sakura questioned.

Seeing that Jiraiya didn't seem to know the answer this time, Naruto replied, "It's for my style of fighting. This long tail is more useful than the normally short form. It's also simpler to stay like this than to take the time to transform. This way, I have all the strengths of a transformation without the lag-time to undergo it."

With her questions somewhat answered, Sakura and her team headed for the Hokage's office. They opened the door and…

"Team Kakashi…! Your timing is perfect. I have a new mission for you!" the Hokage declared.

"Come on grandma… No more lame missions. Give us something good," Naruto whined.

"This one is very urgent…! It's from the Sand…!"

End of chapter…

Naruto returns to home to see things both old and new…

After getting back into the grove of things somewhat, he and his team are confronted with a new mission…

Next chapter: Mission of urgency!

Extra…

(*) Yes, I got the idea of Naruto and other beast warriors' tails from the Saiyans of "Dragonball", but I added a little something of my own. When transforming, the user's tail morphs to that of its true nature/creature from the monkey-like version. I have it this way because, there's nothing more useful than an extra appendage, a prehensile tail, even if it can be used against you…