AN: I'm back! Sorry it took so long but here it is anyway. I own nothing!

Twin onyx orbs stared lovingly at a heart-shaped face; the gentle smile that followed was unhidden by the usual mask. The gaze roamed over the bare body, nothing was hidden from his sight. Their night had been wonderful, their union that much sweeter as it proved their love for each other. He was her first, and she was his and it made it that much more beautiful. He'd enjoyed discovering her as she did and he knew that there was still more to come.

Crystal blue fluttered open from a somewhat restful sleep feeling the gaze upon her, her lips stretched into a smile as she turned to her mate. Black and blue clashed, the owners reading the other's minds. Slowly, their heads moved closer, their eye contact never breaking, as their lips touched. Her breath hitched when he sucked on her lower lip, the action reminding her of the previous night. She cupped his face and moved to straddle him as she kissed him harder, so much more demanding.

"Ohayou Kashi-kun," she whispered into his ear, her voice sultry with her desire.

"Ohayou Natsu-chan," he responded in kind as he dominated their passionate dance. He flipped them over so that he was on top, kissing her as he did so. She smiled lovingly up at him, cerulean orbs shining with passion. "Are you ready?" he asked even as he slid into her, her tight canal taking all he had to give. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream of pleasure, eyes closed tight as he moved within her. They moved in sync, the coils tightening, their fingers laced together as they danced to a tune that only they could hear.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Itachi-kun," Sarutobi addressed the young man currently sitting in his office. "I think it's time we put you back in the ranks."

"Ne Ita-kun, when are you gonna tell me about the whole thingy?" Gaara's innocent question interrupted the old leader.

"You don't need to know about it Gaara-kun," Itachi told the redhead, his eyes shining every so subtly as he answered.

"But it's not fun not being told," teal eyes stared pleadingly at Itachi's black pools, the redheads lips scrunched into an adorable pout.

"Maybe," the older man's answer was still not promising anything. Sarutobi chuckled at their interaction, reminding both boys that they were not alone.

"As I was saying," the Third Hokage said once again. "I think it's time we reinstate you Itachi. You've done whatever it was to be done and we really do need to clear your name. So many people, especially my ninja, think you did what you did out of spite and in cold blood."

"Let them think what they want," Itachi was slightly defensive as he replied. "I did what I had to do to protect the village." Gaara, noting the anger in the older man's voice laid a reassuring hand over Itachi's clenched ones.

"I'm sure you did Tachi-kun," teal eyes reflected sympathy for what he was feeling. "Sometimes, there are people who will hate you for things you have no control over." Onyx clashed with teal and they smiled softly at each other.

"Hokage-sama," Itachi turned his attention back to their leader. "I will have to speak to Natsu before I can answer you. I, myself, would like to be reinstated and for my name to be cleared but everything will depend upon Natsu's decision. She might still have some things for me to do."

"Very well," Sarutobi said. "We shall wait for her return before we decide on anything."

"You still don't know where kaa-chan and tou-chan went?" Gaara asked his 'grandfather'.

"No," Sarutobi sighed. "I've had ninjas looking all over Konoha and they still can't find them."

"They're not looking," Gaara replied. "If they really wanted to find tou-chan and kaa-chan, they would have by now. They can't see my parents because they don't really want to find them."

"Gaara, do you know where they are?"

"Of course I do," the redhead replied. "But I won't tell you. They haven't had time for themselves since we came back."

"But I need them here Gaara," Sarutobi tried to reason.

"You don't need them jii-jii," Gaara insisted. "You've not had them for a week and still the village is up and running. Besides, they'll come back."

"But..."

"Bye jii-jii," the redhead said as he held Itachi's hand. "I have to go see Kuro-nii and Mari-nee now." He disappeared in a flurry of sand, taking Itachi with him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Gaara!"

"Hai," the redhead said. "Sand Style: Sand dome!"

"Kankuro!"

"I can't, there's too much blockage, and I can't see anything!"

"Wind gale palm!" a girl with her blonde hair up in four ponytails shouted. "You really need to work on your ninjutsu Kuro-nii."

"Hai, hai, I know."

"Just finish the job guys."

"I did." Gaara said in reply. "Couldn't you just use Karasu Kankuro-niichan?"

"I don't want to!"

"Well, I can't hold it!"

"If that damn thing escapes again I swear I will~" the rant was cut off by Kankuro.

"Fine, fine," he conceded grudgingly. "Let's just take it back to the tower." He said as he used Karasu to take hold of the mass of sand that Gaara was holding. Walking slowly behind them, a blonde haired woman with crystal blue eyes and whisker marks on her cheeks shook her head as she watched them.

"Jii-jii, we're back!" Gaara shouted as soon as they entered the hokage's office.

"What mission were you on Gaara-chan?" a silver-haired man wearing a mask asked.

"We had to catch the fur ball again." The pout on the young boy's face made everyone else in the room chuckle.

"Ha! Serves you right sandman!" a gruff young boy with a white puppy said as they entered the room.

"Shut up dog breath!" the retort was accompanied by a glare. "No one asked you."

"Kiba-san, I think it's best we not start a fight." Another boy wearing a large coat and sunglasses said stoically.

"Shino, you're always like that."

"Shino-kun," Natsu called out to the glasses-wearing boy. "Where are your sensei and Sakura?"

"Sasuke-kun just one date, please?" the shrill voice of the bubblegum haired girl interrupted the answer. Kiba, Temari, Gaara and Natsu plugged up their noses at the strong scent that was attached to her.

"Sakura, you're my student, I can't and will never date you." The raven-haired man's eyes were flickering from black to red.

"But why?" the lavender-eyed heiress that followed could only sigh at the girl's persistence.

"It's unethical for sensei's to be with their students, besides I already have a wife."

"You do?"

"Yes and she's your other sensei."

"Hinata-sensei is your wife?" tears threatened to spill from jade pools at the mention of her well-endowed and beautiful sensei. "How could I compete with that?"

"Ne, Sakura-chan," Hinata was gentle even as her patience was slowly dwindling down to nothing. "I'm sure you'll find someone to love someday. It's just not Sasuke-kun."

"But kaa-chan said that I was destined to be the Uchiha matriarch," she sobbed. "She said that Sasuke-kun is only in denial and that he will eventually fall for me."

Sarutobi shook his head at the mention of the spiteful councilwoman. He just knew that she said some things to the young girl about the clans.

"Tora-chan!" a large woman, who stank of expensive perfume, exclaimed as soon as she entered and saw her beloved cat struggling to escape the confines of a puppet. "Let my baby go!"

"I am sorry," Sarutobi said before she could reprimand Kankuro. "It was terribly difficult to keep Tora-chan here and so I asked that he be held while we waited for you."

"Very well hokage-sama," she said as she slapped a handful of money on the table. "Could you please release him so I could go on my way?" the ninjas could only shake their head at the woman's attitude.

"Jii-jii, could we have another mission?" Gaara asked as soon as the daimyo's wife had left.

"You have already finished your quota of missions for the next two months but if you want, you could weed Hitsugaya-san's garden or help with the construction of ~"

"Jii-jii, couldn't we have a higher-ranked mission?" Temari was the one to ask. "We've been doing these chores for the past month and it's gotten really boring."

"That would depend on your sensei," their leader turned his attention towards the blonde-haired woman who was sitting on the window sill, her attention on the village.

"C rank," she sighed.

"Sasuke-sensei, could we have a C rank too?" Kiba asked eagerly, ignoring the indignant expression on Sakura's face at the interruption. Sasuke turned his attention to the woman he loved and she nodded in reply.

"Hokage-sama," he said formally. "Team eight would like to request a C rank mission."

"We could just make this collaboration," Sarutobi decided. "But you will need your supervisor to be present."

"What is the mission?"

"You are to protect a bridge builder from the Land of Wave until he finishes the bridge he's constructing."

"Where is the client?" Natsu asked, her attention now fully on the meeting. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. The Land of Waves was an extremely degenerating country so why would a mere bridge builder need protection? It was a C rank which meant bandits and local highway men, why would there be a need for four ANBU-level ninjas and six genin on such a mission?

"Where did tou-chan go?" Gaara asked.

"Kakashi is with your client right now," Sarutobi said. "You are to leave in four hours."

"Hai hokage-sama," Natsu said. "Team seven, gather everything you need, pack them in scrolls, we don't want to have heavy baggage on this mission. Reapers, we need to talk. Meet me at the training ground in ten minutes." She said as she disappeared in a swirl of blue fire.

"Team eight, pack light, meet us at the east gates in four hours," Sasuke ordered. "Team seven, you know what to do." The genin nodded and their sensei's disappeared in their respective shunshins. Sarutobi could only smile at their perception.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Kakashi," Natsu called out to the mask wearing ninja who was currently sitting at the bar with an old man who was trying to get himself drunk. "Why did you leave so suddenly?"

"I had to take care of our client," the onyx eyed Copy Nin said in reply. Ever since Kyuubi had evolved his Sharingan he had not felt the constant tug of chakra on his left eye. He still wore his hitaite lopsided though.

"Without saying goodbye," there was a pout in her voice as she sauntered over to the pair, crystal blue never leaving her mate's muscular form.

"I'm sorry," he reached out to her as soon as she was within his arm's length. "I just had to go."

"Well, hello there pretty lady," the old man slurred. "How about I take you someplace we could have~" his drunken rant cut short as he slumped onto the bar, passed out. Natsu didn't know whether to laugh or be disgusted.

"Did he just try to hit on me?"

"Ignore a drunken old man's speech," Kakashi said. "Why did you come here?"

"There something wrong about this mission."

"I know."

"I don't want to go out of the village without knowing everything," Natsu said. "I don't want to risk our children's lives for this."

"We have four ANBU level ninja on our side," Kakashi said. "I'm sure we could take whatever they would throw at us."

"I'm going to see Hinata-nee and Sasu-nii," she informed him. "We'll try to figure out why this mission will require such high ranking ninja when it's only supposed to be a C rank."

"Alright," he conceded.

"I'll see you later," Natsu said as she disappeared in her signature shunshin.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Kankuro-nii, where do you think they are?" Temari asked as she and her siblings sat near the gates waiting for their senseis and the other genin.

"I don't know Temari-chan," he said. "They're probably on their way here. Besides, there's still half an hour to go before we our mission starts officially."

"Make up boy!" Kiba shouted as he and his puppy Akamaru sprinted towards the three.

"Dog breath!" Kankuro retorted.

"Where are they?"

"They're obviously not here or else we wouldn't be having this conversation," Kankuro rolled his eyes.

"Shino and Sakura are not here yet?" the dog nin asked.

"On the contrary Kiba-san," Shino's stoic voice made the shaggy haired boy jump. "You should be more aware of your surroundings."

"S-Shino!" he yelled. "Don't do that!"

"Kiba, shut up!" Temari told him, teal eyes glowing eerily.

"What are you gonna do about it blondie?" he taunted the fan-wielding girl.

"Nothing," she replied. "Because, you're not worth my time."

"Why you~"

"Kiba just stop," Gaara intervened. "Keep quiet or I'll make you stay quiet!" he announced. Kiba promptly closed his mouth. Out of all the genin, he was scared more of the redhead than anyone else. The twins had been enrolled into the academy mere months before the graduation and yet they made it seem like they didn't even need to be there. They had taken the top spots as shinobi and kunoichi after the first month and maintained their grades that way. Even with the Inuzuka fighting style backing him up, he couldn't do anything to the sand-wielding shinobi and it scared him how quickly the others had taken a liking to him.

"Why isn't Sasuke-sensei here yet?" a bubblegum haired young girl asked as she walked towards them. As per usual, she stank of her perfume, her red blouse and pink hair making her an even bigger target than she already was.

"They're talking about the mission," Temari replied calmly. "Sasuke-sensei, Hinata-sensei and Natsu-sensei are with Kakashi-sensei."

"You mean that mask-wearing freak is coming with us?" Sakura shrieked.

"He's not a freak," Gaara glared hard at the annoying girl. "Plus, he's a way better ninja than you ever will be." He'd wanted to tell her not to insult his 'father' but he knew it would only complicate their mission if the civilian-mouthed girl knew that they were all related in some way. Sakura flinched at the glare she received and promptly shut her mouth.

"They're coming," the twins said simultaneously.

"How do you know?" Sakura asked suspiciously. She jumped back as a massive vortex appeared before her, getting her wet in the process. Out of it stepped their three senseis all in battle-ready gear, a silver-haired mask-wearing shinobi in standard jounin uniform and a hung over old man who still stank of cheap sake.

"Sasuke-sensei, do I look pretty?" Sakura asked as soon as the vortex died down. Hinata sighed while Natsu and Sasuke glared at the girl.

"Sakura, we're going on our first official mission outside the village and you're wearing perfume that just can be smelled from the hokage tower." His voice was stern as he avoided the question and addressed something he had wanted to correct her on.

"B-b-but..."

"I don't care what your mother says," he said. "She doesn't know the life of a shinobi and if you're truly serious about becoming a kunoichi, I suggest you begin straightening out. I've been trying to tell you that you're not supposed to act like that and yet you don't listen."

"Do you even want to be a kunoichi or did you just enrol in the academy to try to get into Sasuke's pants?" Natsu was not happy, she was pissed, she was beyond angry. She had just found out the true parameters of their mission and she didn't like the way she just knew it would go especially with children on it. She didn't appreciate being lied to and while she had found out the reasons for it, she still didn't think it was right. And now, this annoying pest begins harassing her brother and their mission haven't even begun yet.

"How dare you~" Sakura's angry retort was met with a cold stare from all the adults present as well as the other genins. Kiba just looked on with curiosity while Shino's reaction couldn't be properly gauged.

"How dare I?" Natsu replied. "You come here pretending to be a kunoichi while in truth you and your bitch of a mother are only trying to get into the Uchiha coffers. Did you really think that he would choose you when he's already married and living happily with his wife who happens to love him for him and not because he's and Uchiha? Do you even really like Sasuke? I know for a fact, there's someone else you have your sights on so why do you choose to follow you mother whom you know is only plotting to get richer?"

"S-s-she's not~" Sakura tried to defend her mother but no words come to mind.

"Sakura, you need to take this seriously if not you're going to get killed." Hinata was gentle as she took over the explanation. "It's not right to follow your mother's words just because they have something over your head." Jade eyes widened at the mention of something she knew she hadn't told anyone. "Don't be so surprised, we know everything about your mother. We also know how she thinks, as a matter of fact I know that she was only allowed to leave the jail was because you begged the Hokage to do so."

"Hinata-sensei..."

"Sakura, you need to work on this," the lavender haired heiress said. "If you truly want to become a kunoichi then by all means go for it but if you don't then you need to follow your true passion."

"We're wasting time..." Kakashi said.

"Gomen Kakashi-taichou," Hinata apologized. "Sakura, we're not taking you on this mission," she told the sobbing girl. "I want you to find these two people," she said as she handed her a note. "Find them and talk to them about being a kunoichi. While we're away I want you to really decide on what you want to do with your life otherwise you'll be stuck doing something you don't want to."

"Hai Hinata-sensei!" her mentor could only smile at the determination in her voice. "I'll see you." She then left without another word.

"Alright," Kakashi said. "Now that that's over with," he faced the genins. "This mission has just been raised to an A-rank and Kiba before you begin celebrating I suggest you listen first. You are being given a choice whether you want to go through with this or not."

"Why would we back out?" Kiba asked arrogantly.

"We might be facing A-rank or even S-rank missing nin and so now you can back out if you want."

"Team seven will continue with this mission." The siblings said in unison.

"I would also like to proceed," Shino said as he slipped his glasses further up his nose.

"Then I want to go too!" Kiba exclaimed.

"Let's get one thing straight Tazuna-san," the blonde haired blue eyes sensei turned her attention to the washed up drunk. "We're doing this mission for the sake of your village but if we find out that you've been keeping more from us then we will back out and leave right that instant, is that in anyway unclear?"

"N-n-no..." the old man stuttered in reply. It was amazing how such a petite girl could intimidate men.

"Alright team seven attack formation," she ordered the genin. "Shino and Kiba at point with you right at their flank, Tazuna will travel with Kakashi and I while Hinata and Sasuke move through the trees."

"Hai!"

"Let's move out!"

Okay guys, I'm so sorry for the long wait but I've been busy and had gotten into a wall. Comments and suggestions? Please and thank you!