The Hidden Countries;

Chapter Nine,

Uzumaki

"Haku," Rose said slowly as she seated herself on Haku's new red two seater couches. "Can I ask you something?"

Haku slowly put down the wooden spoon he had been making breakfast for himself and Rose with. "Yes, Rose-Sama?"

Rose carefully looked away from Haku and decided to look at the golden brown of the wooden roof that was in Haku's apartment. "Do you know how much longer it's going to take you to master the – you know, contract?"

Haku sighed slightly, not turning around to look at Rose, instead choosing to stare at the inside of the pot. "I am unsure Rose-Sama. We have not as of yet progressed that far into my training."

Rose glanced at the tense boy that stood by the small stove, cooking rice with a bright pink pot... Why it was pink, Rose would never know. But Haku had chosen it... "If you had to guess...?"

Haku picked up his spoon and stirred the rice again. "If I had to guess Rose-Sama... I would say about one month."

Rose's shoulders slumped as she thought about that, she had to go another month. It wasn't that Rose didn't mind staying there, it was just the fact that her world was being threatened by an evil dark lord that only she could kill. Plus, she really did want to get to kill him soon.

Rose felt slightly depressed about that. How many people was she letting down by being so slow? How much time had she already wasted?

"I am sorry, Rose-Sama," Haku said in a low solemn voice.

Rose forced a weak smile, in an attempt to make Haku feel better. She didn't want to share her depression. "It's fine Haku, really. Just keep on marching on and all that!"

"...Alright then, Rose-Sama, as you wish."

Rose felt a phantom smile appearing on her lips. "You don't have to add the –Sama on the end of my name you know?"

"Yes, Rose-Sama. Rose-Sama, I must leave now, and go to training." Haku was suddenly in front of her with a bowl of rice in his hands. Rose slowly took it off him.

"Oh...Okay, Good luck then, Haku."

"Thank you, Rose-Sama." With that Haku fled though the front door, and to his training with the scary purple haired woman that Rose still wasn't sure of.

Rose stared at the bowl of rice for awhile, lost in thought. She didn't even notice Hermione wake up and enter the room.

"Rose? Are you just going to stare at that bowl?" Hermione asked in concern for the black haired girl.

Rose's head snapped up in the direction of her brunette friend, taking the girl – with all her wild curls in. "Hermione, is that you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes in expatriation. "Yes, who were you expecting?"

Hermione said this as she sat down across from Rose in a green single couch seat. Haku... had some odd taste in furniture... This much was apparent by the rainbow pillows on each couch... Or the neon dining table...

Rose shook her head. "We have to wait at very least, another month to get to the snake, to get to old Tom... To get back home."

The easy smile left Hermione's face, to be replaced with one of worry. Not about the time wait they had – but for Rose. "Rosie... I think we need that month."

Rose looked at Hermione blankly. "We're in the middle of a war, we can't afford it."

Hermione sighed loudly. "Rose you really do have a one track mind... No wonder you and Ron are such good friends..."

Rose's eyes narrowed at Hermione... Off topic, anyone? "I don't think that's an issue here, though."

Hermione smiled. "I guess that's just you... Rose, while we wait – we can relax. Seriously, this is coming from me. We've been through so much already... Don't you think we could use a little time to just... be teenagers?"

Rose looked at Hermione wearily. "Who are you, and what have you done with Hermione?"

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes. "Funny, really funny, Rose. I was thinking about our money problem... and, I was talking with Iruka and he told me the gallon would go really far in a gold shop."

Rose just looked at Hermione in surprise. "...Wait... Why were you talking with one of our guides?"

Hermione's cheeks turned pink.

~ !#OO!

Rose handed one of her many gallons over to the man behind the counter. Ron and Hermione on the other hand were very interested in browsing what the gold seller had to offer... Ron, was more interested in the other stalls but...

"Hmm," The old man said turning the gallon over and looking at the tiny inscription. "These are very interesting... Where did you get these from again?"

"I inherited them... My... Grand-father had a hobby of making them... No one knew what he did with them..." Rose lied easily.

"Indeed," the man said not even looking at Rose. "These will be worth quite a bit... Even with these strange markings on them... You wouldn't know what they would mean do you?"

Rose just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "That my grandfather was crazy?" Rose offered.

The old man smiled wirily, but had the look of a greedy person. "How many do you have?"

"A bit... How much are they worth?" Rose countered, being cautious.

The man looked around before scribbling a number onto a piece of paper. To be honest Rose didn't even know if that was a fair price...

"That seems to be awfully low. You wouldn't cheat a young, pretty girl would you?" A low, familiar voice said craning over Rose's shoulder.

Rose jumped and spun around wildly, and looked for Ron and Hermione, who were both at stall further down in the road. Rose looked at the person who had talked it was... Kakashi and he were smiling at the gold dealer with warning.

"Ah – Ah, of course not, but I, ah, need to make a slight profit you see..." The man said stuttering slightly, a bead of sweat rolling down his face.

"Oh of course!" Kakashi agreed. "But... This is pure gold, that should be easily triple that price."

Rose had finally managed to compose herself again. "You! What, why are you here... How?"... Or maybe not as much as she hoped she'd be.

Kakashi smiled at Rose. "I saw you and thought I'd come and say hi."

Rose looked at him like he was slightly insane – who knew, he most likely was.

"Oh... Well then carry on," Rose muttered as Kakashi went back to haggling on her behalf... She could have easily done that herself... But then again... She really didn't know a fair price when she saw one...

Ten minutes later, Rose had gotten over double the amount she had been originally offered per gallon. So Rose decided it was time to find Ron and Hermione, Kakashi had decided to tag along with her for unknown reasons.

"I could have done that myself you know," Rose said stubbornly.

Kakashi smiled at her, his one visible eye forming an upside down U. "I know... You did look like you could use some help."

"I had it under control," Rose insisted.

Kakashi smiled under his mask... his mask... She could try to see if he'd take it off... But then again, wouldn't that be really rude of her?

"Do you ever take it off?" Rose asked, curiously.

"Hm?"

"The mask," Rose clarified. "Do you ever take the mask off?"

"No."

Why not?" Rose pressed, intrigued.

"Because."

"Because, why?" Rose asked again.

"I feel like it."

Rose huffed annoyed and Kakashi smiled happily.

#$

"Salt ramen," Rose said as the waitress approached her. She was in her depressed mood again... And her new-found favourite food was going to help her out...

A few minutes later a steaming bowl of noodles was placed in front of Rose and Rose began to slowly eat it.

A month. If Rose really thought about it, she figured that it really wasn't that long of a time. It seemed long, but maybe it was because she didn't actually have anything to do in that time?

She'd wasted months in the tent anyway...

"Rose-Chan!"

Rose felt something tumble into her side giving her a hug, Rose looked down to see a head full of sunny blond hair.

Rose smiled slightly. "Eh- Hello, Naruto, what's going on?"

Naruto moved his face to give her a smile just as sunny as his hair. "Ramen!"

Rose laughed slightly and before Rose knew it, Naruto had a bowl of ramen too, and was talking about something of his training... Rose wasn't paying too much attention...

"...And then I told him that – and then, Sakura-Chan said..."

Rose smiled into her noodles... There was something about Naruto... Not that mysterious red aura she'd seen when she first meet him... He seemed to draw people to him, and make them... For lack of better word happy.

That was when Rose noticed that Naruto had a massive hole down the side of his jumper.

"Naruto," Rose said, interrupting whatever it was that he was saying. "How'd this happen?"

Rose looked intently at the huge hole as Naruto moved his arm in surprise.

"Oh this? Sasuke-Teme... won our last battle..." Naruto moaned.

Rose raised her eyebrow. "Why haven't you got your mum or something to have fixed it yet?"

Naruto looked down dejectedly. "I... don't have parents."

Rose's eyes widened. "Oh... Neither do I," Rose said seeing the boys upset face.

Naruto's gaze snapped to Rose and Rose nodded her head.

"We're the same..." Naruto muttered and then smiled at Rose.

"I can try and fix it if you want...?" Rose said trailing off; full well knowing that the only way she'd fix it was with some good old magic.

Naruto gave Rose a watery smile. "Really? Rose-Nee-Chan?"

Rose smiled widely... What was she doing? Was she really taking under another orphan? There must be something in the water...

"Yeah," Rose said noticing that Naruto had run out of Ramen. "Hey kid, want another bowl?"

Naruto ginned. "Always! ONE MORE SALT RAMEN OLD MAN!" Naruto yelled on the top of his voice.

Rose grinned. "One for me too!" Rose called out.

"You like Salt Ramen.. Nee-Chan?" Naruto asked happily.

"It's my favourite," Rose answered.

Naruto's grin increased if that was at all possible. "Me too!"

!## !

The third Hokage of Konoha sat in his seat in his office, staring at his Chunin instructor at his genin academy with contemplation. On the desk in front of him sat a seemingly harmless gold coin, with very strange markings around the edge.

The aged Hokage sighed; he swore that he'd seen this exact coin somewhere before many years ago... In the possession of two young red-haired trouble-makers...

"This came from the three travellers?" The Hokage asked his voice serious as he took a puff on his pipe.

"Yes, Hokage-Sama, Hermione-Chan gave it to me."

The Hokage chose to ignore the honorific that his ninja had bestowed upon the girl. It wasn't his placed to get involved in the matter. "Are you aware of where they came from?"

"I – no I am not, Hokage-Sama."

The Hokage sighed, loudly. "They seem very vaguely familiar..."

"I apologise, Hokage-Sama," Iruka said bowing his head.

"No," The third said nodding his head. "You have done what I asked you to, good job Iruka-Kun."

"Sir, if I-" Iruka's question got cut off by a loud knocking on the door.

"In a moment Iruka. Come in!" The Hokage said.

The door slid open to reveal Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi walked in looking as bored as ever. "I'm here to give my monthly team report?" Kakashi drawled.

"About time," The Hokage grumbled. "You skipped the last two months! You haven't ACTUALLY attended a single one!"

"Ah," Kakashi said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I was uh – busy?"

The Hokage easily brushed him off with a piercing look that made Kakashi slightly uncomfortable as he shifted slightly.

"Kakashi-Kun, have you ever seen a coin like this before?" The Hokage asked ignoring the fact that Kakashi was meant to be giving a report.

"Yes sir."

"Where?" The Hokage demanded.

"Rose, was in possession of multiple coins like this," Kakashi answered with a brief hesitation.

"I see," The Hokage said rubbing his chin. "Did she tell you where they came from?"

"I believe that she inherited them," Kakashi responded slowly, hesitantly.

The Hokage nodded, ignoring his best ninja's hesitance to answer his questions. "They seem very familiar... Do you remember anyone having these coins before those three came, Kakashi-Kun?"

Kakashi thought on it for a moment before glancing at Iruka for a few seconds. Kakashi focused his gaze at the innocent gold coin, with very strange markings when a thought struck him.

"... Sensei's girlfriend had these, I remember," Kakashi said his eyes widening.

The Hokage smiled grimly. "I thought so... I believe that she used them as a medium in Justus... Kakashi..."

"Yes Hokage-Sama?"

"Would you recall the appearances of any of the people you met in wave?" The Hokage asked his eyes careful.

"What is it that you need, sir?" Kakashi asked.

"Colouring will do."

"Yes sir. Ron has red hair and blue eyes. Rose has black hair and green eyes. Hermione had brown hair and brown eyes."

"I see... Kakashi do you remember the clan that heavily had red hair and green eyed people among them?"

"Y-yes sir, do you think that, maybe, Ron and Rose could be from that clan?" Kakashi asked.

The Hokage nodded his head. "Hermione-San could be too, for all we know. Those colourings aren't mandatory. Plus those coins..."

Kakashi hesitated again. "Do you think...?"

"That they came for Naruto?" The Hokage asked his eyes set grimily.

"Wait, what? What does this have to do with Naruto!?" Iruka said alarmed. "Why would those three be here for Naruto!?"

The Hokage looked at Iruka and Kakashi seriously. "I need you two to keep a close eye on our friends, and especially Naruto and any connections he makes with them."

"Yes sir," Kakashi said bowing his head, his eyes troubled – but he knew better than to question the Hokage on this one.

"Why sir?" Iruka questioned, not fully understanding what was going on at all.

"Because," The Hokage said seriously. "The Uzumaki clan has returned to Konoha."

Iruka's brown eyes widened. "And Naruto... Is an Uzumaki? But he doesn't have red hair or green eyes... I thought he was given that name in honour of...?"

The Hokage looked at Iruka searchingly. "Naruto Uzumaki is from the Uzumaki clan... We thought he was the last one alive but..."

"The last of the Uzumaki have come out of hiding," Kakashi finished his voice betraying his shock for once.

The Hokage nodded his head, Iruka's eyes widened.

The Uzumaki were back. And who knows what they'd do.