Naruto: Lord of Konoha

by Andoriol

When Naruto wrote up that summoning scroll, he'd only wanted a better summon, he didn't expect training to be a Ninja-Overlord. Orochimaru and Madara just might have some competition for world domination. Strong!Naruto, NOT Super!Naruto

3. The Twilight

A.N-). Well it's official, this story now has more reviews than the rest of my shit combined… damn… and in less than a week to boot…

Anyways, housekeeping: Haters! You know who you are. The people that just hate characters, yeah, you. Listen up, this story isn't for you. I do not hate characters and I will not character bash… ever. The characters have flaws, yes, but until Kishimoto destroyed whatever character development he might have been giving them, most of these characters weren't that bad.
I hate none of the characters. I hate what's been done with Sakura recently, (it's nothing like how she was acting in the beginning of Shippuuden and is almost completely out of character as far as I'm concerned), but I don't hate Sakura. The only character I could say I hate at all would be Sasuke, and that's because he's just suddenly being an all around douche for no good reason as well as stealing all of the 'screen time' with pretty crappy plotlines… but I'm still going to try and treat his character with respect regardless.

So please, if you're going to put something like 'She doesn't deserve him', please don't, it really just makes me want to put them together to spite you… so please don't tempt me.

---

I'm not really happy with the first portion of this chapter, it works and it gets the plot elements in that I wanted, but it's not entirely In Character and it's a little too silly to fit in with the tone that I was aiming for… but, I can't think of a better way to do it… so it stays… damn.

Also, if you're still with me, there's not a whole lot of action in this chapter, just plot/character development. The punching and explosions will come next chapter.

---

Anyways, on with the fic!

Chapter 2 – The Friends you Protect

"Sakura-chaaan! I said I was sorry!"

The pink-haired girl 'harumphed' and crossed her arms, turning away from her teammate pointedly.

She didn't stop walking beside him though.

Hinata couldn't help the giggle that escaped her at Naruto-kun's absurdly pitiful look, if she'd thought it serious for a second she'd have been admonishing Sakura-san in an instant… but right before he'd started pouting at his teammate's back he'd thrown a wink at her.

She might not have been as good at reading people as her cousin, but Hinata had been trained as any other Hyuuga in the arts of reading the subtle ticks of someone's body language.

And even she, the failure and outcast of the Hyuuga, could read Sakura-san like a book.

The girl was more embarrassed than anything else, and her anger had faded after the first couple of minutes, now she was just doing this for fun. Hinata might've been angry if the girl had been doing it and Naruto-kun hadn't known she was playing.

But he did, and the two of them almost made it a comedy routine.

Naruto-kun's eyes narrowed a bit at Sakura-san's latest 'rebuttal', almost saying 'Oh? So that's how you want to play it huh?'

Then, that dangerous tinkle appeared again.

Naruto-kun did a little spin… pirouette… thing, and ended up in front of Sakura-san. As he walked backwards, he clasped his hands beneath his chin and sent a sad, soulful look in the pinkette's direction. The girl wavered for a moment, but stood strong, raising her chin higher in the air, though it was obvious she wasn't trying to smile.

Then Naruto-kun brought out the big guns, his lower lip quivered and the blonde's voice was woefully sad, "Do you hate me Sakura-chan…?"

Hinata was sorely tempted to smack Sakura-san to get her to forgive him, and the look wasn't even directed at her! Hinata had to cover her smile with a hand; that was fighting dirty.

The look on Sakura-san's face was priceless, she was trapped and she knew it. Admitting she didn't hate the blonde would mean she'd lost the little game they'd been playing, but there was no way she could tell Naruto-kun she hated him, especially to that face.

---

Sakura was saved from having to answer the question by a collision.

Namely, of Naruto into a poor bystander who was window-shopping at the time.

None of their little group had noticed the person standing in front of the store. Naruto had been too focused on pouting at Sakura, Sakura had been focused on trying to think of a way out of her 'predicament', and Hinata had been too focused on both of them (mostly Naruto).

Naruto and the young man he'd ran into turned to apologize at the same time, pausing when the other looked familiar. Hinata and Sakura had recognized the boy Naruto had run into instantly, though it took both of them a long moment to recognize each other.

"Naruto!"

"Ah! Chouji!"

Naruto's face had just started to break out into a smile when the larger boy swept him up in a hug, actually lifting him off the ground for a moment.

Naruto… didn't know how to respond to that, and it showed on his face when Chouji set him down.

Deprived of any meaningful physical contact for much of his life, the boy just didn't know what to do.

Chouji, far more insightful than some people would assume, noticed the blonde's discomfort and made an educated guess how to ease it.

"You!" the large boy assumed an exaggerated pose, pointing a finger accusingly at a now startled Naruto.

Blinking, Naruto pointed to himself.

"Yes! You! You disgrace the beauty of armor!" Chouji assumed an exaggerated Kabuki stance (a feat in of itself), one hand held back high above his head, the other still pointing at the blonde in front of him, "Armor is only meant to be worn by the pleasantly plump! You with your wiry muscles are not worthy of such beauty as armor!"

Naruto blinked again before a grin spread across his face, he quickly tried to cover it with an angry scowl, but it didn't work, "You! You insult me! You dare to say that I am not worthy of armor! You sir disgrace the beauty of armor!"

Chouji blinked once before a hand slapped to his chest, aghast, "Me?! Who are you to accuse me of disgracing the beauty of armor?!"

The corner of the blonde's mouth couldn't stop twitching as he fought his grateful smile, "Who am I? Who am I?!" the blonde began a little dance that some would recognize as Jiraiya's own introduction skit, "I am the Orange Maelstrom! The Man of Many Armies! The Unpredictable Ninja! I am Uzumaki Naruto! Future Hokage! And I question your choice! Not of armor, but of color!"

The large ninja gasped in mock horror, "You question the color?! Of my armor! You fiend!"

"BWUAHAHAHA!!!" By this point there weren't too many people in the 'audience' that could keep a straight face as Naruto planted his fists on his hips and laughed into the sky, "Yes! I question your choice of color! Silver upon red are not the colors a shinobi should wear!"

At this one, Chouji's eyebrow actually twitched, "No! That is where I draw the line! I shall not stand for my beautiful armor to be disgraced in such a fashion by you! I challenge you Uzumaki Naruto-!"

For a brief instant, everyone felt as if the larger ninja was serious.

Then he continued, "-to an eating contest!"

The groans could be heard several streets over.

Naruto pretended to be serious, "As my right as the challenged, I declare our weapons of choice to be the delicious ramen at Ichiraku Ramen."

Chouji nodded, seriousness radiating from his every pore, "Then I shall decide the time. Tonight. At sunset. Do not be late Naruto."

"I'll be there Chouji. Believe it."

---

"Naruto, you are such an idiot."

The blonde waved a hand dismissively, "Nah Sakura-chan, you're just jealous of my amazing people skills."

Sakura-san rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Oh certainly Naruto, I'm totally jealous of your ability to shout out at the top of your lungs. What about you Hinata? Are you jealous of Naruto's ability to say stupid things real loud?"

Hinata suppressed her giggles long enough to send a 'sly' glance at Sakura-san, "I-I don't think so Sakura-san, Chouji-kun did challenge Naruto-kun to a d-duel…"

Naruto-kun grabbed his chest, a gasp 'escaping' him, "No! Not you too Hinata-chan! You wound me so!" he grasped at the air for a moment, "No… it's all fading away…! It's going dark!" and promptly fell over, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.

While Hinata had to cover her mouth with both hands to keep her giggles contained, a very unladly-like snort escaped Sakura-san even as she smiled, "Naruto…"

The blonde's head immediately snapped up, a wide grin on his face, "Hey, it's got you laughing doesn't it?"

Shaking her head, the pinkette walked over to Naruto-kun, hooking her fingers into the front of his cuirass and pulling him up off the ground, "Yeah, but I'm ashamed of myself for it," Naruto-kun stuck his tongue out at her as she set him on his feet.

Hinata knew that Chouji-kun had acted silly to try and alleviate Naruto-kun's discomfort… but as Naruto-kun dusted himself off, she tried to figure out why the larger ninja had chose Naruto-kun's armor.

Maybe it was because their armors were surprisingly similar? Actually, that might've been it. While the colors were very different, the actual styles were reasonably similar. Naruto-kun's shoulder-plates were larger and he'd forgone the thigh guards in favor of a pair of greaves, but otherwise there were few differences.

That and his cuirass was much more form-fitting. She meant absolutely no offense to Chouji-kun with the thought, but it was quite a bit more attractive on Naruto-kun.

"Neh, Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah Naruto?"

"Any chance we could put the date off till dinner? If I want to beat Chouji, I'm going to have to save up space," the blonde patted his stomach and smiled shyly at the pinkette.

Sakura-san shook her head but smiled at him, "Sorry Naruto, as much as I would love to see you stuff your face as fast as you can, I've got a shift at the hospital tonight, so maybe later when we don't have a mission."

Naruto-kun blinked before smiling at her, "It's alright Sakura-chan, I understand."

Both Sakura-san and Hinata blinked at that. Naruto-kun hadn't just accepted that Sakura-san couldn't join him, he'd accepted it. There hadn't been any sadness or rejection in his tone, but… pride? Happiness for Sakura-san? Hinata couldn't tell; she'd never heard that tone from Naruto-kun before.

Apparently neither had Sakura-san, "Naruto…" the pinkette suddenly gave him an affectionate smile, "You really have grown haven't you?"

"I'd like to think so Sakura-chan… I really would…"

---

As Naruto and her waved goodbye to Sakura-san, Hinata just knew the blonde was about to apologize to her.

"Heh, sorry 'bout that Hinata-chan," and she hadn't been wrong, now he was going to explain nicely that he didn't really want to go out to eat without Sakura-san, "Sakura-san's kinda right, even if I pay for it, making you watch me stuff my face wouldn't be a good apology."

'He's trying to let me down gently… you really area kind person aren't you Naruto-kun…?' She smiled gently at him, "I-It's alright Naruto-kun, i-it's no problem…" even as her heart was breaking.

"Nah, it's not right to keep a lady waiting, so I'll just have to take you somewhere nicer later, kay?"

Hinata had actually opened her mouth to reply to what she'd known Naruto-kun was going to say before his words registered, and her thought processes came to a crashing halt.

'D-Did Naruto-kun j-just ask me on a d-d-date?!' "N-N-Naruto-kun…?!"

There was no way! He couldn't have just asked her of all people out on a date! She was the Hyuuga failure! Her little sister had taken her spot as clan heir! Her little sister that she'd never beaten! Naruto-kun had to be doing this out of some sense of regret, or-or duty! Yes, that was it! He was doing this because he'd felt he'd wronged her! She might not have much in the way of pride, but she wouldn't take Naruto-kun's pity!

"N-N-No i-it's okay N-Naruto-kun, y-you d-don't have to do anything l-like that!" She tried to make her voice strong, she tried, but it came out horribly weak and high pitched, that and her face was probably turning ten different shades of red by now, she was just mortified with herself.

He blinked and Hinata watched his face, reading the emotions that ran across it in the brief moment before he answered.

One eyebrow went up and his eyes narrowed in confusion, his blue eyes studying her and her expression. Then both his eyebrows went up and his eyes returned to their normal size as he seemed to understand. Then his smile widened and a familiar twinkle appeared in his eyes.

He turned his face slightly to the side and his chin down, a smirk appearing on his lips. In that moment, with the afternoon sun playing across his tanned skin and making his already bright eyes shine, Naruto was simultaneously the most beautiful and handsome thing Hinata had ever seen.

"You're forgetting something important Hi-na-ta-chan," he drew out every syllable of her name slowly, making her blush darken with every sound.

It took her almost ten seconds to realize that he wanted an answer, "W-W-What i-i-is that N-Naruto-kun…?"

The whiskered blonde leaned in, pressing the tip of his index finger to her nose, "I want to."

Hinata fainted.

---

'I… really should've expected that…' he sighed as his fingers played with the unconscious Hyuuga's bangs.

The girl had fainted the last time he'd gotten that close, what had made him think it wouldn't happen this time?!

Nothing, he hadn't really been thinking about it that much in the first place.

Naruto scowled slightly, when the girl had insisted that he didn't have to buy her a nice dinner, he'd been afraid that she wasn't willing to spend time with him without other people like Sakura nearby. But he'd noticed the slight, probably unconscious, emphasis on the word 'have'.

After a brief instant of puzzling over that, he'd remembered that this was the one girl that'd been nice to him before his trip with Jiraiya-san, it was a large part of why he was trying to be nice to her actually… but remembering that and how, happy she'd seemed when he'd invited her to lunch, it just hadn't seemed likely that she would turn down his offer of a date…

So he decided to take her words at face value, she didn't want him to do this because he felt he had to. Which, while he did, was only part of the equation.

He'd reminded her of the other part.

The part where he actually wanted to spend time with Hinata.

And he really did! She'd never been anything but kind to him, and she was cute too! She'd really grown over the past two years; physically she'd matured more than Sakura.

Naruto liked the sound of her laughter and she was really cute when her cheeks were a softer shade of pink… though he really worried for her health when her entire face turned tomato red. It looked like it was going to be fun trying to figure out just how much he could tease her before she fainted.

Her outfit though… it needed black… and orange if he could manage it… and he still needed to evaluate her abilities…

Naruto ever so briefly cursed the training that Gnarl had given him. He didn't want to think about this, he wanted to just enjoy spending time with his friend.

But just spending time with her wouldn't keep her safe. A good friend would think about this, would help their friends be stronger, would protect them.

Hinata had been kinder to him than even Sakura, his teammate. Only Iruka-sensei and Gnarl had been kinder, only they would be saved before Hinata.

Naruto considered her his friend.

He would protect Hinata.

No matter what.

Naruto's finger slowly traced the contours of her face, it was harder, stronger than he'd remembered… but she still kept a bit of baby fat, it made her face smooth and rounded just a hint… he liked it, she made it look good… almost… angelic…

No… not angelic… Gnarl had shown him pictures of angels, and while they were beautiful, they looked so… cold, hard, imperious, snooty. Hinata looked like none of that.

She looked… she looked like the child of a Fae, one of the creatures of magic that embodied nature. He liked that analogy, nature was beautiful, dangerous, but man had subjugated much of its power. And Naruto would do the same with her.

If she was weak, he would bring her under his control, bring her under the embrace of the Ninja-Overlord as he had with the power of life-force or as man had domesticated the dog. If she was too strong, too wild, too much a greater force of nature for him to control, then he would be content knowing that even if he could not protect or strengthen her, she would be strong enough on her own.

Naruto was afraid that Sakura fell into the latter category, or, at least her anger did. He'd expected to get hit or slapped when he'd first made those comments to Konohamaru, he just hadn't expected Sakura to be able to hit as hard as she did.

'An angry Sakura's almost as scary as a serious Jiraiya-san…' unbidden, the image of Sakura punching the ground in the beginning of their match with Kakashi-senpai came to mind, 'At least she didn't hit me that hard…'

Since then, he'd avoided getting her that angry or teasing her to the point that she reacted violently to cover it up.

He was happy to note that the girl was harder to anger than he remembered, or at least she seemed more willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. The latter was most likely considering that he was more sensitive and… well, less of a loud dumbass than she remembered. He'd made a reasonably good 'second first impression' if her comment about him 'going and destroying her new-found respect for him' was anything to go by.

First impressions counted for a lot.

Naruto's fingers slid from Hinata's face to slowly run through her hair, almost unconsciously.

'Weights would be good for Sakura… she could wear them while working at the hospital with no problem and they would increase her speed greatly… though maybe not her strength (not that it needs it). If I'm remembering my chakra-theory correctly, then much of her strength is based off the concussive force of properly applied chakra being channeled through her bones and muscles to be converted almost entirely into kinetic energy… and since her chakra control is already 'perfect' it's unlikely that her strength would increase due to wearing weights…'

A curious thought went through his head, 'Unless her ability to convert chakra to kinetic energy is based on her musculature, then the weights would help with her strength as well…' the blonde blinked in contemplation before shuddering.

Now that was a scary thought, Sakura stronger than she was already? Terrifying.

A soft, bell-like sigh made Naruto's attention snap back to the girl beside him.

His hand had gotten around to cradling her cheek in his palm and his thumb had been running back and forth over her lips (Bad hand! Bad!), thankfully the girl hadn't awoken just yet. But… was she kissing his thumb?!

A slight shade of pink settled onto Naruto's face and he slowly pulled his hand away from the sleeping girl's face, a small smile appearing on his face when she tried to nuzzle into his palm as it was pulled away.

Naruto put both of his hands into his lap and intended to keep them there this time, no more touching the cute girl… no matter how much he wanted to.

After she'd passed out, he'd carried her to one of the parks near the center of Konoha, he didn't know when she'd wake up and didn't know whether she'd want to go home (which may or may not be in the Hyuuga complex), to the Yamanaka Flower Shop, or stay with him as he waited for sundown… which was actually pretty close by now.

Training Field 3 was on the opposite side of Konoha from Ichiraku Ramen, and at the pace Sakura and him had set, they would've gotten there by lunch time. Thing was, running into Shikamaru and Temari, then a fainting Hinata, then Chouji, it'd almost been one o'clock by the time Sakura had left to go to the hospital.

Now, he was sitting on one end of an out-of-the-way bench with Hinata stretched out beside him, he'd taken off his normally ever-present scarf and bunched it up beneath her head to give her some version of a pillow.

He'd been tempted, oh so tempted, to lay her head on his lap, but he'd learned that even though he could get away with more 'perverted' things than Jiraiya-san usually could, less was almost always more when it came to women.

An appreciative glance here or there to let them know he found them attractive, real smiles, and the occasional compliment went a lot farther than Jiraiya-san's methods… as long as he wasn't trying to get them into his bed, then Jiraiya-san's real methods were actually pretty damn good, but Naruto still didn't like them. He did not want a woman just to warm his bed.

"Mn…" Naruto glanced at the girl beside him; she seemed to finally be waking up, and he had trouble identifying the emotion that pressed upon him ever so slightly, '… darn?'

"… Naruto-kun…"

Whoa… he'd never heard someone say his name like that before! Soft, breathy, affectionate… he was sorely tempted to see if he could get her to say it like that just so he could hear it again.

Sadly, the Hyuuga's face scrunched up just a bit before her eyes fluttered open, a cross between a scowl and pout appeared on her face, her lips pursing in confusion, "Mn…?"

Naruto beamed at her, she really wascute, "Morning Hinata-chan."

She blinked a couple times in confusion before realization dawned on her face and she shot up, her face quickly approaching Tomato-red, "N-N-Naruto-kun!"

Naruto couldn't help it, he laughed just a bit at the look on her face, "Y-Yes Hinata-chan?"

"I… I-I'm sorry!" the girl quickly bowed in apology, a little awkwardly since she was sitting at the time.

The blonde couldn't help but shake his head at her, "What for Hinata-chan? I don't remember you doing anything you need to apologize for."

"B-But…"

"Hinata-chan, all I remember is running into my friend, taking her away from her plans for the day, and carrying her around because I made her faint," he smiled warmly at the Hyuuga.

Her mouth worked soundlessly for a moment before her chin tucked in towards her chest, her face a brilliant shade of pink, "O-O-Okay… Naruto-kun…"

With a grin at her, Naruto picked up his now unused scarf. As he unfolded it from its ad hoc 'pillow transformation', he discovered a suspicious strand of blue-black hair and smiled a bit as he pulled the strand out of the folds of the scarf.

---

Hinata was mortified.

Not only had she fainted in front of Naruto-kun a third time in a single day, but he'd taken more of his time to carry her somewhere and make sure she was okay. He must think her a pathetickunoichi, fainting at every chance she had. He had to be wondering how she could stand up in a fight if she couldn't' even stay conscious.

He kept saying that he wanted to do this, or that it was no bother, or that it wasn't her fault, but she knew better. It'd always been her fault before and it was now.

To be honest, she wasn't even aware that he'd pulled a hair of hers off his scarf when she blurted out, "I-I'm sorry!"

The blonde looked over at her curiously, "Neh? But I like your hair Hinata-chan…"

This had been so far off of what Hinata's mind had been focused on, she did little more than repeat the statement as a question, "Y-You like m-my hair…?" Back in the academy, the gossip mill had been running amok on 'what Uchiha Sasuke liked'. One of the more prevalent ones had been that he'd liked long hair, so, assuming that since Naruto-kun was the opposite of Sasuke-san, Naruto-kun must like short hair.

What none of the girls had known was that this was actually the complete opposite of how things were, something Sakura-san had found out while on a team with both boys. Sasuke-san actually liked short hair, while Naruto-kun liked it longer.

Immediately after finding this out, Hinata had started to grow her hair out, hoping that, just maybe, when Naruto-kun got back, it'd be enough for him to notice her.

And it'd worked?!?

"Yeah," the blonde nodded at her even as he wrapped his scarf back around his shoulders, "I like it better than the duck-butt style you had before."

Hinata's blush deepened further at the (sadly accurate) assessment of her hairstyle over two years ago.

His eyes closed in a thoughtful look as he tossed the ends of the scarf over each shoulder, "I mean, it was cute on you and all, but with your hair long you look…" he paused, searching for the right word.

'Don't faint Don't faint don't faint don'tfaintdont'faintdon'tfaintdon'tfaint-'

A warm smile spread across his face, "… you look like a young Yuki-onna."

Hinata blinked, he'd… he'd called her… a beautiful ice spirit…

Slowly a small, embarrassed smile of her own appeared on her face, "T-Thank you… Naruto-kun."

---

'GAH! She's too cute!'

---

"You're sure you want to come? I mean, Sakura-chan was right, this is going to mostly be Chouji and me stuffing our faces…"

"I-It's okay N-Naruto-kun… I d-don't mind… I-I haven't had lunch y-yet either," 'And I want to spend as much time with you as I can.'

"Mm… then let me apologize now if we make you lose your appetite," he grinned sheepishly at her as they walked, his hands stuffed into his pockets.

She smiled, "I-It's okay Naruto-kun, I don't think it'll bother me much…" 'I can stand a little mess to be with you.'

He paused just outside the awnings of their destination and, for the briefest of moments, there was a look of utter seriousness on his face, "I'm just hoping I don't scare you off…"

Hinata blinked at the blonde, but he'd ducked into the Ramen stand before she could respond, 'You'll never scare me off… Naruto-kun.'

Taking a deep breath, Hinata ducked under the awning of the ramen shop after the blonde.

Naruto smiled at the already seated Chouji, who smiled right back. They both knew they didn't really have to do this, but they both wanted to. Hey, it was Ichiraku Ramen, of course they wanted to!

"What, no moral support?"

"Ino said she 'didn't want to see me stuff my face' and Shikamaru said it'd be too troublesome," the larger nin smiled warmly at Naruto, "Though I see you brought your own," a nod towards the Hyuuga, "Good evening Hinata-san."

"Good evening Chouji-kun," Hinata bowed slightly in greeting before following Naruto's example and taking a stool, taking the one on Naruto's right on the other side of him from Chouji.

"Oi! Ojii-san!"

"Wha-? Who's calling me old?!" the owner of the stand popped out from the kitchen, but the beginnings of a glare that were on his face quickly disappeared once he recognized the speaker, "Ha! Ayame! Come look who's here!"

"Huh? What do you mean…?" the brown haired girl popped out right behind her father, taking a moment to recognize the wildly grinning blonde at the counter, but once she did, she broke out into a wide smile, "Naruto!"

"Hey Ojii-san, Ayame-chan!" Naruto threw his arms out wide, careful not to hit the two people on either side of him, "I'm back!"

The girl laughed happily, "Looks like I can open that college fund again, eh?" Naruto stuck his tongue out at the girl.

Teuchi smiled, clapping his hands together once, "This calls for a celebration! First bowl's on the house!"

However, Naruto waved it off, much to the surprise of both chefs, "Nah, I'll have to take a rain check on that bowl… I'm here for a competition!"

The two chef's shared a glance, looked back at Naruto, shared another glance, looked back and noticed an Akimichi beside their favorite customer, then shared another, final glance.

"I'll start the noodles!"

Ayame disappeared back into the kitchen as Teuchi went to the counter, pulling a notepad and pencil from the pouch on his apron, "What'll you two be having for this contest?"

The two contestants glanced at one another, Naruto speaking first, "Miso, pork, chicken, repeat?" Chouji considered this for a moment before nodding in agreement and Naruto turned towards his other companion, "What about you Hinata-chan, does pork sound okay?"

She nodded quickly at that, a small hint of pink on her cheeks.

Naruto grinned at her before blinking and turning back to Chouji, "Loser pays?" At his nod, Naruto turned to Teuchi, "The loser will pay for us, and I'll be paying for Hinata-chan."

Said girl flushed a darker shade of red, and the owner raised an eyebrow at the blonde, a mischievous grin on his aged face. Naruto gave him a surprisingly eloquent glare, "Don't even think about it."

Intelligently, the older man didn't say anything about that and instead yelled back into the kitchen, "Miso, pork and chicken! And lots of it!"

---

"Ooooooh…"

Hinata stared at the two boys beside her.

She'd known that Naruto could eat a lot, and that Chouji ate a lot regularly, but to actually see it (without using the Byakuugan to spy on the blonde from afar) was something else entirely.

How'd they fit it all?!

Especially Naruto, considering that he'd won, in an eating contest, against an Akimichi!

The blonde was absolutely amazing.

In a surprising victory of 41 bowls to 39, Uzumaki Naruto had out-eaten Akimichi Chouji.

A small crowd had actually gathered to watch and started betting by the tenth bowls. Now money was being exchanged back and forth as the two boys groaned. Chouji's armor had enough give to it to contain his slightly larger girth, but Naruto had had to loosen the straps on his more form fitting armor to accommodate his distended stomach.

Naruto let his face drop into his empty bowl even as Chouji groaned.

Hinata had finished her bowl before the boys had even got to bowl five, but the teenagers had actually eaten with surprising decorum. It could be expected of the noble-raised Hinata to eat daintily, but the boys, by some unspoken agreement, had eaten quickly, but cleanly. There hadn't been any flying noodles or splashing of broth… thankfully.

Chouji struggled with his pouches till he pulled out his (butterfly-themed) wallet. Naruto (very briefly) considered poking fun at it, but decided that it was not a good idea to seriously bad-mouth the ninety some odd kilograms (200 lbs) of solid muscle and armor beside him. It'd be like picking on a sumo-wrestler just because he decided to wear a pink shirt, you just don't do it.

Still, "Neh, Chouji?"

The larger nin paused in his counting of bowls and calculation of expenses, "Yeah Naruto…?"

He grinned at his large friend, "I was just going to give this to you when the group got together again, but you can consider this your consolation prize," the blonde rummaged around in the pouch at his hip before pulling out a small scroll, "Here, for being a good sport."

The chubby nin blinked in mild confusion before taking the scroll carefully, wary of any pranks. He slowly unfurled it, his earlier discomfort at being full seemingly vanishing, he carefully scanned the first few lines of the scroll, fully expecting something silly or possibly something nice but foolish.

His eyebrows went up when he realized what he'd been given.

"Naruto… this…" he turned towards the blond, a slightly awed look of surprise on his face, "How'd you get this…?"

The other armored boy's eyes flicked towards the small crowd that was still exchanging money around them before he waved a hand dismissively, "Meh, just found that on the side of the road somewhere, thought you'd like it since you food and everything,

Chouji's eyes did the same before both boys looked over at Teuchi, the man had served ramen in a ninja village long enough to know that gaze.

"Oi! If you're not going to order something then get out! I don't need people loafing around, I've got paying customers to tend to!" the older man shooed many of the non-ninja out and within a minute, the three shinobi had a little bubble of silence at the now relatively quiet stand.

Hinata glanced curiously between the two boys, she knew Naruto had given Chouji something the other boy found impressive, but she had no idea what.

"Naruto… how'd you get a hold of a copy of the Kumo cooking-nin recipe list?"

That got Teuchi and Hinata's attention, though Ayame, who'd been listening in as well, didn't know what the big deal was.

The blonde smiled a bit, "When I visited Kumo with Jiraiya during our trip I was able to get some serious 'in's into their archives. I snagged that thing one time on my way out."

Chouji blinked, "How? These aren't as important as they were now that there's solider pills, but they're still usually B-class secerets…"

Naruto gave him a foxy grin before putting his hands together, there was a puff of smoke and the blonde, armored boy was replaced by an equally blonde girl in a kimono.

His(her?) voice was soft, silky, and sultry, "This is a ninjutsu version of the academy's transformation, it doesn't hold up in a fight, but it's almost undetectable and as long as you don't forget any big details, is indiscernible from a real body. They usually don't frisk a ditzy blonde thoroughly enough."

All four listening blinked a couple times at that before Chouji was the one to speak, "I… I really don't want to think too hard on that…"

"I completely agree kid, I completely agree."

Hinata stared at the blonde, "N-N-Naruto-kun…?"

"It's Naruko Hinata-chan… Na-ru-ko. I don't feel comfortable referring to myself as a guy while I'm like this… speaking of which," she(he?) clapped her hands together, and with another pop and cloud of smoke, she became a heonce again.

All the while, Ayame was thinking one simple thought.

'… kinky.'

---

Naruto-kun finished waving to the back of a still slightly-awed Chouji and turned towards her, "Neh, Hinata, you heading home?"

'Only if it's with you.' The girl blinked and turned towards him, then looked up at the sky to judge the time. She'd known it was after sundown, the challenge had been set to start then, but from the looks of things it was already sometime around ten.

"Y-Yes… I h-have to…" she pressed the tips of her index fingers together and looked away, "S-Sorry…"

"Nah, it's alright, I'll just have to take you somewhere nice later then," he grinned at her (He was quite pleased with the color that flooded her cheeks, it gave her a healthy glow instead of making him want to run get a medic-nin like the tomato red did).

Her mouth worked silently for a moment, "R-Really…?"

"Yeah, promise."

She stared at him for a long moment. He… he really meant it, he really was going to take her, the Hyuuga failure, the unworthy daughter, the girl that wasn't worth training, that was sent to the academy because her father couldn't be bothered to train a disappointment such as her… he was going to take her out somewhere nice…

It finally processed.

She smiled, "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

---

'GAH! How does she do that?!' Naruto wasn't sure whether he wanted to keep making her smile like that, those smiles were like getting slapped in the face with a brick with raw cuteness, 'Those smile's should be S-ranked jutsu!'

Even as he waved bye to the still smiling girl Naruto had to fight the urge to run back and snatch her up. The way her white eyes sparkled, the light flush of pink to her cheeks, it just made her a lotmore attractive and made him want to grab her and use Jiraiya-san's perverted interrogation techniques on her.

He wouldn't of course, he wasn't a pervert like his sensei(s) and she'd neither expressed a desire to be on the receiving end of those techniques, nor had she earned it. As perverted as they were, to say they made women feel good was like saying the ocean was a bit wet.

She would only get those techniques if she earned them and shown that she wasn't against having them performed on her.

He wouldn't force something like that on one of his friends, never on one of them.

Just… how the hell did she get the wind to blow her hair just right when she smiled?

---

Though Hinata's back was turned, though she'd turned down another street from Naruto-kun, though they'd already gone their separate ways, she watched him.

He was back, and he'd reminded her exactly why she loved him.

Naruto-kun had been kind to everyone he'd met, he'd cared for people, been considerate of their feelings, and had never stopped smiling. When he'd beaten Chouji-kun, he'd tried to make it up to the larger boy, despite having won fair and square. He'd happily accepted the rain check on hanging out with Sakura-san and actually seemed proud of the girl for choosing to work at the hospital instead of hanging out with him (something Hinata couldn't really understand). He'd insisted on not taking the free meal the owners of Ichiraku Ramen had tried to give him when they assumed he was going to pay, but when Chouji-kun had lost and started to pay, the blonde boy had insisted that his free meals be factored in.

He was so kind… so determined… he was perfect.

And Sakura-san had been right!

He'd noticed her this time! She'd grown out her hair and he'd noticed her! He'd even insisted on taking care of her and paying for her meal!

So it was with a small smile that she let her head hang low, her bangs covering the bulging veins around her eyes.

She would watch Naruto-kun, she would watch and wait for her chance to prove that she was worthy to walk beside him.

To be with him.

To be someone he could like.

She would change, for him. She would no longer be the failure, the disappointment, the frustration of the Hyuuga… she would change… for him.

That night, Hyuuga Hinata had wonderful dreams.

---

Naruto woke up.

For a long moment he didn't move, his breathing didn't change, his eyes didn't flutter, he gave no indication that anything had changed.

His room smelled sterile. The smell of cleaning products was almost overwhelming, overlaying the hint of brimstone of the Reds and the smell of rain that accompanied the Blues. The clock by his bed was slowly ticking, the gears inside clicking and sliding together in a soothing rhythm. Somewhere outside his apartment there was a pair of older women gossiping… he couldn't make out their words from here though.

No heartbeat, no breathing, no new smells. He was alone.

Naruto opened his eyes.

There was no one else in the room. Good.

He reached out and grasped the hilt of Maelstrom, pulling the large blade into his lap as he sat up. He yawned, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his mind shifting into gear.

What were his plans for the day?

What hadn't he done yesterday?

Well, he'd never gotten around to pranking the ANBU for one… but he'd need a couple hours to do that properly. Oh, he could've pranked them in about thirty minutes, it was the after effects that would take a while. Intentionally letting them find him, leading them on a chase around town, then letting himself be captured so as to point out their flaws and weaknesses to their faces. Have a clone switch out with him while another transformed clone created a distraction, let the clone continue to berate them a bit more… then appear behind the group of ANBU and make a simple declaration: "You could be better. Let me help you."

With any luck, they'd let him have unofficial command of the ANBU right then and there, but it was more likely that they would just give him a certain degree of grudging respect and an unofficial advisory role.

It would be… impractical to be Hokage when the ANBU didn't respect you.

He would have to remind them that he was the child that had painted the entire Hokage monument without getting caught and evaded a number of Chuunin, Jounin and even ANBU for hours on end afterwards.

Naruto could… content himself with an advisory role… for now.

He ran his hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head as he let out a yawn.

In all likelihood, the Akamichi had read through the scroll he'd given Chouji and found his realgift at the end. The recipe to Kumo's unique variation of the solider-pill. He'd had to use chakra to burn up the ramen and beat Chouji, otherwise he wouldn't have impressed them nearly as much, nor would he have had an excuse to give him the scroll as a consolation prize.

Naruto had been sure to include his notes on the effects it seemed to have and the differences between it and Konoha's version. He'd also been sure to note that he was not a medic nin and that his knowledge of anatomy was useful for little more than field medicine and knowing where best to stab someone.

However, he had still brought them the recipe and some basic information on an enemy secret that they had been trying to get for some time now. Unless he missed his mark, he was now more than just friends with the clan heir, he should now have the entire clan's respect and gratitude. This was good, the sooner he had the Akamichi happily on his side, the better.

He'd learned something interesting from the Netherworlds books and confirmed with his own experience with his Minions.

An army marched on its stomach.

Naruto didn't particularly need their power; thatwas primarily useful in large-scale invasions, something Naruto had Gamabunta for. But the Akamichi were the quartermasters of Konoha, the sooner they trusted his judgment and were not just willing, but happy to cater to his decisions and correct him on his mistakes, the better.

Finishing his yawn, Naruto swung his legs off his bed, moving Maelstrom to his back as he stood, his chakra reaching out to grip the blade without conscious effort.

Naruto stretched, running over his list in his head.

The Aburame wouldn't be hard to convince, a simple, logical argument would be enough to win them over. Show them that he was capable, intended to do what was best for his friends and Konoha, and they would follow him. Simple. Easy. Naruto Liked it.

With another yawn, Naruto headed into the adjoining kitchen in his apartment and scratched his stomach idly.

The Nara would be easy as well, don't give them a reason to oppose him and show that it would be far too troublesome to not help. Simple, and only slightly more difficult. He would have to show that he was the best choice for Hokage and that it was in their best interest to support him actively, or at very least not oppose him.

He didn't want a whole family of people who could plan like Shikamaru on his ass. No siree!

Naruto swept his hand along the top of his head, slipping of his favorite night-cap and hooking it onto the back of his chair as he passed it.

It was silly, he knew, but he loved the little thing. And if anyone except for his friends poked fun at it, they were getting punched in the face. Except Kiba, he'd probably still punch Kiba in the face. Guy should be tough enough to take it without too much trouble and he'd understand. The Inuzaka were cool like that.

A small smile worked its way onto Naruto's face as he opened his refrigerator.

To get the Inuzaka on his side, all he really had to do was beat up on their leader a bit, show he was actually pretty nice, and love on 'em a bit. Done. Undying Inuzaka loyalty, blue-light special on aisle 2.

The Yamanaka… Naruto just hoped they'd go along with the Nara and Akimichi clans… he didn't really know how to specifically ingratiate himself to the clan. Oh, he could be nice and everything, but their style of Pseudo-Genjutsu and Genjutsu just was beyond Naruto's ability to replicate, improve upon, or access similar techniques in other Hidden Villages… it was a serious pain in Naruto's ass, but he'd just have to wing it with them.

He'd have to make time this week to go by each of the clans in person… or have himself invited over by one of his friends… that sounded better and less intrusive, they would be more receptive to his advances in that case.

As Naruto sat down at his table, fresh milk and cereal in hand, he scowled.

Most of the major clans wouldn't be too large of an issue to convert, he was friends with many of the clan heirs. Nor did he think it would be very hard to integrate himself into the major military subsections of Konoha, such as the ANBU and Jounin subcultures, he already had an in to those in the form of Kakashi. Once he had that much support it should be a simple matter to sway the rest of the council.

That was not the issue, no, the reason he scowled as he ate his breakfast had two causes.

Namely, the Hyuuga and civilian populations.

The civilians would be a pain to change, their perceptions of him as a prankster and the Kyuubi would be exceedingly difficult to change. They were desensitized enough to the shinobi arts to not be awed by walking up a tree or some other feat of physical ability, but they did not have the skill or knowledge to recognize a truly impressive feat of Ninjutsu and be respectfully awed by that.

No… he'd have to do something major, a simple war on foreign soil wouldn't do, it needed to be immediate and personal to get their attention… but any things that would qualify as that, ran the risk of harming his friends as well. And that was not acceptable.

Naruto set his spoon aside, picking up his bowl and drinking the leftover milk.

No, he'd just have to keep his plans flexible enough to capitalize on any opening to sway their opinions that he could find.

Setting his bowl and spoon in the sink, Naruto headed to the shower, leaning Maelstrom against the wall before tugging off his clothes, tossing his pajama bottems and boxers onto the floor.

As he turned on the water, setting the temperature just so, Naruto pondered his other problem.

The Hyuuga.

He'd made a promise to Neji that he would change the clan, and he planned to do so. Considering the information that he had gotten on them, Naruto had been tempted to just write off the Main Branch as collateral damage in the reconstruction of the clan. But Hinata had changed his mind.

Not intentionally mind you, but her very presence had influenced his decision. She was proof that not all the Main Branch members were assholes, and she would likely be saddened if Naruto… removed them… so it seemed Naruto would have to take the Hyuuga on a case by case basis.

Problem: Naruto didn't know how he was going to infiltrate and/or change the clan. They were a Noble clan, and Naruto had found that Noble clans were snooty twits with sticks shoved up their asses… sideways. Naruto didn't have anything that could automatically ingratiate himself, or even put himself on the same level as the Huuuga, at least in their minds. In the other instances, just being a Konoha nin and Jiraiya-sans apprentice had been enough. Here, they had preconceived notions of who and what he was.

It was… troubling that he could not think of an efficient and useful way into the Hyuuga… Especially with what the Main Branch had done not only to Neji and his kin, but to Hinata herself. Naruto had recognized the edges of neglect in her eyes, not to the same degree or intensity that he had experienced himself… but the same pain.

He would protect her, even from her own family if necessary.

With that somber thought, Naruto turned off the water and stepped out of the shower.

There was also the issue that he hadn't talked with Tsunade-obaa-chan yet… though it was likely he'd be talking with her today, it probably wasn't going to be the full debriefing that he'd want. He wanted to get a feel for how she'd changed and how likely it was that she'd just hand him the office.

'Responsibility… changes people,' he reflected as he dried himself off, 'I'm proof of that… having responsibility to the Minion's… it changed me… how did being Hokage change you Obaa-chan…?'

Naked aside from the towel thrown across his shoulders and the large black blade stuck to his back, Naruto strode back into his room.

(Thankfully for the majority of the female population of Konoha his blinds were drawn. He took after his father in a number of ways, and good food and hard exercise had done wonderful things to his figure. With his father's hair, his mother's intense eyes, and the strong lines of his father's face combined with the hint of his mother's gentleness, Naruto would've been more of a heart-throb that his dad if he ever gave himself the chance. Not that he knew that just yet)

---

The boy gave the straps of his cuirass a tug, ensuring the chakra and magic infused into them was kicking in and sealing it tightly against him.

'There, that's done,' he felt the weight of the seals settling on his limbs and it suddenly was like moving through particularly thick pudding, fighting it for every movement. He liked that feeling. It meant he was going to be just that much stronger at the end of the day.

He hadn't dared try and leave those on while fighting Kakashi-sensei; even by running his chakra through his limbs instead of through his armor the older man had still noticeably had him beat in the speed category. But if the man hadn't had considerable skill and the sharingan on him as well, Naruto was pretty sure he could've beaten the man in a taijutsu match.

That done, Naruto slowly ran through the seals for the Shadow Clone Jutsu, all of them instead of just the ad hoc cross seal that he normally used.

By going through the seals slowly to be sure they were perfect, Naruto improved his chakra control, getting the most out of the technique for the least amount of chakra.

But he only made one clone.

Naruto then ran through the seals for the summoning jutsu and touched the clone, sending it to the Netherworld.

He did this every morning. He split his chakra in half with the clone and sent it away. Then the one clone would split itself into thirty (the greatest number of shadow clones half his chakra could make that would be stable enough to last a day). Sixteen of those would each grab a different book on tactics, politics, history, or psychology and, after lunch, those clones would put down their books and start up a tournament… of games, Naruto was pretty sure today was chess day…

The reason was simple, they each read a different book to give them a slightly different perspective or mindset, and then played against the other clones (so he wasn't exactly playing against himself). The losers would study the others games until (eventually) one clone emerged the victor.

The tournament winner would then get to play against Gnarl in whatever game it was that they'd played… and usually lose. The aged Minion was smart. And wily. And experienced to boot.

Even if the Minion didn't know exactly how to play the game, he learned fast enough that he usually only lost once or twice at a new game.

Gnarl already knew most of the tactics and tricks the clones (and consequently Naruto) were learning and already knew the more practical applications. Naruto's clones were learning by using the stuff against each other, but Gnarl already knew the stuff.

At the end of the day and game(s), the gaming clones would disperse, sending Naruto their collected experience, viewing a large number of games from almost every angle.

Naruto learned a lot from that.

Ten of the thirty clones would try to improve on his magic, something he had almost no talent for as Gnarl had been disappointed to find.

Yes, he had considerable stores of Mana even without the fox, and the Kyuubi was almost as great a source of magical power as it was of chakra.

But Naruto couldn't use it.

Chakra, was combining mental and physical energies in the proper amounts for a particular jutsu. Taijutsu was (usually) just drawing on your physical energy and converting it into kinetic hurt. Mana was drawing on and refining your mental and spiritual energy, pushing it through his link to the attuned spell stone in the Netherworld, then drawing back the further refined power, and releasing it from his body.

It was considerably more complex, at least from his point of view.

Naruto found the fireball and flamethrower spells to be surprisingly easy, throw his mind out to the statue in the Netherworld, draw in its power, and push it back out of his body. He had a sneaking suspicion that the Demon Fox (God) in his tummy was helping with that, fire and foxes went together surprisingly well.

Empowering his armor and sword was similar. He just touched the Netherworld with his mind and pushed his power into the Minion empowered metal. Once he started, the magical equipment kept drawing on his power until he cut it off (or, technically, once he ran out of Mana, but that was essentially impossible).

Supercharging his Minions was easy now that he'd practiced it enough, touch the stone in the Netherworld with his mind, push his power through it and throw it out at his Minions. Like the armor, they'd just keep drawing on it till he stopped it.

The spell he'd been working on when Gnarl had called a halt to Naruto learning new spells, and instead switched him to mastering the ones he knew, had been the Domination spell. Naruto just couldn't get that one down. It was supposed to slowly break someone's will down till they served you happily and willingly, but Naruto just couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of reaching out to the stone, pushing his power through it, then pulling the power back through himself, then releasing that power from his hand and forcing it into someone else. He was just having so much trouble with it that Gnarl had called a halt to him learning new spells till he got the basics of spellcraft down pat.

Another Problem: He had trouble drawing on any significant amount of his power at once. He had lots of it, but he couldn't flood a spell with Mana like he could jutsu. Not because it was impossible, but because he just didn't know how.

Gnarl had said, sadly, that if Naruto had grown up being trained how to draw on Mana like he had with chakra in the academy, he'd be much more fearsome with the spells. As it was though, he'd passed most of the developmental years for magic and would be stuck with rather inflexible spells…

It was… infuriating…

It was also why he had ten clones working on it during the day.

His final four clones that would be in the Netherworld all day usually split their time between various chakra-control exercises, looking into how the Netherworld was managed, and studying things that wouldn't be good for tactics, like medicine, sealing, or chemistry.

But that was all background stuff for Naruto anymore, his chakra stores would be back to full in an hour tops, so he'd barely notice having his chakra 'cut in half' and could let his clones do their work on their own without thinking about it.

They were essentially him with all his memories and experience and such, but the original usually didn't bother with reading a book or scroll unless it was to keep up appearances. When the original got a chance to train, he usually did physical training, since clones couldn't train reflexes or muscles.

He'd have to remember to get some form of training group going with the rest of his friends, he could train himself and them at the same time!

A grin spread across his face at the thought as he approached a familiar alley.

---

"You're late!"

The masked Jounin scratched his head idly, "Well, this time I was delayed by filling out all the paperwork for the new team…"

Naruto stared at his sensei for a long moment before turning to the pinkette beside him, "Why is it, that despite the plausibility of his answer, I still think he's full of shit?"

"Oh let it go Naruto," Sakura admonished lightly, "We can't help it if he late every chance he can get."

Kakashi made a face (mostly under his mask and headband), 'I'm… losing my dignity aren't I…?'

"It's not that he's lying to us, we're ninja, it's kinda what we do…" unnoticed by either of the teens, something in the air caught said Jounin's attention, "My problem is that his lies all suck, and even when he isn't lying you think he is!"

Sakura actually considered that for a moment, "You've got a point Naruto, neh, Kakashi-sensei…?" the pinkette turned towards their teacher, "Why do you do that Kakashi-sensei…?"

"Hm? Did you say something Sakura?"

"Kakashi-sensei!"

---

"Seriously Kakashi-sensei, how the hell d'you get away with being late all the time? I know you're an elite and all, but when I'm Hokage, I ain't going to stand for that shit."

"I actually was doing paperwork Naruto," the lazy-Jounin looked up from his book at the blonde, noting his disbelieving look, "It takes longer than you'd think to fill it all out."

"Then why don't you use some shadow clones to speed the process up? I know not everyone's got my kind of capacity and all, but as long as they don't do any major techniques or forcibly dispelled, you get most of the chakra back," he cocked his head to the side at the Jounin, "Making two or three clones would speed up the process by miles, so why don't you?"

Kakashi actually pulled his nose out of his book to give the boy a proud smile, though Naruto could only see his eye, "Well Naruto, the problem is that since the clones technically aren't me, they can't sign papers forme," trust Naruto to come up with an unusually effective solution right away, it'd taken Kakashi months to think of that.

Naruto scowled, "That's bull… a shadow clone is effectively you in most respects, but completely in the mental aspect. Paperwork doesn't care if you can't take a hit or are unable to restore your own chakra, so why the hell can't you do it?"

Sakura blinked, she hadn't known all of that about shadow clones, some of it yes, but not all. She'd been surprised that he'd stayed on Kakashi about being late, but he brought up a good points, especially now, and Sakura was interested in the answers as well. Just for curiosity's sake really, but she was interested.

Kakashi… actually had to think about the answer for a second, "Well… the problem is that protocol just says 'clones', as most clones are capable of a certain degree of autonomy but nowhere near enough to justify letting them do paperwork. Also, you and a select few others in the village are capable of using the jutsu for such a, comparatively, frivolous task."

The masked Jounin tilted his head back, his eye closed in contemplation, "Yes, I believe that's it, protocol says 'clones' as in all clones and there hasn't really been a reason to make an exception for shadow clones."

With a snort, Naruto pulled a notepad from somewhere in his armor and began to scribble, he paused for a moment before looking to Kakashi, "Neh Kakashi-sensei, do you remember the name and number of that rule?"

Both of his teammates stared at him, "… what? I've gotta remember to change that first thing when I get the job, no way I'm going to just sit and do paperwork all day when I can totally do it faster my way."

Kakashi stared at the boy, "… Naruto… since when do you plan ahead…?" Sakrua blinked and turned to her sensei, didn't he realize that Naruto had planned a lot of their bell test…? Or… did he think she'd been the one planning…?

"Since I grew up…?" Naruto made it a question, probably (and actually) wondering the same thing as Sakura, "I'm not a kid anymore Kakashi-sensei…"

The Jounin suddenly became serious, "No… you're not… Naruto…"

"… Kakashi-sensei…?"

"… don't forget to live Naruto…"

'That's rich coming from you, Kakashi,' "I won't… sensei…"

---

Sakura was… confused? Irritated? She wasn't exactly sure, but it was something along those lines.

Now, Naruto had been a complete and utter idiot before his trip, he'd pranked people all the time in the academy, he'd painted the Hokage monument (which was actually pretty impressive now that she thought about it), he'd been loud and obnoxious, and a general pain in the ass.

But even assuming the Chuunin didn't know that Naruto had changed, that kind of look was completely uncalled for!

They'd walked to the Hokage's tower in a slightly awkward silence after Kakashi-sensei's comment, Sakura hadn't really understood why the Jounin had said that, of all the people she knew, Naruto was the least likely to forget to live.

As they'd walked through the halls, the slightly somber look on the blonde's face had shifted to one of his best grins, she'd briefly considered that it might've been on of his fake ones, but discarded the thought. The smile reached his eyes, it wasn't as big as the grin on his face, but there was a smile in his eyes.

The three of them had walked up to the doors of the Mission Assignment foyer, their spirits lifting, but when the pair of Chuunin guards had noticed them, they'd just been… ugh!

The one on the left had noticed them first and had given them a quick look, doing his job and stuff, making sure they weren't fakes. He hadn't recognized Naruto at first with his armor and sword, but had figured it out when his eyes had landed on Naruto's face. The Chuunin had been surprised, but had accepted who it was with just a brief glare at the over-sized sword on Naruto's back.

That was perfectly understandable, if you're guarding someone you don't want somebody to bring a giant weapon into the room with them.

No, it was the other Chuunin that'd been an idiot!

He'd done the same thing, not recognizing Naruto at first then figuring it out when he saw the blondes face, but then he'd glared at Naruto, as if he expected the boy to draw his sword right then and there!

Now, Naruto had pranked people and stuff back when he was little, but he'd never been malicious or anything! And that Chuunin was giving him a look like he expected Naruto to go crazy and kill people right then and there!

Sakura had been very tempted to deck the Chuunin.

There was no way Naruto didn't notice the look, anymore, he was more than observant enough to notice it, but he didn't say anything, just kept smiling. But a bit of the smile had left his eyes, and Sakura had felt her fists clench.

Thankfully, Kakashi-sensei had stepped in, giving the offending Chuunin a smile, "Neh, Daikoku-san? Naruto is pretty good, but if you're going to practice for the Jounin Evaluation, it'd be better to spar against me, neh?"

The implication set in and the man paled, "A-Ah… I-I see K-Kakashi-senpai… I-I-I understand."

((Unbeknownst to Sakura, Kakashi had seen the building explosion in the pinkette's eyes and had moved to stave it off. Normally, a ninja should be able to fend for him or herself, but not everyone could take one of Sakura's punches like Naruto.))

Inner Sakura decided to make herself known as the trio stepped through the doors, 'Shannaro! Ain't no one going to hurt my man!'

Sakura chose to interpret that thought as 'No one is going to hurt my teammate!'

Then Naruto decided to make his presence known as they approached the assignment desk, "Morning Tsunade-Obaa-Chan! What mission's you got for us today?!"

Sakura decided to amend her earlier thought, 'No one's going to hurt my idiot of a teammate but me! … Tsunade-shishou would just kill him…'

The pinkette snagged the blonde around the neck, drawing him into a noogie, "S-Sorry sensei! I'll sort him out!" 'I-Idiot! You've got no idea how terrifying the Goidaime is when you say shit like that!'

Except… the Hokage didn't pound on him, or even yell at him, instead, her brown eyes went from the Kunoichi in front of her desk to the trio in front of her, "Team Kakashi," it was a call to attention.

Sakura immediately let go of Naruto's head, absently noting that he stood ramrod straight as well once let go.

"I have your new mission. Just now, a message came in that Suna's Kazekage was kidnapped by the Akatsuki," the trio stiffened slightly at the news, equally surprised looks on both Naruto and Kakashi-sensei's faces, "Your orders are to immediately head to Suna, find out the situation and relay it to Konoha, after that, follow the orders of Suna and back them up."

They each gave a quick nod, Naruto's face quickly becoming a scowl, "How much information do we have?"

"Only that the Akatsuki member used explosives of some kind."

The angry scowl deepened, "Then would it be possible to requisition a tracker type nin or team for this mission? Preferably a Hyuuga."

One of the Mission Assigners at the table scowled right back, "Why?"

Naruto's head snapped to the man, "If Gaara has been kidnapped it is quite likely that the enemy is taking him far away from Sunagakure to avoid interference with their plan. I would like a tracker of our own in addition to whatever Suna can provide. An Aburame wouldn't be very useful considering that they haven't tagged the Gaara, and I don't know how useful an Inuzaka's nose would be in the dessert, but I know Gaara well enough that I can tell a Hyuuga what to look for."

The blonde turned back to the Hokage, "As such, I would like to requisition a team of tracker-types."

Tsunade-shishou nodded, "Reasonable. However, all of the tracker-type teams are currently indisposed and unavailable."

Naruto scowled, "Team Kurenai?"

"Just left on a week-long mission this morning."

"Damn," the frown on Naruto's face was considerable, "Understood."

Tsunade looked hard at Naruto, "Anything else?"

The boy shook his head.

"Alright then."

Team Kakashi nodded as one.

"Dismissed."

Kakashi shunshin'ed off with a small burst of smoke. Naruto clapped his hands together and four more of him blurred into existence, the original made a ram, then snake seal and disappeared in a burst of smoke, his clones leaping out the windows behind the desks. Sakura…?

Sakura… actually felt kind of silly walking out the doors at a quick pace.

---

"Alright, we're off," Naruto tugged on the straps of the large scroll on his back beside Maelstrom. Sakura assumed that it was some form of storage scroll, he had been traveling with a seal master for the past two years. Aside from that, he only had a canteen strapped to his left hip to offset the standard shinobi carrying pouch on his right.

Considering that Naruto had consistently shown surprising forethought in the past two days, Sakura had a feeling the canteen and pouch weren't normal either. You didn't go to the dessert with just a single canteen.

Kakashi-sensei and herself actually had sizable backpacks, packed mostly with filled canteens.

Sakura sent her sensei a quick salute, "Ok Tsunade-shishou, off we go."

The pinkette watched a quick, silent communication pass between Iruka-sensei and the Goidaime before the scarred man gave them his own farewell, "Do your best!"

"Of course!" the blonde sent a quick grin back before taking a step forward. But only one step forward as he stopped and his head jerked up.

"Yo."

'HOLY SHIT! Where the hell'd HE come from?!?! I'll kick his ass for startling me! Shannaro!!!'

"Going on a mission, eh Naruto?"

"Heh," the blonde smirked.

"Mm, more importantly," the Toad Sage turned towards Tsunade-sensei, "Tsunade, something terrible's happened, Suna's Kazekage-"

"I know…" the Hokage interrupted him as she scratched herself and pointed at Team Kakashi, "I'm about to send these guys off there now."

Jiraiya's face hardened, "Tsunade…"

"I know."

Jiraiya scowled and turned towards his apprentice, "Naruto?"

"I know, be careful about the Akatsuki. I'll get the hell out of there if things get too rough, but… they've got one of my friends Jiraiya-san," Sakura… had never seen her friend so… serious before. On his more mature, yet still boyish face, it was… strange, yet… it looked good, "I can't just let them take him."

After a moment, the Toad Sage nodded before turning away from the blonde, "Kakashi… Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid… He's all yours."

Kakashi-sensei gave Jiraiya what Sakura interpreted as his 'I-got-your-meaning,-I'll-be-serious-Smile', "Yeah."

Naruto was already on the move, "Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, let's go."

A slight grimace settled onto Sakura's face before she fell into step behind him, "Right."

Kakashi gave the two Sannin (and one Academy Instructor) what amounted to an apologetic smile and wave, "See ya."

Within seconds of his footsteps following his students, they took off, almost literally, moving at a considerable clip down the road.

Iruka stared somberly at the retreating forms of two of his students, broken out of his thoughts by the Hokage's voice.

"… Worried?"

He considered the question for a moment, "No, he's… he's not the kind of weak shinobi I would worry about. Sakura too…"

---

"What?! You mean, Gaara…?!" the blonde kunoichi scowled at the dirt, "… I knew I had a bad feeling…"

Kakashi spoke in his mission voice, "… it'll take three days to get to Suna from here… let's hurry."

"… agreed."

The four figures blurred into movement.

---

Naruto clenched his fists tightly, feeling the bones and sinew creak under his own strength.

His friend, one of his few, precious friends, was in danger.

The onejinchuuriki he hadn't tagged! The one Host he hadn't thought to seek out. The one hidden village he hadn't visited!

Of course they were going after Gaara first! They'd known the Akatsuki were going to go in order for almost six months now! Why hadn't he just swung by to say hi?! WHY?!

"Naruto… just because I said to hurry, doesn't mean you should split up the team…"

He glanced back to find his teammates lagging behind and had to push down a frustrated growl, "We're not going fast enough…"

"Naruto… we can't go any faster and not risk hurting ourselves…"

"I know… but I can," his hands came up into a familiar cross-shaped seal and he shunted his chakra outwards. Two more Naruto's appeared in the trees, leaping beside the original. All three stopped on a branch, taking a knee, "Get on. I might be able to make it in two carrying you guys and I know it won't hurt me."

Sakura stopped beside one of the blondes, "Naruto…"

While Temari's eyes were worried and slightly hopeful, Kakashi's were as hard as steel, "Naruto, are you certain?"

"Positive."

After a moment's calculation, Kakashi nodded, "Move your sword and scroll to the front then."

Naruto did better than that, the blonde slid his scroll to the front and turned Maelstrom so it rested horizontally on his lower back, edge down, "There, a seat to boot, now let's go."

Sakura didn't hesitate more than a second before clambering onto the blondes back, gripping his shoulders as he hooked his arms under her knees.

Temari followed suit a moment later when the clone before her discarded its sword and scroll, which dispersed into smoke, at her slightly curious gaze, her Naruto simply said, "To make up for the weight of your fan and pack."

Kakashi declined, waving off the clone before him, "I can keep up with you for now. Don't waste the chakra on me." The clone nodded before dispersing itself, letting its chakra return to the original.

"Everyone settled then?" Naruto tried, he really tried to keep his voice controlled, but the edges of his impatience and anger were leaking in. Thankfully for all involved, they were ready, "Good."

Both Naruto's leapt off their branches with enough force to crack the wood beneath them, Kakashi catching up only moments later.

---

Despite his armor, despite his sword, despite his scroll, despite the young woman on his back, despite her pack, Naruto set a hard pace. A speed even Kakashi, more accustomed to moving in extremely fast but short bursts, knew he'd have trouble keeping up with for any length of time.

After one branch quite literally buckled beneath Naruto's feet, Sakura spoke up, "Naruto… what's wrong…?" She wasn't worried about her safety or 'chasity' when the hands on her knees tightened, she was worried about Naruto.

The boy was silent for almost a minute before he spoke, "I'm just so angry, not just at the Akatsuki… but myself…"

Everyone looked over at Naruto as he spoke, his voice quiet, "I've been to Iwa, Kumo, Kiri, and a number of other, smaller hidden villages… but I never thought to stop by Suna, not once. All the times I could've swung by to just say hi to one of my friends, to someone who understood me… I never did."

He growled for a moment before stifling it, but it was enough to startle the women and briefly terrify Kakashi, "I could've prevented this… should've known they'd go after him, the pieces were all there! But I didn't see it! Now, one of my best friends, the one I understand the best… he's been captured by the Akatsuki."

After a second, Temari carefully asked, "Understand the best…?"

Naruto didn't speak for a long moment, considering exactly what he wanted to tell them right now. The boy wasn't sure Sakura wouldn't hate him, or at least shun him, for his secret, so, for now, he would withhold information on the Kyuubi.

"Gaara and I… we're a lot alike… our villages hated us just for existing. They tried to kill us in their own ways, Konoha tried to sabotage me at every step of my ninja training… Suna wasn't as subtle…" Sakura winced, remembering the gazes she'd occasionally seen directed at the blonde, "He was targeted by the Akatsuki, just like me…!"

His three companions stiffened slightly at the undirected killing intent that swept out of the blonde for just a moment, "And yet…! Why is it always him that gets the worst of it?! Why is it him, and him alone?!"

"… That's… That's why…! That's why I won't just sit around and wait for the report! That's why I'm going to be there for him! This time, I'll save him, and I'll make sure he stays saved!" the branch he'd just landed on exploded beneath him as he leapt, "This time, I'll save my friend!"

Naruto could feel the angry tears forming at the corners of his eyes, knowing that his clone was doing so as well. He didn't notice the tears of gratitude in the other blonde's eyes, 'Uzumaki Naruto… Thank you…'

The pinkette on Naruto's back absorbed what her friend had said for several minutes before speaking, "Naruto…" he turned his head slightly, but didn't take his eyes off the branches in front of him, "… you've really been through a lot haven't you…?"

The tense silence was all the answer she needed, "Uchiha Itachi… you're his target aren't you…?"

If it'd been possible to stumble midair, Naruto would've done it.

"I wasn't just training these past two and a half years," Sakura gripped her teammate's shoulders tightly, "I was looking through Tsunade's notes and did as much research on the goings abouts as I could. The enemy Sasuke-kun wants to kill… it's really his older brother Itachi, a member of the Akatsuki, isn't it?"

Naruto… He didn't know how, maybe it was the fact that she could use a tree as a club, maybe it was that she still had the same temper as always, but he'd forgotten just how sharp his pink haired friend could be.

"Because of that desire, that motivation, Sasuke is now with Orochimaru in order to gain power…" she paused before continuing on, her voice as hard as the magically enhanced blade she sat on, "But Orochimaru only wants Sasuke's body, doesn't he? All we have left is half a year… and Orochimaru was originally a member of the Akatsuki…"

Her voice trailed off for a moment before she picked up strength again, "In other words, what I'm saying is this: As we get closer to the Akatsuki, we get closer to information about Orochimaru. And therefore, we get closer to Sasuke-kun."

Naruto grinned and focused his attention back ahead, "Two birds with one stone… I like that."

For once, both sides of Sakura's mind agreed wholeheartedly and without the slightest hesitation, 'This time, I will save those two.'

"But… Sakura-chan…" the pinkette's attention snapped back to the boy she was riding.

"I know I promised to bring Sasuke-teme back… but…"

"… Naruto…?"

The grip on Sakura's knees tightened for a moment before Naruto forced himself to relax, "Hear me out. Sasuke was my friend, and I'd like him to stay my friend… but he quite literally said he was cutting all his ties of friendship with me and Konoha…"

"We fought, and we're probably going to fight again when we meet again… but beating up on me, and hurting you… those are two very different things," Naruto turned his head to look Sakura in the eye, cerulean blue boring into green, "If he attacks you, or anyone else I consider a friend, he will have lost his chance."

"Naruto, what… what exactly do you mean…?"

"I mean, if he attacks someone precious to me, I'm not going to go out of my way to bring him back alive," he stared into her eyes for a long moment before turning back to the direction he was running, "I'm sorry. But your life is more precious to me than his."

Sakura gripped his shoulders so tightly, they all heard his bones creak in protest.

In another world, in another time and place, Sakura might've gotten angry at Naruto, she might've been astonished that Naruto would even consider something like that, that Sakura might've shunned the blonde that she'd thought she knew.

This was not then or there, and this was not that Sakura.

This Sakura knew a Naruto that thought ahead, a Naruto that considered the consequences of his actions, a Naruto that had gone out of his way to help his friends. This Naruto didn't say stupid things that hurt peoples feelings while meaning well, this Naruto didn't miss stuff that was stupidly blatant, this Naruto knew what was going on in the world.

A Naruto that Sakura was finding herself liking despite her best efforts.

The pink-haired girl couldn't get angry or be shocked that this more pragmatic Naruto cared for her safety more than the crush she'd had as a kid.

When she spoke, her voice was strong, if soft, "Then… I guess I'll just have to be sure to save him before that huh?"

Naruto smiled at her, "That's my girl."

For a moment, Sakura beamed right back at him, then the meaning of his words sunk in, "Oi, watch how intimately you refer to me, idiot." The pinkette lightly thumped Naruto on the back of his head, just above the knot of his headband.

The blonde chuckled just a bit before admonishing his passenger, "Neh neh, is that any way to treat your ride?"

Sakura scowled playfully at the blonde, just as grateful as him for a way to diffuse the tense atmosphere, "Well you should be careful how you refer to a lady, idiot." The pinkette gave him a one handed noogie, gripping his shoulder tightly with her other hand to keep from falling off the still fast-moving blonde.

"Oi?! Do you want to get dumped on your ass?"

---

It was then, as Kakashi watched his two former students bicker back and forth, that the masked Jounin finally realized something important. He might've known it on an intellectual level for quite some time, but he'd never really known it in his heart.

Naruto… was Naruto. And Sakura… was Sakura.

Naruto wasn't Obito, or Jiraiya, or even Minato-sensei. He was just Naruto.

And Sakura, she wasn't Rin or Tsunade or anyone else. She was Sakura.

He'd always put people into these little boxes, it didn't always work and it wasn't really right, but it was what he'd done.

In his mind and heart, he had been teaching histeam all over again.

Naruto had been Obito. The knucklehead, the idiot, the loud one. The dead-last.

Sakura had been Rin. The kunoichi, the one with the hair-trigger temper, the forgettable one. The fangirl.

Sasuke had somehow been a cross between Obito and himself. A loner with a troubled past, living in the past, an heir to the sharingan. The genius.

But now… now Kakashi knew, truly knew, deep down, that they weren't. They didn't fit in those nice little boxes.

Sasuke had been focused on revenge and anger, caught up with all his own troubles without any real support. Kakashi had tried to provide some, but it hadn't been enough to keep Orochimaru's offer from looking too promising.

Sakura had taken it upon herself to become stronger; it had been under almost entirely under her own power that she'd gotten her skill and power. The Goidaime had guided her through her growth, but it'd taken Sakura's drive to get there. She wasn't going to sit there and be rescued, not anymore. She would not be forgotten.

And Naruto… Uzumaki Naruto, the number one most unpredictable ninja Kakashi had ever met. He wasn't an idiot, he was becoming his own kind of unconventional genius. From what he'd heard from Jiraiya and seen himself, Kakashi knew that Naruto had considerable talent for subtle manipulation, he'd seen the boys potential in close combat, been on the other side of his growing tactical ability…

Naruto… was going to be the next Hokage…

Kakashi would have to remember not to be late to his coronation, the boy had sounded serious about not standing for that shit.

'Memo to self: Retire ASAP after Naruto becomes Hokage.'

---

A.N.)- Okay, a comment by lucas13 caught my attention, and I'm going to answer it here:

---

Just let me get something straight... Naruto has been training with weights for almost three years... not to mention the gravity seals... and hes able to get faster using chakra... and he is still only as fast as Lee with his weight on??!?!?! What the Hell!?!?!

---

Okay, that's a vaguely reasonable statement if you think I meant Gennin-Lee, but I didn't. It was supposed to be Sakura thinking about that stuff, and she was comparing Naruto to the Chuunin Lee that she knew. Now, to be sure you understand that, Naruto is about as fast and is as strong as Weighted-Chuunin-Lee, the guy who was fast enough as a Genninto make Kakashi use his sharingan to really see him, the same guy who became Chuunin entirely on being able to punch stuff in the face real good. Think about that.
Now, I'm going to assume that Rock Lee is notably stronger, faster, and generally more whup-ass than he was as a Gennin (same thing with all the Konoha 11). I'm also assuming that Lee has done more pure physical training than Overlord!Naruto (who's focused more on training his brain so far).
Now, Naruto has had to not only condition his body in the 'timeskip', but he's also had to relearn Taijutsu (I'm assuming the instructors at the academy generally tried to sabotage his learning and that Naruto's mostlyjust been winging it on some degree of talent and copying other ninja) and learn/develop Kenjutsu from scratch(because there really isn'ta school of kenjutsu for swords that big).
So, I'm assuming the reason he can keep up with Weighted-Lee is because he's using chakra primarily to enhance his speed rather than his power.
Now, this is all assuming that Lee can pretty much beat anyone in a straight up taijutsu match, excluding Gai. Even Tsunade with her super-strength wouldn't really beat an Unweighted-Lee if she wasn't allowed to use her other tricks. Now, Lee has Naruto beat in taijutsu skill, he knows a whole lot more forms, stances, and general ways to hurt people with his fists&feet than Naruto, but Naruto is able to (mostly) keep up with him in terms of physical conditioning.
Of course, Naruto has a much bigger bag of tricks that 'Punch something in the face real hard', so he'd still beat Lee any day of the week in a real fight. Thing is, in taijutsu, Naruto is pretty damn impressive, that was the whole point of Sakura's observation.

Now, as Jiraiya said, Naruto is a power-type, stronger than he is fast. I'm assuming that Lee is actually a speed-type, he's pretty strong, but once those weights come off he's absurdly fast, like, as fast as it is humanly possible to be (without chakra). The fact that Naruto can almost keep up with a weighted Lee is amazing.

So yeah, Naruto is 'only about as fast as Lee with his weights on'.

---

Oh yeah! By the way: My writing philosophy:
The story and plot are merely delivery systems for the characters. If your characters are shit, then the story is shit. Doesn't matter how good everything else is, if the characters are flat and uninteresting, no one will want to read your story. ERGO: In my story, characters come first. I try to keep my timeline/plot in mind when I write out the plans for the next chapter(s) and character development will beat out fight scenes any day of the week.

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Anyways: Chapter… COMPLETE!!! AUTOBOTS, ROLL OUT!!!

Ja ne,

Andoriol