"I got it!"

With a smile and a nod Jiraiya crossed his arms. He was so proud of his daughter. She has caught on fast and has been starting to learn some advanced techniques. Though he did wish that Naruto hadn't taught her the Shadow Clone. But he was proud none the less."

Running around on the water she laughed as she jumped and landed in a stand. "This is amazing! I had no clue that I could do stuff like this!"

"You got it. Tomorrow we will go on to the next phase of your training. You will learn a fire attack."

Dropping her head as she walked back on the bank she sighed. "Do we have to start with fire?"

"Fire or earth. Those are the only two that I know so those are the only two that I can teach you. Unless you want to start with basic chakra skills?"

Looking up at him with a smile and bright eyes she laughed. "That would be better Papa. We have been here for two weeks and I have learned only a few things. I really need to be treated like I am just starting out ya know."

"I know but my little girl is so talented and really does catch onto the advanced things faster than someone who just starts the academy!" Jiraiya then pulled her into a hug as he rubbed his face against hers.

With a smile and a small laugh she sighed. "I am glad that you like it an all Papa but this is embarrassing ya know."

Letting go of her he sighed as he stepped back and smiled while he rubbed his head. "I know. I really shouldn't but I just can't help it."

With a smile as she looked up at him she laughed. "I understand. Thanks to my mother you missed out on the stage where I would have loved it." Then she sighed when she saw that same haunted look fly into his eyes the second she said it. Going to him she hugged his arm and laid her head on him. "It is alright Papa. I know you regret it but you didn't know. And I guess you can do it for now. Just not around anyone other than Naruto."

"Yes!"

Laughing as he did it again, Juuri couldn't help but laugh. But then she looked up when she heard a tired groan coming out of the forest. "Naruto."

Looking up to see Naruto he sighed. "Well how did it go?"

"Torture. But finally after a week solid I can at least make them."

His eyes going wide he looked at him odd. "Wait you are telling me that you can make physical and seeable chakra chains?"

Nodding as he looked up at him Naruto blinked. "I can. Do you want to see it or something why are you so shocked? I mastered the Rasengan in less than a week."

"Because that isn't anything like the Rasengan. If you can truly master the chakra chains, they can be in part stronger than even your massive Rasengan." His eyes narrowed as he became serious and stood with his arms crossed. "Let me see it."

With a glare as he stood tall Naruto sighed. "Now you get serious about it."

"That is because honestly only being half Uzumaki I didn't think you stood a chance to learn chakra chains. Let's see."

With a sigh as he closed his eyes, Naruto was more than a little annoyed. He should have more faith in his student. "You know Pervy Sage a Master should really have more faith in his student than you do me. Just watch."

Both Jiraiya and Juuri went wide eyed when Naruto weaved a few hand signs and then a stead stream of blue chakra came from his hand. The tip of it forming a curved blade, and the rest forming chain links with spikes on them. Once Naruto opened his eyes, Jiraiya's went even more wide when he reached down and lifted the blade. It was like he was holding a chain weapon in his hand. Not the chakra coming out of his hand! "Well now is stand corrected. You must have got more of your blood from your mother than your father after all."

With a smile as he fisted his hands, the chakra faded into nothing. "That is all I can do with it right now. Once I really grip my hand on it like that it vanishes. But being able to pull it out and form it, that is the first three steps. And in the scroll it said that can take years."

With a smile Juuri laughed as she stood up next to her father. "And you did it in a week." She then sighed as she slumped her head down. "It takes me the same amount of time or longer to learn basic things."

Pulling her eyes up to his as he laughed, Naruto winked at her. "Well you are still in the same basic clothes you had on over two weeks ago. There is a village near here. Let's go and get you some new clothes."

Her face going red and her eyes wide, Juuri gasped then dropped her head. "I don't want to be too much trouble. I don't really need…." But then she jerked her head up when she felt Naruto grab her hand. "Naruto I really don't…"

"Don't give me that. This is something that I want to do for you. You are a Leaf Ninja now. And my friend. That makes you special."

Still uneasy about it, she let him lead her away from her father and the house. "I guess if I have no choice in the matter."

"No choice at all but to walk with me."

Laughing as he sat down Jiraiya closed his eyes. They didn't see it. But he did. By the time they get back to the village, Sakura is going to be a distant memory. She will still be his friend, and they will share the common goal of bringing Sasuke back, but he had a feeling that his family and Minato's family were going to be forever joined after this. But he didn't care. He knew Naruto better than anyone else could. 'He may act just like his mother, but he got a heart big enough to house them both, and a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong. She will be fine with him.'

X

With a smile as she stood next to Hiyashi Hyuuga, Tsunade closed her eyes. "With as much as the messenger birds go back and forth, I figured someone in the Sand and someone in the Leaf were going to end up together. But I never thought it would be the two of you."

With a bashful smile as she stood with Gaara, Hinata laughed. "I never thought that I would end up with someone like Gaara either My Lady. But I am very grateful and glad that both you and my father have given us your blessings. It means a lot to me."

"Indeed. As well as to myself." Gaara held his new bride close to his side. To appeal to her father, he married her there so he and her mother and sister could be there easier. And he will have another official wedding in the Sand.

Turning back to Tsuande he sighed. "I also want to thank you for sharing the information that you have on the Akatsuki with me. I sent out scouts before I came here. Soon as they get back I will send you what they find in code."

"Thank you. I keep trying to get the other villages to work with us but they refuse seeing as they have none been impacted. It is annoying as hell that they won't listen."

"I agree. I too have reached out. I get the same response back from the three of them." His eyes narrowed as he looked at the ground. "To grow up and then they will talk to me. They still see me as a kid, that was made into a weapon for the Sand. Not the Kazekage."

With a smile as she looked up at him Hinata laughed. "But you are not either. You are not the little kid they say you are, and you are not a weapon either. You are Kazekage. And you earned it. Be proud of it."

"Indeed." Turning back to Hiyashi he sighed. "We should be on our way."

Stepping up to his daughter Hiyashi smiled as he pulled her away from Gaara and into a tight hug. "You take care of yourself Hinata. And keep in touch alright?"

Hugging him back and thankful that he fought the clan for her just like he did Hanabi, Hinata smiled. "I promise father. And you take care of yourself too." Going back to Gaara they turned and waved and then Hinata caught sight of Sakura who was going through her rounds but once again distracted. "Poor Sakura."

As he lead her out of the village, Gaara looked down at her with arched eyebrows. "She still acting like that over Sasuke?"

Shaking her head Hinata half smiled. "I told you how odd it was for me to have fallen in love with you because of the feelings I thought I had for Naruto right?"

"Yes."

Glancing back again as Sakura turned a corner she had more of a sympathetic look to her. "When we all heard that Master Jiraiya was told he had a daughter that was fourteen that he had with him and Naruto, Sakura has been like that since. For two weeks now. And she almost acts like she is jealous."

With a smile he sighed. "Well anything can happen in a year. In the two that he has been gone, look what happened with us?"

With a giggle she nodded. "Indeed."