C3, Going Back

"Talking."

'Thoughts.'

XX

1 Week Later

The Third Hokage of Konoha was not a happy man at all, not one bit. And who could blame him for it, standing before him was the Jounin Sensei's of teams seven and eight that went on the mission to Wave country.

He still could not believe what he had read from their reports?

He threw the reports down upon his desk and started rubbing his temples, he could feel a headache coming on big-time.

Even turned his head up and looked at them as he said, "I'm too old for this shit!"

Both Kakashi and Kurenai knew what he meant and just where this was going, they were in trouble... Big, big trouble.

Kakashi was the first to speak, "Lord Hokage... I was just following the orders of the Council and her mother when I attempted to apprehend her."

"To apprehend her?"

"Yes sir." He replied.

"Well then... It was just you trying to apprehend her? So then why did to two of your Genin, children of clan heads no less as well as a third from Kurenai's squad also a clan heads child I might add, go into a fight against one teenage girl while in a still high level combat environment in which I might add you had just been in a fight for your life and you felt a need to engage the one person who saved your ASS'S OUT THERE!"

Yep! He was pissed all right... Kurenai was glad it was Kakashi who was giving the report to the Hokage and not her.

"Kurenai at least stayed with the client as that was your JOB! On this mission, was it not?"

"Yes sir, she kept Genin Hinata, Shino and Sakura at the clients side as protection as per the mission orders... But at the time I saw new danger from the two Mist ninjas and saw a chance to apprehend Naruko Uzumaki who is at this time still missing from the village by unknown means..."

The Hokage was now on his feet and walking up to Kakashi, "You saw a chance... You broke a major rule of engagement, you engaged an enemy who was no longer a threat to you. Because of you she may never come back now... Now, get out... Both of you right now, I want to be alone."

As the two Jounin walked out of the Hokage's office a ANBU walked up to them and said, "The Hokage wanted you to know that your students are eligible for the Chunin Exam's. Here's your forms for your students sign up for, and let them know if they want to compete in this year's exam's... Oh, one more thing. The Hokage also said that if Naruko Uzumaki is to compete you are to leave her alone by order of the Hokage himself. Her mother and sister have been informed as well."

Both of them were in shock at hearing this, none more than Kakashi. It was almost like the Hokage knew she was coming back to the village, and did not want to spook her away.

'What does the Hokage know that we don't?'

XX

Naruko stood in solemn contemplation at the gravestone of her sensei and adopted father, Sasori of the red sand. The gravestone was littered on sides with many complex seals overlooking a beautiful ocean cliff, each one was there to protect the gravesite and to preserve her Masters final resting place. Upon it was a simple dedication as well as a photo of a younger Naruko and Sasori eating some Ramen during a festival in a small village called Mummer's Grove.

The dedication said, 'here lies Sasori of the red sand of the village hidden in the same of wind country, a loving grandson, a powerful warrior. A devout ninja and a caring sensei and father may he rest in peace.'

Naruko closed her eyes and let her memories flashed before her, there were of happier times. Times at Miller's Grove.

(A/B: the song The Mummers Dance remix By Loreena Mckennitt starts playing, you can see the video and hear the song on YouTube.)

It had been October 10, her birthday and a day off from her constant training from her various sensei's. But today was far more special to her, she would be finally seen some old friends. One of them was the Hokage of Konoha with his son and grandson Konohamaru were in the village on a much deserved vacation.

They had also brought Ichiraku Ramen bar owner, Teuchi was here to compete in a cooking competition. But secretly, he was one of the few people who knew that Naruko was going to be there as well and had something special plans for her ninth birthday.

Sasori, The Hokage, Teuchi and surprisingly Jiraiya had thrown her a surprise party during the Mummers Play Festival, it was one of the happiest moments of her life as she ate Ramen and Candy and danced in the festival as a woman with golden blonde hair song a song called The Mummers Dance.

As the night wore on she set with her sensei and enjoyed the last of the Ramen that Teuchi had prepared for her, the old man Hokage just taken a picture of her wearing sister he sat with him holding her. It would be the picture used on his gravestone after Orohimaru had killed him.

(A/N: song stops playing at this point.)

As the last image flashed through her mind she opened her eyes up upon the world coming back to the present, she sighed as she looked at the straw hat in her hands the same one in the photo the same one that had once been her Masters.

For the most part she looked almost the same the difference was now her mask was sealed up at the moment and her black battle cloak now had a gold and red nine tailed Fox upon its back with the symbol for Fox on the back just under the Fox.

She held back her tears and placed the straw hat back in place upon her head and walked up to her team, they all knew this was important for her.

None more than Zabuza and Haku who had been there that day Sasori had been laid to rest on the border of fire and water country overlooking the blue ocean, a site her sensei had come to love.

Jiraiya as well as Sasori's grandmother Chiyo had also been present, to lay him to rest. The old woman had confronted the young girl in her time of need and helped continue her training in the arts of puppet combat, while Zabuza and Haku had continued her training in the arts of the sword.

She also trained with the assassins brotherhood and two powerful ninja clans to further her training, she could now do basic ice Jutsu's and had a high mastery of water Jutsu's thanks to her elemental abilities been her strongest was first wind and then water with Earth as her weakest.

She walked up to them and said, "I'm ready... Thanks sensei, but we have to get moving now! Come on Blade let's go."

The small black coated puppet jumped up and sat on her shoulder keeping an eye out for any trouble that would try to be a threat to his master and friend. While some of the others were sealed in one of her many scrolls, only Pinhead and Jester were out walking alongside the team from Mist village.

Chojuru walked up alongside Haku and Pinhead and asked, "So do you know what happened to them?"

"Will, Sasori was both her sensei and in a way her father. He was killed almost right in front of her, she saw everything and she knows who did!"

"And that was?"

"Orohimaru... The Snake Sannin! She finds him, she's she's going to kill him... Slowly, painfully kill him. She'll be the spirit of vengeance. The Grim Reaper's Angel of death, I won't stop her one bit. I knew her sensei, he was a good man or puppet... But he did the right things, even if he had to be in that organization to do it!" She said to him.

XX

The village of Konoha was seeing a lot of visitors this day, and unfortunately for one young man named Konohamaru and his friends, it was going to be a very interesting day.

First of all he saw team seven and went up to them to see what they were up to this day, he had to admit to himself he didn't like any of them one bit... Not the kids or their sensei, Kakashi was someone who would say one thing and do the other, to put it mildly he was a hypocrite on a whole new level, he only ever trained the Uchiha or Karin. He only trained Sakura if he absolutely had to, she lacked some of the basic training you're supposed to get is a new Genin fresh out of the Academy.

And the young Genin of team seven were no different, first of all Sakura was a rabid fan girl of epic proportions. She would do almost anything for her so-called love for the Uchiha.

And then there was the Uchiha himself, Sasuke was cold and arrogant to just about everyone, the only person he even had any kind of feelings for was his mother. He was also obsessed with rebuilding his clan.

But to Konohamaru the worst one was Karin Uzunaki... She was one of the people responsible for his adopted big sister Naruko not being in the village anymore, he had a tendency to call her boss and very really got to see her thanks to the fact that he knew that Kakashi, Karin or her mother would attack Naruko at the drop of a hat.

His present problem right now was simple, he had insulted Sakura's fourhead and was now running for his life from the pink haired banshee as Sakura had sometimes been known to be called.

Unfortunately for him he ran right into some visiting Sand Ninja's here for the exams, a tall one dressed in what looked like a catsuit with makeup on his face and a bundle on his back picked the young man up by the scruff of his long scarf he wore.

A blonde haired young woman stood right next to him and said, "Kankuro... Let the kid go, it was just an accident."

He turned to his sister and said, "No way Temari, this kid is going to learn his lesson from me."

But before he could do anything the bundle on his back seem to come to life and injure him, this scared the living hell out of him. He was supposed to be the only one in this village who could use the Puppet Jutsu.

Temari was in shock at seeing this but had in idea who is doing it, it didn't help that a lot of the villagers of the leaf were coming out to see the show.

It was right at this time that Kankuro heard a young woman's voice speak, he also notice the reactions from the villagers... They were scared, but why?

"You're using such a basic puppet... Well, I see you made some improvements in its design. But not enough in my opinion, for someone like me this is a very basic puppet. Good but basic. Now could you please tell me why you're trying to attack my young friend there Sand Nin?"

Konohamaru jumped up from the dirt and ran over to the woman, "Boss, it's good to see you why are you here, did something happen?"

By this time Kankuro had managed to turn around an enough to see the young woman who was talking, in what he saw scared the hell out of him more.

She had one single chakra string attached to his puppet, and it was only attached to just one of her fingers. This is something not even he could do at all right now.

Karin's eyes were wide open right now, here standing before her and her team was none other than her sister Naruko.

Sakura was having a coronary at seeing the Vixen again. She could still remember their first encounter back in wave country on the bridge.

"What the hell's she doing here? She tried to kill my Sasuke and Sensei. Oh yeah, and you two Karin."

Naruko looks down to the young man and said, "I see you're doing well Konohamaru... You're not giving your grandfather any more gray hairs than he has are you?"

"No way boss, grandpa's got all he can take thanks to the paperwork. He's going to be happy to see you again, are you here for the exam?"

"Yes I am, my old Sensei here and the Mist village needed some help I wanted to be a Chunin. Plus I wanted to see some old friends again, you know like you and your grandfather." She said to him.

She then turned her head up to a bunch of trees and said, "You can come out now Gaara... Long time no see, old friend."

Kankuro was now even more afraid, his brother could kill if needed to at a moments notice. He watched his brother jumped down from the top of a tree and walk up to them. He gave Kankuro one of those looks.

"Kankuro... You are being a disgrace to our village right now, if I were you I would stop!"

"But brother... I didn't do anything wrong and and."

"Yes you did, this is not our home you cannot do as you please. Keep an eye on him better Temari, before he does something very stupid and gets us all killed... Naruko, it is good to see you again old friend can you please let my brother go now?" He asked her.

The surprise of everyone she cut the Chakra string from his puppet and walked up to Gaara with a smile on her face.

"Is Granny Chiyo here as well?"

He nodded to her a yes.

"Good... I want to see my old granny again, we have much to discuss you and I as well as her. It looks like we all have go to the Hokage tower to sign up for the Chunin exams as well. Care to walk with me my old friend."

She smiled as he walked alongside her, Bladed was on top of her straw hat looking ready to attack team seven at the drop of a hat and gave a bladed salute to Konohamaru and his friends.

"I would love to... My Vixen." Gaara said with a smile.

She gave him a seductive smile and said, "Flattery... Will get you everywhere my old friend."

Temari also had a smile on her face and said to her brother walking alongside her, "looks like our little brother has got himself his first crush. And I like it."

"Just as long as they don't kill us first Temari?" he said to his sister.

Sasuke was about to go after her but was stopped by Karin of all people, he just had to ask her, "What are you doing? We have a chance to get your sister back. She's in the village and we are ninja, so why did you stop me from on taking her in Karin?"

"Because right now Sasuke she has diplomatic immunity as she is representing a competing village and country in my exams. We can't touch her right now until it's all over with, and attacking her would only thing more problems to all of us. We have to wait for sensei, he'll know what to do... And maybe my mother as well?"

Sasuke was not happy about this at all, he would even with her in quite possibly just like her sister one day. Make her the mother of his children.

'With with those two as the mothers of my children, the Uchiha clan will be even stronger than before... And I will replace my week mother and kill my brother once and for all!'

End of C3.