A/N: Hi! My profile is updated and this chapter will be kinda long – according to my notebook...
Thelastuzumaki22: Tsunade will be beating the shit out of Naruto in this chapter.
Nuke Tremor: This story is almost completed. I'm ending it here and now. No more Chapter 8. (This might be changed if you e-mail me some ideas. Just so that you keep your idea between you and me. )
Read the (maybe) final chapter...
They had barely made it to the Hokage Mansion. Seeing Naruto on his feet had completely challenged their prior knowledge of Naruto's death. Thinking he was an imposter, they would attack him.
"Well, here we are," Kurenai said, exhausted. It surely has been a long day. Finding Naruto out of the blue, a long walk back to Konoha and multiple attacks from innocent villagers.
Naruto gulped. He couldn't stand the thought of Tsunade's reaction towards him. The villagers had gone crazy and acted as if they were fighting in a war. Tsunade – would be even worse. Naruto felt something soft and gentle upon his hand. Hinata.
"We're here for you," she said.
Naruto smiled at her. Hinata made things feel alright.
"So, it took you three months to escape and come to Konoha?" Kiba asked, curiously as they walked down the hallway.
"Well, I decided to stay a bit," Naruto answered, " It had already been two months when I escaped. Told everyone I was on a mission. They had good ramen, there."
"We have ramen here," Kiba said, "Your favourite ramen as well."
"I was worried that Granny would beat me to a pulp," Naruto said, "I heard the ANBU had brought the decoy into the village and the funeral had been held."
They stopped at the door.
"Naruto, stay here and we'll call you in," Kurenai instructed.
He nodded and leaned against the wall as the rest of the group walked into the room.
"Tsunade-sama," Kurenai started.
They were met only with a small "Yes". Tsunade had her head bowed over her desk. She kept staring at the wooden surface, iced with white paper as she drummed a rhythm with her fingers.
"We got everything! Weapons! Intel! Medicine!" Kiba said, proudly.
Tsunade pulled out five bags of gold – one for each of them.
"Here's your reward," Tsunade said, her head still bowed.
Hinata spoke up. "Umm... we have a... visitor... from the mission who would like to speak with you."
Tsunade's head snapped up. "Tell him to come again another day."
"Come on, Tsunade-sama," Sakura moaned, "You've been like this ever since Naruto's death. Just one visitor won't hurt."
"Fine then," the Hokage said.
"Come in," Kurenai said.
Naruto let out a huge sigh. As he shifted from his leaning position, Hinata's words were whispered in his mind.
"We're here for you."
Nervously, he stepped into the room. He didn't know what to say. Hi? Too casual. What's been going on lately? The whole village thought their hero died is what's been going on lately. He didn't need to say anything. When Tsunade saw who the 'visitor' was, her eyes widened, mouth opening and closing like a fish.
"Granny, are you okay?"
Naruto imagined himself slapping his forehead as he realized what he had said. Sakura done it for him.
'Baka...'
Tsunade's face flushed in anger. Naruto stepped back. In one swift move, Tsunade sent her fist into Naruto's stomach, punching him through the wall and sending cracks through the other. Sakura, Hinata and Kurenai tried to restrain the Hokage. She easily slipped from their restraints and continued to walk to the frightened boy. Kiba stood at the side, exploding in laughter as Naruto twitched in fear.
Tsunade lifted Naruto by the collar of his jacket.
"NOW, YOU LISTEN TO ME!" Tsunade shouted, "IF YOU WERE ALIVE, YOU COULD'VE JUST WENT STRAIGHT TO THE VILLAGE RATHER THAN PLAYING DEAD FOR THREE MONTHS!"
"Tsunade-sama," Sakura interrupted, "We brought him here to explain all this to you."
Tsunade let go of Naruto. "You better have a good explanation."
Sakura had chose to wait outside the office. She sat against the cracked wall when she saw Lee, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Neiji and Tenten.
"Sakura!" Ino called out, noticing her friend.
"Ino? What are you guys doing here?"
"We came to see if you had returned on your mission," Shikamaru answered.
"We've been waiting for you to show up at the BBQ Hut," Tenten said.
Now, she remembered...
The day of the mission...
Sakura packed her gear – almost ready to set off. There was a knock at the door.
'That must be Kurenai-sensei.'
She was wrong. It was Ino Yamanaka.
"Hey, Sakura," she greeted, "You've been a bit... depressed lately. You wanna come over for dinner, tonight? BBQ at Choji's favourite place? I can invite everyone."
She noticed the pack on her back.
"Are you going on a mission?"
"Yeah, maybe when I come back."
"Okay, see ya around some time."
The door was closed. Sakura really needed a moment to forget about Naruto's sudden death and be with her friends. Just a minute was all she needed. Finally, a time to relax.
"We had to leave before Choji ate all the barbeque," Tenten said, throwing a look at Choji.
"You know I can't help myself!" Choji said, trying to defend himself. It was true, though. Food was Choji's passion – or more likely, his clan's passion. It was his favourite word, his favourite thing.
"Come on, let's go!" Lee said, "We cannot waste our youth here!"
"I'm waiting for Hinata. She's in Tsunade-sama's office."
"Why?"
Sakura casted her eyes on the floor. "Because, Naruto's back."
Silence. The same reaction all over again. Until, someone says it's not true.
"Naruto's dead, Sakura. You know that," Ino said, "You've been to his funeral."
"I thought he was a dead," Sakura countered, "I went to a decoy's funeral."
"Decoy? What do you mean?" Lee asked.
"I mean the dead Naruto was a decoy set by Kabuto," Sakura explained, "The real Naruto is in there explaining to Tsunade-sama."
"Kabuto must have been keeping Naruto so that Madara could extract the Kyuubi from him," Shikamaru guessed.
Sakura nodded in agreement. It was the only explanation. The only way to become one step ahead in the upcoming war was to take a Tailed-Beast beforehand.
Naruto came out of the office, followed by Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru, Kurenai and Shino. Seeing his old friends, Naruto asked, "You're not gonna attack me as well are you?"
"Nope," Shikamaru assured him, "Sakura explained everything."
Naruto sighed in relief. Sakura pushed him along the hallway.
"So, you want a welcome-back-dinner?"
"Ramen?" His eyes lit up with hope.
"Sure," she said, swallowing back nausea. When will this idiot ever eat something other than ramen?
A/N: Ta da! One story finished. It may be changed. Thanks to everyone who read the story. I'll continue with Operation: HNUWH later.
