Activation seal, Chapter one
As they walked through the gate, team 7 stopped. Looking at each other they realised what they had done, over the last three years so much had happened and yet here they were, back at the where they had started.
It was almost poetic.
Not looking up from his magazine Kotetsu muttered the rehearsed line in a bored monotone. "State your name and intention."
"Jiraiya, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke and Hurano Sakura... and guess."
After Kotetsu had managed to pull himself up off of the floor and had stopped blabbering about what Tsunade would do to him if she found out he wasn't concentrating on gate duty again the four were ushered through the gate and told to report to the Hokage at their earliest convenience.
The two ANBU members that had kindly offered to escort them informed them that their earliest convenience was now.
The Godaime was seated in her office awaiting the returnees with more than a little anticipation. Since Jiraiya had left with Naruto and Sakura had managed to convince the two loyal Sanin to let her go along too she hadn't heard anything from them until she had had a toad hop into her office, staring a minor crisis when it accidentally set fire to several mission reports and almost destroying the Hokage mansion when it accidentally burped some toad oil onto the flames.
The message had been short and succinct; "Mission complete. We're coming home."
The door opened and team seven filed in, including the one person she hadn't been expecting.
"What the hell is Sasuke doing here?"
The other sanin smiled sardonically "Hello Tsu-hime, it's good to see you too, yes the mission did go well, thank you for as-" his deadpan remark would have been more cutting if the expertly thrown empty Sake bottle hadn't knocked him out.
"I asked you a question numbskull."
Looking down at his teacher for the previous three years with a surprisingly nutual expression Naruto poked the toad Sanin with his foot.
"I don't think he can hear you grandma."
"He's be fine, he's just being a baby." She replied.
"He's bleeding." Sakura noted dispassionately.
"It's just a flesh wound?" She said hopefully.
"I think I see cranial fluid too." Sasuke added helpfully.
"Shit."
Hidden and watching from outside the window Shikamaru smiled, they were back, and team 10 could finally begin their fun.
Jumping off silently he sent out a chakra pulse, unique to team 10's communication system and encoded with a single message: "They're home."
Landing outside Ichiraku's he sat down in front of where Teuchi was standing, and his smile became a grin.
"Team 7's back, plan A is initiated."
The portly ramen stall owner nodded understandingly
"Anything different I should know about."
"Sasukes with them but that's my problem, not yours." Shikamaru replied.
Teuchi smiled. "Have fun."
"I intend to."
Team 7 left the Hokage's office, their day had already been eventful despite the fact that it was only around noon, stopping at the street corner Sasuke turned to the other two.
"So what should we do today children? Due to Jiraiya's 'sudden injuries' the Hokage didn't assign us a mission and to be frank, I'm bored." There was a slightly ominous pause. "We all know what happens when I get bored."
Naruto grinned "You betray the village to go see a paedophile with a snake fetish and we have to drag your sorry arse home?"
"... That only happened one time."
"I think he was referring to the fact that things seem to 'Spontaneously combust' when he's bored Naruto." Sakura interjected, trying to diffuse the situation quietly.
"Oh that." The blonde replied waving his hand dismissively.
"ANYWAY, is there anywhere you two want to go before we go see Kakashi-sensei?"
"RAMEN, RAMEN, RAMEN." Naruto shouted excitedly.
"Surprise surprise..." Sasuke snarked, smirking.
"Come on, PLEASE? I'll pay for you guys if we can go!" Naruto begged, almost drooling at thought of his favourite meal.
Sasuke grinned evilly "Why Dobe, are you asking me on a date? I mean I'm flattered and all but I don't swing that way."
"WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND ALL THESE GAY JOKES TEME!" Naruto bellowed stepping away from the Uchiha with a horrified look.
"Dunno, boredom maybe?" he replied.
Shaking her head Sakura looked at her team mates with a kind of pity "You're both morons..."
"Let's just go get the ramen so the dobe shuts up..."
Sitting down in Ichiraku's the returning ninja looked around, the ramen bar hadn't changed much, the walls were the same polished wood and Ayame and Teuchi were still the only two working there, though the one thing that had changed was that the oven in the back was obviously much newer.
"Hey, old man! Gimmie 4 miso, two beef and three pork!" The Orange clad nin shouted excitedly.
'That's great, now to put the plan in motion.'
Sasuke and Sakura stared at Naruto, even though he normally ate alot, this was another level.
"Also give my team whatever they want."
Suddenly hunger took over, they could ponder over Naruto's ability to eat his own weight in Ramen later, this was far more important.
Sasuke ordered a large bowl of beef Ramen, while Sakura got chicken, by the time the food had arrived, the three genin were arguing about their experiences.
"You're never going to let me live that down are you?" Sasuke muttered darkly, "I make ONE mistake and suddenly it's like I killed a puppy!"
"You betrayed the entire village! You tried to kill ME! Thats much worse that killing a puppy!" Naruto bellowed back.
"STILL ONLY ONE TIME."
"Wow, the logic you come up with really scares me sometimes Sasuke." Sakura deadpanned.
Putting the food down, Teuchi grinned at his favourite customer and his team mates, "Foods up."
Naruto's smile quickly turned into a grin that threatened to cut his face in half, as he stared at the mountain of Ramen in front of him.
"AWESOME."
Without waiting for his friends to start as well, Naruto began to inhale the Ramen, some how managing to eat the pieces of meat in the dish whole.
'Crap, I forgot how fast Naruto ate, maybe I shouldn't have put that much tranquiliser in his food, we don't want him DEAD.'
Due to Naruto's unique way of eating food, all three members of team seven finished their lunch at the same time.
"Hey, old man, why are you looking at your watch?" Naruto asked, his curiosity piqued.
'Because the tranquilliser I put in your Ramen should be coming into effect right about...'
All of team seven fell face forward onto the bar, making a humorous 'thwack' as their heads hit the wood.
'... Now'
"No reason Naruto. No reason at all."
