It Is What It Is

Yeesh, I feel like it's been ages since I've last updated this fic. Sorry guys, it's just that I've been working on a new Fairy Tail fic called "Eat You Alive."

I had this chapter planned when this story first started out, and it's one I've been dying to write as well.

Anyways, thanks for sticking with me alongside my slow ass updates. As many of you can tell, I had come out with another new NaruSaku fic called "The Fox's Keep" I'm back to writing a possessive Naruto again LOL.

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of any characters used

Also this chapter starts where chapter 8 left off

ENJOY!

Blue eyes widened as he couldn't believe who he saw. Standing in front of the destroyed Valley of the End, was none other than Sasuke Uchiha.

Before Naruto could say anything, he felt something sharp and cold pressed against his throat.

"Now, now, what do we have here?" Suigetsu grinned, "A spy?"

"N-no," the blonde grunted, "I'm no spy."

"You best put the boy down," Kurama growled dangerously as his tails were thrashing wildly. "If you don't, I'll rip you apart."

"Suigetsu, I'm sure they mean no harm," Naruto's eyes widened as he was met with a tall man with orange hair.

The water user scowled and dropped the blonde.

Turning around, Sasuke was met with an annoyed Suigetsu alongside Juugo holding Naruto by his jacket.

"Hey Sasuke!" The blonde greeted as he waved nervously. "Long time no see."

The Uchiha gave a small smile. "Dobe."

"Sasuke-kun! I finished checking the perimeters and no one else is here." A red haired woman appeared. Karin's eyes widened as she looked at Naruto. "This chakra, the familiar warmth, I've met him before."

Naruto looked at Karin and felt a warm feeling in his heart. "She has red hair, just like my mom!"

"Sasuke-kun," the red haired walked towards the raven haired male, "who's this?"

Sasuke smiled at her, "He's my best friend and brother, Naruto Uzumaki."

Karin's eyes widened at the name Uzumaki.

"Wh-what?!" She looked at the blonde, who was now standing, "you're an Uzumaki?!"

Naruto tilted his head, "Yeah, why?"

"Because I'm an Uzumaki too!"

Naruto's eyes widened, the warmth in his heart, he now understood why. It was the feeling of seeing a family member. With a laugh he ran towards her, hugging the surprised red head, and twirling her in his arms.

"Hahahaha I can't believe it!" He happily cried.

Karin couldn't help but laugh too as tears of joy fell down her face. "Hey, hey," she smacked his head, "put me down before I get dizzy."

The blonde did what he was told and sheepishly rubbed his neck. "Sorry," he whipped the tears from his eyes, "it's just that, I never thought I actually had a family left alive." Karin smiled gently at him. "I always thought, that I was the last Uzumaki."

"Well you're not alone anymore, cousin."

"COUSIN?!"

Karin felt the wind knocked out of her as she was brought into another hug.

"HAHAHAHAHA I HAVE A COUSIN!"

"HEY STOP THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME DIZZY, YOU IDIOT!"

Naruto groaned as his new cousin punched him on the head.

"Damn, you hit as hard as Sakura-chan."

Karin raised a brow, "Sakura," she thought for a bit, "hey, that's your pink haired girlfriend right?"

He blushed, "Wh-what?! No! Sakura-chan isn't my girlfriend." He then pouted. "Man, even though we just met, your already picking on me!"

"Well, we are cousins, and family always pick on one another." The red haired teased.

Sasuke walked up to his blonde haired friend as he got up.

"Naruto, what are you doing here anyways? Shouldn't you be in Konoha?"

The whiskered marked shinobi looked away. "I actually went to Suna."

"Suna, what were you doing in Suna?" The Uchiha noticed that their pink haired teammate wasn't with him. "You went without Sakura?"

"Yeah," Naruto hesitated, "I needed go to Suna alone, because I needed to straighten out things."

Sasuke finally caught on what was wrong with the blonde. He understood that Naruto was having troubles with Sakura's feelings towards the whiskered marked shinobi. The Uchiha probably thought that the blonde didn't know how to deal with the rosette's feelings for him. After all, she basically was pinning after the raven haired male near her entire life.

"Were you able to straighten out everything?"

Naruto shrugged, "To be honest, I'm not even sure," he let out a frustrated sigh, "I mean what, should I do? I mean what will happen if I run into Sakura-chan back home and I'm not even ready to face her?"

Sasuke chuckled, "You know, you don't sound like the Naruto I know. The one who would always charge into a fight without thinking beforehand."

"What was that teme?"

The Uchiha rolled his eyes, "What I'm saying is that, you're finally growing up Naruto. Alongside growing up physically, you'll have to deal with the emotional and mental parts too. Sakura's always growing up too Naruto."

The blonde tilted his head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Ugh I can't take this anymore," Karin stomped her foot, which caused both Sasuke and Naruto to look at her, "I swear you must be a real idiot when it comes to women."

"Probably is," Suigetsu muttered under his breath as he took a sip from his water bottle.

The red haired pushed her glasses up. "What Sasuke-kun is trying to say, that there are times that the heart of a woman changes. That her feelings for a man is no longer there and has to move on. We women can be complicated, because we can love one man at one point, but then move onto to another. My guess is that Sakura realizes that she has finally grown out of her crush and decided to go after someone who truly loves her for all that she is." Karin didn't like the fact that the pink haired kuonichi had feelings for the raven haired male. But once she knew it was a crush, she had nothing to worry about, after all crushes were able to go away and never last a longtime, though rarely do they ever develop into love.

"Are you trying to tell me that Sakura-chan might like me?"

"Yes," Karin groaned out, "honestly, I don't know why you're so afraid."

Naruto looked at the waterfall. "It's because she lied to me when she confessed to me at the Land of Iron."

"She had her reason Naruto," Sasuke pointed out, "she didn't want you to carry on the burden of bringing me back."

"Still though," the blonde growled out, "to say such a thing?! If she wanted me to stop, she could have said so!"

"It's because it was a promise of a lifetime that you made for her," the raven haired continued, "I'm sure Sakura realized what she did was wrong and felt guilty because of it. You have to understand she tried to kill me for you."

"My cousin is such an idiot," Karin rubbed her head, "honestly Naruto, I'm sure Sakura would have felt the same way your feeling, if the roles were reversed. What you two are going through is perfectly normal." She placed a gentle hand on her cousin's shoulder. "Not all relationships start out easy, there are always going to be some bump in the roads."

In an instant, Karin was brought into another hug.

"HEY I TOLD YOU TO STOP THIS!"

"I'm sorry," Naruto cried, "it just feels like, this is something my mom would say."

The red haired smiled gently at the sobbing man and patted his head. Like all family, she would just have to deal with the dorkiness that came with it. After getting to know Team Taka a little bit more, the small group spend the night together. Once morning came, they began to go their separate ways.

"You're not coming back to Konoha?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I still have a lot to do before I head back home."

This caused the blonde to give a bright wide smile. "Well, once you come back home. Give me a heads up so I can be the first one to greet you."

With that, the two shook hands, the same way they had done a few months ago.

"Naruto," Sasuke spoke up, "when I return, I want to settle things between us."

The blonde nodded and grinned. "Same."

With that, both Naruto and Team Taka went their separate ways, with the blonde alongside Kurama, heading back to Konoha.

END

We got a few more chapters left before this story comes to a close. I want to squeeze in a few more chapters before I write the epilogue, which I already have in mind.

I almost forgot about that one line Sasuke tells Naruto in ch699 which is about those two finally settling things. I want that line to play an important part of this story as one of the many unresolved things Kishimoto left out.

I was nearly crying when I wrote the hugging scenes between Naruto and Karin. It's a shame the two never got find out they were both related. It's a damn shame and would be nice that Naruto would know that he's not the only Uzumaki.