Me: Hellooo, my lovely readers!

Kurama: Oh shut up, you lazy ass! Get to the replies!

firetemplar415: If you liked that, then you're gonna love this one!

Tsukoblue: As I said, that story is scrapped. If you find this one so boring, then please, feel free to find somethin different, because I can name at least ten authors that are better than me.

FinalGuardian: His eyes are gonna get more back ground than that. Don't forget that Kaguya and her clan were nothing but Byakugan users, her third eye only came in when she ate the Chakra fruit. ;)

Ragnarok: Oh, we'll see how well that blows over in the next chapter. As for his loose lips, well, as much as he dislikes the main family, as opposed to what he was told by his uncle, I doubt that he'd say anything to the elders, and you're also right about the rank of the mission. But what Tsunade gave him was an A rank in the beginning, only being upgraded later because of how dangerous Raiga and his men became.

Leaf Ranger: Moments like that are, I'm afraid, are gonna be frequent, but yeah, I couldn't think of another way for her to gain the trust of Tsunade's team.

Drac-frst: You know that raises a damned good point? Most Doujutsu I've seen are activated by stress, and evolved by seeing something traumatic such as the death of a friend, or murdering someone close to that person. Hinata could, since she's not at all stoic or stuck up like her family, wield such an advanced line, since she actually cares.

Tonlor: I put in just a little fluff here, just for that comment. Besides, I couldn't resist :p

Punitor567: You're right, if he tells anyone, which I'm debating about, and resolving in the next chapter, and to answer that second question, yes, Kaguya, whose clan settled on the moon, her sons, Hagoromo, and Hamura(inheritor of the Byakugan).

Fl4mingTurd: No worries, I try not to bash too much, and I realize I've bashed the council members a little too much in past chapters, but keep in mind they're being manipulated by that old mummy, Danzo. As for Sasuke...well, let's just say he'll get his just deserts soon.

Wacko12: Sorry, not in this story, Pal. But we're not even half-way through yet ;)

DragonPony022: Believe me, I can make time for those two. And as for Ranmaru, he's quite innocent, and could very easily lead these two into such situation.

plums: Sorry, but I'm gonna try to tone it down a bit. Seeing as Danzo was always the real problem apart from Akatsuki. He delt with them, Orochimaru, and others all behind everyone's back. Good intentions aside, he's still a bad guy. But I did warn all that this story would be a little darker than the last one. Even Kumo was rumored to have rare bloodlines brought in for breeding material or study. I think Kiri's the only one that didn't for obvious reasons.

Demonick Angel: Why thank you, I was rather worried that the battle was a little lacking, but Ranmaru's doujutsu unlocking upon Tayuya being taken down like that was always my intentions. And if they're that bad, I'll have to read those stories just for the commentaries XD

potterfanforever: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it, and that you agree with me. As powerful as his Byakugan alone is, the Tenseigan would be like finding another Sharingan user...(Damn, poor Saiga)

Saiga: OI! I'm not even in the story yet!

Nethis: In my point of view, Ranmaru's more of a male version of Hinata, though no where near as shy, but he's always determined, like Naruto and smiling. Sorta like a little ray of sunshine...though that won't last if he's around Jiraiya too long XD

minitune: Thanks for the explanation. I was fretting over that a bit :p

Biscione: Well, he did use them a little too early for his age. That like unlocking the Mangekyou Sharingan at age four for an Uchiha. And since he didn't have enough chakra to feed the jutsu he used, it fed off his life force, effectively aging him by the amount it took, about five years or so.

Azrael Akuma: Breathe, Akuma, breathe! Lol, yes, it'll continue into the training trip with a few timeskips here and there to keep it interesting.

EndlessChains: Thanks so much for the praise. It's reviews like yours I like reading the most. Pointing our where I did good, great, poor, bad or horrible in. Believe me, they help out a lot. And as for the Tenseigan, well, it is called the reincarnation eye, so I figured, since I don't know that much about it, that it is probably the only flexible Doujutsu out there right now. What's more is that it cemented Tayuya without having to actually mortally wound her if you think about it properly. And yeah, how could Tsunade not be a little tense around her? I mean I would.

EnigmaShady02: Really? That's great! I did such botched up job with the last story, that I thought it best to start fresh. But I didn't expect it to be so well liked! As for Kaka/Anko...well, I thought I'd get more laughs out of those two :p

Digitize27: As I said, if you managed to find it somewhere online, please let me know...I REALLY WANNA SEE THAT MOVIE!

Kurama: Calm down before ya hurt yourself!

KuroiSenkou: I never really intended for him to have a bloodline of any kind, but his mothers chains are just that, chakra chains meant for sealing or restraining. Don't worry, Naruto's time is coming soon. And he will be the biggest bad ass I can make him in this story without being over the top. True power comes from those that work hard to earn it!

Kurama: Tell that to Sasuke. -_-

Alternet RedSkys: Well, I'm no comedian :p Meeting me in real life would probably be like talking to a tree...you wouldn't be getting anywhere. And no worries, we all have our quirks.

wolfbane: I was wondering when someone would pick up on that. Yeah. You've got it right. Most clans would either marry two strong people together that were close in the line, but not close enough to stagnate the gene pool. Take this for example An Uchiha with a powerful Sharingan ability would be married to yet another Uchiha inthe family that was close to that one in power, but not too close in the gene department, sorta like selective shinobi breeding

Kurama: Ryoshi, not matter how you explain it, that's still the old Kissing-Cousins schtick.

Me: Kurama, cut me some slack here.

JP 13: To answer that question, yes that's exactly what she meant, but it won't hold true for long, but that also doesn't mean she won't have a larger arsenal. Also, glad you're enjoying it. If you liked this one, Check out Digitze27's Yellow and Red Makes.

gaara king of the sand: Thank you very much, but the trip ain't over yet! XD

WhatzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzUP: There are exactly 17 z's in your pen name...And thank you so much! That's all I can really say to you, so thanks!

Guest: You know I thought about that, but Naruto wouldn't be one to take a grave marker, like Zabuza's sword, let's be honest. I mean, the Kiba are great and all, and I see you're point because Zabuza's could regenerate by drinking blood(Totally awesome), but that's too much of a dark thing for Naruto, who doesn't particularly care for killing...I've seen him kill only a few people in cannon, or the movies. Kakuzu being one of them, the rest already being dead...or do Pein's bodies count? I don't know really, anyway, Kiba were the only ones I could think since he's gonna need some power behind his punches.

Well, on with the story!

Kurama: About time!

11: Departing Again: Naruto's Training Intensifies!


"And you're certain that the Kyuubi no Jinchuuriki has left Konoha?" Asked the holographic image of a man dressed in black robes with red clouds, his eyes gazing out without emotion.

Across from him was a being of black and white with what looked like a venus flytrap around his body. "Yes, we've confirmed it, he has traveled out of the village with Jiraiya of the Sannin."

The man's rippled purple eyes narrowed, "I see...and where is he now?"

"We don't know where he's going, but it appears that he's currently in Kawa no Kuni. Rumor has it that he killed one of the Seven Ninja swordsman."

"Oh?" A blue skinned, shark-toothed man smiled, "That's interesting. Which one was it?"

"Raiga." The white half of the being said. "He is now the wielder of the Kiba." Said the black half.

The rippled-eyed man was silent for a moment, letting the information sink in. "The boy is growing to be quite troublesome. Itachi, Kisame, you two will track him down so we may imprison him until his time comes. We still have two years before we can begin to move. Within that time, the Sanbi should have reformed since the death of it's previous host."

"What about the host of the Rokubi?" Asked a blond man with an eye patch, "Do we know where he is yet?"

"No," the rippled-eyed man said, "We still haven't gotten any leads. Kakuzu, you're sources are good at finding bounties for you to take in. Place a bounty on this man, and find his location. You and Hidan will then keep an eye on him, when it is his time, I will retrieve him myself."

"What about Orochimaru?" Rasped a hunched over figure, "My spy is still in his holdings. And from what I've heard, Uchiha Sasuke has joined his ranks."

Itachi's red eyes narrowed for a moment, betraying a small amount of rage from this information. "He will be dealt with in time," the ripple-eyed man said, "Perhaps sooner than we think. I have heard that he has an interest in the Sanbi as well...Tobi, you will also keep an eye on him. If he moves against the Sanbi, deal with him."

A giggle came from the last member present, his face hidden behind an orange mask, and a single hole for his lone eye, "Tobi's gonna do good, Leader-sama, 'cause Tobi's a good boy."

x|Kawa No Kuni|x

Naruto and the other were treated to a party for the liberation of the mining town, but one thing weighed heavily on the mind of a certain blond shinobi as he watched to the going's on of the village. For the first time in his life, he had killed in cold blood instead of using his Rasengan. Never before had he not used the mass of chakra to end someone's life. The land of snow, the Crescent Moon kingdom, and the valley he had found the that stone. But this time he'd used a weapon, and the blood now covering his hands was like a beacon to him, even though he had long washed it away, it was still there.

And then there was the fact that he had failed to protect someone precious to him. The sight of Tayuya being shocked to death would stay with him until his dying days. The blond sighed as he watched the others having fun, his eyes on Tayuya as she doted on Ranmaru as his newly aged body. From what Tsunade had told them, Ranmaru was now a healthy nine-year-old, capable of walking. A fact that the boy was ecstatic about. Tsunade again cautioned him about the use of his Doujutsu, saying that he wasn't able to control the flow of his chakra while using his healing abilities derived from the Tenseigan, he would age yet again since he had a still small chakra reserve.

But Neji was the one that Naruto watched the closest.

His interest in Ranmaru was disturbing to say the least. After Jiraiya had told them about what may happen to Ranmaru if he went to the Leaf village now didn't sit well with the blond or his temperamental companion...or any of them for that matter. Before the party had got under way, Neji had pulled the boy aside and showed him the basic Jyuken stances, and movements, showing him the way to see an opponent's chakra points, and explained how to close them. It had surprised Naruto to no end that the normally stoic Hyuuga had done such a thing.

"Oi, Shithead," Tayuya said, startling him out of thoughts as she came up behind him, "What are you doing up here by yourself?" She sat down beside him, "Somethin' bugging ya?"

Naruto smirked, "Sorta. I just...I don't know what's wrong with me." He mumbled, scratching the back of his head, blushing, he asked, "Are you doing okay? I mean, you did take that Raiton for me and -"

"Never fuckin' better," Tayuya smiled at him while flexing her arms, "Takes more than that to keep me - Ack!" Naruto turned toward her and wrapped his arms around her, causing the red-head to blush furiously. "Wh...Naruto, what are you doing?"

"Don't ever do that again," he whispered, clutching her against him, "Do you know how much that killed me inside to see you go down like that?" He tightened his hold on her, and she felt him shaking, realizing that he was scared.

In the meantime, her heart was hammering into her rib cage. She'd been held by him before, but not like this. She'd never given it any thought, but she'd only ever hugged her parents when she still lived with them. "Naruto - "

"I was scared," he said, "I thought I'd lost another friend...I can't let that happen again! So please, don't do that again, I can't take it!"

Tayuya was more than a little shocked by this, "Why...why can't I protect my friends, too?" She asked as she unconsciously wrapped her arms around his back, "don't you think I wanted to protect you if I jumped in like that? I mean, it'd hurt me if you died, too."

"That's the thing," Naruto said, pulling back, "I'm not easy to kill." He moved the robes of his hiori back and showed her two very nasty scares on his chest. One on his right chest, over a lung, and the other directly over his heart. The girl gasped. The wounds should have been fatal!

"What the fuck - !"

"Sasuke did this," Naruto said, replacing his robes, "He told me that we were best friends, and that with my death, he could achieve the Mangekyou Sharingan." He sighed, placing his hand over the right side of his chest, "He stabbed me with his Chidori here, first. But...I healed myself, and went on the offensive. But that curse mark of his gave him a boost, and he was able to nail me again...I don't know how I survived that last one. Luck I guess."

"But...fuck, either one of these should have killed you!" Tayuya said angrily, looking up at him, "How can you keep going after that son of a bitch after he's done all this to you!? Aren't you afraid he'll do the same?!"

He nodded, "If he's with Orochimaru, then I'm betting the next time we see each other that we'll be at each other's throats. But that doesn't matter, I made a promise to someone that I'd bring him back, and I was also taught by my sensei that those that break the rules are scum - "

"Damn right they are!" She snapped.

" - but those that abandon their comrades are worse than scum." Naruto finished, smirking at her, "So you see, if I just forgot about him, and left him to his fate, I'd be worse than he is."

Tayuya kept her mouth shut this time, not knowing how to argue with him this time. He was set, and what was more, he was making sense. If it were him, she would be going after him. She reached up and placed a hand on his chest, "If...if we find him, and he tries to kill you again, you gotta promise that you won't let him, got it? If he doesn't come easily, you have to do what's necessary to live. I don't fucking care about some bullshit promise that you made, I don't want you to die, either!"

Naruto just laughed, "You'd probably bring me back just so you could kick my ass for failing."

Tayuya smirked and gave his cheek a hard pinch and pull, "Damned straight I would!"

=x=

Unbeknownst to the pair, two others were watching them. "Still having doubts about the girl, Hime?" Jiraiya asked his old teammate.

Tsunade had a smile on her face as she watch Naruto rub his cheek, "No, I really don't think I do...In a way, it's almost like I'm seeing Kushina brought back to life." She said, recalling the young Uzumaki girl, "Naruto's just the same."

"Not really," Jiraiya said, "He's more than a little like his father. And that scroll you sent him really sent him over the edge about sealing. I've never seen him work so hard on something in my life. Not even when I'm going after him in a spar. You should see some of the work he's done in just a few weeks."

Tsunade quirked an eyebrow at him, "Is he Jonin material?"

"Not yet," Jiraiya shook his head, "Maybe by the time we get back, but I'd like to see how far he can go with the four of us now. He has Tayuya, and now Ranmaru as teammates, so we'll see how he does at being a leader."

Tsunade nodded to this, agreeing with his reasoning, "So, what are your plans for the future? I mean where do you go from here?"

Jiraiya grinned, "I was thinking of going to Suna from here. The boy's got a powerful wind nature that needs training, and Suna is the best at wind style Ninjutsu," he gave her a small smirk, "Unless you'd like Danzo to teach him?"

"HELL NO!" *WHAM*

"YEOWCH!"

Naruto and Tayuya were startled out of the moment by the yelp of the Sannin being slammed into the ground. "What the - "

"HOW COULD YOU EVEN JOKE ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" Tsunade roared, picking Jiraiya up by his collar and shaking him, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!"

Naruto just laughed, "Sounds like Pervy Sage was being bad again."

"I was not!" Jiraiya yelped, "Help me out here!"

"Yeah, no fuckin' way am I getting in the middle of that." Tayuya smirked, enjoying the show, "Besides, you deserve this after falling for that stupid clone trick Naruto pulled on you."

"That was days ago!" Jiraiya yelled, "And the brat played dirty!"

Naruto chuckled, "Wanna head back to the party?" He asked, offering her his hand. Tayuya nodded and took it, letting him lead her away from the beating.

"Oi! Where're you going?!" Jiraiya yelled after them as he tried to get away, "Come back here and help me!"

=x=

Meanwhile, Ranmaru was having a fun time at the little party. As Naruto and Tayuya came back, he was found talking with Lee about multiple training exercises for his legs should they weaken again, and Neji was still giving him more points on the finer movements of the Jyuken, all the while Tenten and Sakura were chatting animatedly, but, upon seeing Naruto, Tenten bounded up to him.

"Naruto-kun, you gotta let me see those swords again!" Tenten squealed with a pleading gesture, "Please! I wanna see if I can figure out how to recreate them!"

Naruto sweatdropped, "Didn't you learn your lesson last time? Your hair's still a little frizzy!"

"Is not!" Tenten snapped, absently reaching up to smooth her hair down. After her initial attempt at examining the Kiba, she had quickly found out that touching them when they did not like you was a big mistake. The poor kunoichi had been blasted back by a weak shock from the swords. But did that stop her? Of course not.

"Look, Tenten-chan, I know you wanna look at these swords, but you can't touch them without getting shocked, or killing me first," he said, and noticed a slight gleam in the girl's eye that made him shiver, almost like she wanted to try that second option. But a growl from Tayuya set her straight, and snapped her out of that thought. "As soon as we find a way to keep that from happening, you can look as much as you want, okay?"

"Rubber gloves might help?" Tenten mused, though clearly disappointed.

"Do you fuckin' have a pair?" Tayuya asked in annoyance.

"Well...no, but - "

"Then just forget about for now, okay?" Tayuya said, "It's not like Shithead's gonna up and disappear!"

Tenten pouted, "He's gonna be gone for three years!"

"Tenten-san," Sakura called out, "Leave them alone! It's not every day that Naruto gets a girl-"

"Finish that, Pinky, and I'll show you just how far a kunai can be shoved up your - "

"Alright!" Naruto yelled, "Enough's enough! We didn't come here to fight, we came here to party! Now let's get to it!"

"Yes, I agree!" Lee said, raising a glass of liquid, "It is most unyouthful for new friends to fight, especially after a great victory such as this. I propose a toast to new friendships!" With that he threw back his drink, and Neji suddenly realized something.

"LEE! Don't drink...too late..." Neji groaned as Lee became red in the face, his eyes falling to half-mast.

Lee staggered to his feet, and looked straight at Naruto, who was sweating heavily, "Oi, wah'choo lookin' at? You wanna figh'?"

"Uh-oh."

Tayuya was looking at the staggering genin in confusion, "What the hell's with Bushy-brow?"

"Wha'd you call me?" Before anyone had time, or sense enough to knock him out, Lee launched himself at the pair. And that's when the party really got started.

=x=

"Ugh, my head feels like a paperbomb went off in it," Tayuya moaned when she woke up the next morning. She was bruised, battered, and worse, hung-over...again. "That's it, I never want to see another fuckin' drop of Sake again!"

Something stirred beside her, and Naruto's blob of blond hair popped up from under a blanket, "Man oh man, remind me never to invite Bushy-Brow to another party that serves alcohol again." He groaned, rubbing a lump on his head, "I knew he was nuts, but that was insane!" Tayuya squinted at him.

"Better have a good reason for bein' in my fuckin' bed, Shithead," she growled at him, in no mood for gags, jokes, or any sort of merriment, not with the headache she had right now.

Naruto sat up and kicked the blanket off, "You kidding?" He asked, "This is my room. I carried you back here after we got away from Lee." He flexed his arms and winced, "Dammit, that guy hits hard when he's drunk!"

"Yeah, no shit," Tayuya groaned, wincing at the loudness of her own voice, "Dear Kami I never want to do this again!" She toppled over and back onto the fuuton, pulling it over her head, "Wake me when the world stops being so loud..."

Naruto rolled his eyes and tugged at the mattress, "Come on, Tayuya-chan, we're leaving today, remember? The villagers wanted to give us a proper send off."

"Don't give a shit," she mumbled from her hiding spot, "My head's killing me!"

Naruto laughed and peeked under the edge, seeing Tayuya scowling at him, "Get out of my bed, Tayuya-chan."

"Bite my ass, Blondie," she rolled over, resigned to try and ignore him. But that thought went to hell in a hand basket said blond started tickling her. "AH! Quit it ya jackass!" Tayuya squealed, and kicked at him. Naruto laughed and backed off enough for Tayuya to sit up. She glared at the boy angrily, "What the fuck's your problem, Shithead?! Can't you let me sleep a little?!"

"Sorry, but Pervy Sage said we're leaving early," Naruto said, "He wants to get a move on before Kiri moves on us to retrieve my swords."

Tayuya groaned and flopped back on the blankets, "Ugh, just give'em the damned things!"

"Nope," the blond grinned, "Now come on and get packed, or I'll start tickling you again. Besides, Ranmaru's excited to get going."

"I'll bet he is," Tayuya snipped, rolling to her feet. "What about that Hyuuga that was so interested in him?"

"Neji? He's been trying to convince him to go back to the village with him, but Ranmaru's pretty stoked about coming with us." Naruto said, smiling, "But he's being a really good sport about it. He even asked Pervy Sage if he would allow him to take the boy back for training in the Jyuken, and you know what he said?"

"What?" Tayuya frowned.

"Ask the gaki's guardians," Naruto said, "Meaning you and me are responsible for Ranmaru."

"Great," Tayuya said, palming herself in the face, "Terrific, that means he's pretty much put us down as the kid's parents!"

"Not really," Naruto smirked, though he was sporting a small blush, "We're more like his Onii-san, and Onee-san, right?"

Tayuya grumbled as she moved about collecting her things, "Better than Otou-san, and Okaa-san. Kid's old enough to be my kid brother now."

Naruto started packing his things, rolling up the blankets and the fuuton, "Yeah, Baa-chan pretty much forbid him to use that Tenseigan again until he can handle it without it aging him again. Pervy Sage said he'd put him through some extreme chakra exercises once we're far enough out."

"What about making his reserves bigger," she asked, "That'd help a whole hell of a lot."

"That's what I said, but he said, control first, deepening later." Naruto sighed as he shouldered his pack. "He wants to make sure that Ranmaru can control the flow of Chakra he has to channel into his eyes before he helps fill up his reserves."

"Makes sense...turn around," she said, and started untying her belt. Naruto blushed and did as she asked. "So...where are we going next?" He heard her ask.

"Suna," Naruto said quickly, hoping he didn't sound too nervous, and smiled, "I can't wait to see Gaara again. And Temari and that make up wearing brother of their's."

"Pfft," Tayuya sputtered, "Can't imagine I'm gonna make a lot of friends there. It was a fuckin' Suna bitch that put me under those trees."

"That was Temari," Naruto sighed, "And don't worry about that, you've got me and Pervy Sage looking out for you, remember?" He chanced a look over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of her bare back for a moment before whipping back around. "If I say you're our friend, then they won't hurt you."

Tayuya slipped on a fresh top and tied the belt, giving him a small smile that he couldn't see, "Thanks. But you know that I can take care of myself, right?" She grinned and tapped him on the shoulder, telling he could turn around. "If that Sand-bitch tries anything this time, I'll give her a taste of my Onidoro. Besides, I could use a little payback," she gave him a little wink.

x|Meanwhile-Konohagakure no Sato|x

"Achoo!"

"Gross," Shikamaru sighed as he walked his, unknown to most, favorite blonde through the village, "Temari, if you give me a cold, then you're gonna have to find yourself a new escort, we Naras have very poor immune systems."

Temari smirked at him, "Translation: Nara men will take any opportunity they can get to be as lazy as they want, be it illness or not." She giggled at the Nara boy's scowl. "Oh, come off it, that's as true as the fact that my brother wears make u- ah, war paint."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Whatever, it's too troublesome to explain it. Anyway, what brings you here this time? More documents for the Hokage?"

Temari shrugged, "No idea, all I know is that Baki-sensei said that a few more things needed to be hammered out between us, and the peace treaty would finally be in full swing. Which means we'll be -"

"Less likely to see each other," Shikamaru finished on a sigh, "Unless one of us becomes the village ambassador."

Placing her hands behind her back, Temari nodded, "Yeah, you got it. So...I take it that that kind of job is too troublesome?" She gave him a cheeky look.

Shikamaru scoffed, "It's just a bunch of paperwork, traveling, and knowing how to kiss the right asses." Temari laughed outright at that, seeing that he was right, in all prospects of the job. Shikamaru smiled at her, "See, I can do the job if I get my Jonin promotion...I just need someone to submit my application."

Temari bumped into him with her shoulder, "You know, you could get that promotion on your own if you wanted?" She grinned, "You're just too lazy to do it!"

"Troublesome woman," he grinned back, and stopped, as they were in front of the Hokage mansion. "Well, I guess this is where I wait."

"See you tonight?" Temari asked hopefully.

Shikamaru smirked, "It'd be troublesome for me not to be here."

Temari grumbled a moment, then gained a smirk of her own, reaching up on her toes and pecking him on the cheek, making the young Nara blush heavily. "Good, I'll see you tonight at my hotel. We can have dinner in the lobby!" Temari darted up the steps and inside, not giving Shikamaru any time to recover.

As for the Nara heir, he simply stood there, stiff as the proverbial board. He reached up and touched the cheek she had kissed, looking after the young woman. "Tou-san was right...women are way too troublesome...but damn do they know how to turn things around."

As Temari knocked on the door, she heard a loud scuffle from the inside of the room of the Hokage's office, a yelp, and a curse, then a loud thud. She raised her eyebrow in question as the door came open, revealing a harassed-looking Kakashi, and, sitting on the couch in her usual pose, a clearly agitated Mitarashi Anko.

"Ah, T-Temari-san, what a pleasant surprise!" Kakashi said hurriedly.

The Copy-nin was the last person she expected to greet her. "Ah, uh, is the Hokage in? I have the finalized documents from the council about the treaty."

Anko snickered, "You're looking at the Hokage, Sweet-Cheeks, Tsunade's out of the village!"

Temari's eyebrows nearly shot off the top of her head, "She made you Hokage?"

"And threatened to ban his Icha Icha books if he refused," Anko laughed.

Kakashi stepped aside to allow her entry, "Don't remind me, Anko-san." He returned to 'his' desk while Temari stepped inside, setting a folder she'd been holding under her arm on the desk in front of him. Kakashi smiled under his mask, and opened the folder. As he read, a smile wider than his previous one filled his mask. He looked up at Temari with his usual eye-smile, "Do you know what these are Temari-san?"

Much like a puppy would, Temari cocked her head to the side in confusion, "Sorry, but no. I'm just the delivery person this time."

"I see," he chuckled, replacing the documents in the folder, "Well, I think that it's safe to say that everything is in order. The treaty is set." Temari beamed at him, "Now, I'd say, after your long walk here, you've earned a long respite. I'm sending a messenger hawk to the sand village, letting them know that I've given you permission to stay a few days in the company of a guard should anyone decide it wise to attack you. In that time, I hope you enjoy your stay."

"That's very generous of you...Hokage-sama...ugh, no offense, but I don't think I'll ever be used to calling you that, Kakashi-san." Temari blushed slightly, though most of it was at the thought of staying in the village for a time.

"Oh, I completely understand," Kakashi said, smiling again, "Now, off you go, wouldn't want you to spend your little vacation here, would we?"

Temari nodded and was out the door faster than Anko could say Dango. Anko looked back at the acting Hokage, "Okay, what was on the file? Nothing's gotten you that happy in a week!"

Kakashi leaned back in his seat, completely at ease, "Oh, let's just say that Baki-san and the Suna council came up with a fine idea to cement our relations."

Anko got up from the couch and sauntered to the door, and Kakashi felt a bit of dread run up his back as she locked the door, "Well, if you don't want to tell me," she said in a purr, looking back over her shoulder at him, "I guess I'll have to resort to drastic means."

"D-drastic means?" Kakashi stammered, beginning to sweat, "Now Anko-san, we've been through this, while I'll admit that I've enjoyed, the office is totally off limits!"

Off came Anko's coat, "You didn't seem to mind ten minutes ago."

"Not everyone in this village is nice enough to knock!"

=x=(AN: Poor Kakashi)

Some weeks later found a troupe of four crossing the borders of Kiri back into Konoha territory. This troupe was none other than Jiraiya, and his apprentices. Except now he had three instead of two. Young Ranmaru was trailing behind Naruto and Tayuya at a slower pace, his legs still getting used to being able to move properly.

They were well out of Kiri domain, and there was little chance that anyone from the village coming for Naruto's blades. Konoha was still jumpy from the failed invasion by Oto, and had border patrols all over the place, even here, where it seemed to be more remote than any part of its territory.

This was where everything would start over again, as Jiraiya came into a clearing by a small lake, "This is a likely spot to start training again." He said, smiling at the trio. "Alright, what we're going to do...well, you're all going to go through hell."

"We've already done that," Naruto said, "Remember when you tied my up in that tree?"

"This is going to be worse," the Sannin smirked, "Because you're going to through the true Uzumaki training regiment." Naruto paled when he remembered what that entailed...two boulders instead of one...

"I'M OUTTA HERE!" Naruto roared and whipped around in fear.

"Kuchiyose!" No sooner had the blond reached the treeline, than a large wet tongue wrapped around his middle and hauled him back. Gama was croaking out a laugh as he reeled the boy in, "Thank you, Gama-san." Jiraiya grinned, "Now, as for Ranmaru-chan, you'll be going through some basic chakra exercises, as a start, then we'll work you into some more intense training to expand your chakra reserves." He said, patting the boy on the head.

"Hai, Sensei!" The boy smiled.

"Tayuya-chan," the red-head jolted, "You're going to be right there beside Naruto."

"FUCK ME!" Like Naruto, she turned tail and tried to run, but, since she was close to Jiraiya, he simply reached out and grabbed her by the back of her Kimono top.

"Oh, you ain't goin' nowhere," Jiraiya said in a sinister tone, "I promised that you'd go through a hellish training program, and that's what you're going to get! Welcome to Jiraiya's Bad-ass Boot Camp!"

"I WANT MY MOTHER!" Tayuya howled.

"Gama-san, lemme out!" Naruto yelled from inside Gama's mouth, for some reason the toad had seen fit to pull him all the way in.

Ranmaru smiled, "This sounds like fun."

That brat has no idea what he's getting into, said a certain fox as he enjoyed his container's misery.


Now here's where the next chapter gets a little...disappointing to some, because I wanted to refocus on some of the other romances in the story, the next one being *drum role* Temari and Shikamaru, our troublesome duo. Kakashi and Anko are more of a comedy relief. And I don't know about Shizune and Iruka.

Kurama: Oh, just throw in some lemons of those two, and someone will like it.

Me: Kurama, you're gonne get me in trouble with the Admins.

Kurama: you kidding? Look at your stories. If the Admins were cracking down on lemons, which they have, your's would have been gone long ago. But there's one thing you forget that others don't.

Me: What's that?

Kurama: Other's write SEX scence, you write...well LOVE scenes.

Me: What's the difference?

Kurama:...you're right, you're screwed.

Me: Ugh...please review if you liked the chapter...and pray that this stupid fox doesn't get me in trouble!

Kurama: As I said, you're fu -

Me: CUT!

Next time: The Wind Rises