It was the day of the funeral Hotaru was trying to comfort Shikamaru who took Asuma's death nearly as hard as Kurenai who was going to marry Asuma but this fact was known by very few Guy, and Kakashi but Shikamaru had figured it out but never said anything. Kakashi and Guy never showed their grief but they were upset as well. None of them had expected this mission to go bad it had only been a B-Ranked mission, but in the ended it turned to an S-Ranked mission. After the funeral Sureri came face to face with Ino and Choji.
"Take me to Naruto," said in a dead tone.
"I can't," Sureri replied.
"You can't, you can't!" Ino said her voice getting louder and louder, "you can't or you won't!"
"If it wasn't for him Asuma-Sensei would still be alive!"
"I wish I could help you but I can't," Sureri said walking away.
Flash back
Sureri was making her way home when she ran into a man that she had seen before but had never spoken to before he had shaggy black hair and x shape scar on his chin his right eye was covered with bandages and his right arm was concealed by his robes. "Hello Sureri-Hime," the man said to her.
"Who are you?" she asked coolly as he fell in stride with her.
"I am Danzo, and I came here to talk to you about Naruto," he said calmly.
"How do you know about Naruto?"
"There isn't much that happens in this Village that I don't know about," Danzo answered.
"So, what about him did you want to talk about?"
"I know that some here think we should go find him and ask for his help if he really is alive, but that is not a wise move," Danzo said.
"Why is that?" she asked stopped and looked at him.
"It is simple we can't keep trusting our fate to foreign Shinobi especially one that hates us," Danzo said.
"How do you know if he hates us or not?"
"You know his past I am sure and tell me would you hate this place if you were treated like that wouldn't you?"
"He has saved us before?"
"But why did he do it last time?"
"I don't know but I think you do and I think you also know why we can't go to him for help," Danzo said walking way she hated the fact that he was right. Naruto hated this place and was contempt to sit back and let it meet its fate if it hadn't been for the few people who had been nice to him, Orochimaru could have won battle.
End flash back
"I think she knows something that she isn't telling us," Ino said glaring at the retreating back of the Uchiha.
"She knows it is useless to ask Naruto for help," Kakashi said sitting in a tree reading his book.
"How does she know this?"
"He has no reason to," Kakashi said, "He has nothing to gain by helping us and nothing to lose by sitting back if he is still alive."
"He helped us before without any reason," Ino said, "When Orochimaru attacked he had nothing to gain or lose."
"No it was a mission someone hired him to aid us and not only that he got a hold of some scrolls and we still don't know what he got," Kakashi said jumping down from the tree.
"So you are saying there is no way he will help us," Choji asked.
"There is no way he will help Konoha but there is a chance if the right people go to him he may help them," Kakashi said.
"I don't get it what's the difference?" Ino asked.
"Naruto will help friends that happen to belong to this village not the village itself," Shikamaru said as he walked up holding Hotaru's hand something he normally fought against.
"I am sure if it affected his sister he would be at her aid in no time," Ino said crossing her arms.
"I am sure that there are others that he would come running for but the question is who?" Kakashi asked.
"You know don't you," Ino pointed accusingly at him.
"I have a guess or two," Kakashi said leaving them to their thoughts.
"Who would he want to help," Choji asked.
"Hinata or Sureri," Hotaru said.
"Why them?" Ino asked looking confused.
"Naruko told me that he knew them before he left and that they were his only friends," Hotaru answered.
"So since none of his knew him back then he won't help us?" Ino asked.
"No I don't think he is that petty but the problem is that we don't know where he is and as you heard Sureri won't help us," Shikamaru said.
"Yeah but she isn't the only one who knows where he is Hinata and Neji also know," Choji said quickly.
"But will either of the help us then will Tsunade let us go?" Shikamaru said.
"We should go talk to Hinata and Neji," Choji said.
"I don't think they will help us," Shikamaru said, "if you remember Tsunade had to force them to tell us that he was even alive I don't think they will lead us to him."
"So what do you say that we do nothing?" Ino asked.
"No I don't say that we don't do anything but we might not have to have them tell us. All we need to know is where the mission was at when they found him and from there we can see what we can find," Shikamaru said.
"And Tsunade knows that information," Ino said smiling. They all head to pay Tsunade a visit and told her what she was planning but she wanted someone else to go with them in case Izuna attacked them again.
"How about Kiba and Akamaru, they will be useful in finding him and detecting enemy Shinobi," Shikamaru suggested.
"That will work, but be careful we don't know how he will take this when he went thru so much trouble to make us think he was dead," Tsunade said.
Four days later they made to Yuki no Kuni. Once they got there they had no idea where to start looking they started to wonder how their fellow Shinobi had found him, when Akamaru picked up a scent as two people walked into a restaurant. The four Konoha Shinobi entered the restaurant. And they saw the pair in the corner, one was a young girl she looked to be about ten she had green hair and dark blue eyes, she wore goggles on the top of her head and the other kept his features hidden from sight. The little girl leaned forward and whispered something to the man who just nodded.
They stared for the pair but found their way impeded by the waitress, "is there something at I can do for you?" she asked apparently already knowing what they wanted.
"We just need to ask them a few questions," Kiba said.
"No I am sorry that is not possible," the waitress said.
"Why not?" Ino asked.
"Because we don't like you," Noa said sticking her tongue out at.
"Why you little…"Ino started.
"It is fine let them thru," the man said Noa said sitting and pouting. The four looked a little taken aback at how quiet everything got when he spoke. They walked over to him unable to see his face.
"Now what would four Shinobi from Konoha came all this way to talk about?" he asked in a soft voice that still filled the room.
"We know who you are," Shikamaru stated.
"Apparently," Naruto said.
"So which of the Big Boobed monsters told you guys where to find him?" Noa asked.
"Big Boobed Monsters," Kiba repeated.
"I think she is talking about Sureri and Hinata," Shikamaru said.
"Neither of them and Neji didn't say anything," Naruto said his eyes fixed on Shikamaru thru his sunglasses, "with Shikamaru here he didn't need them too. You know sometimes you are too smart for your own good."
"Is that a threat?" Kiba asked.
"No, but you all came her in vain, and your three friends knew that. So they wouldn't have told you where I was. So I am going to ask you to leave now," Naruto said as his ramen arrived.
"You aren't even going to hear us out?" Ino asked.
"No," Naruto said coolly.
"But…" Ino started to speak.
"Leave before I make you leave," Noa said getting to her feet.
"Who would have ever thought such a hero would be such a bastard," Ino said turning to leave. But stopped when she heard Naruto laughing it made her feel like she was back outside.
"Me a bastard that is a good one coming from Konoha Shinobi," he spoke with venom in his voice, "you come in here like you know me like I owe you anything. No you guys don't know me and I don't owe you shit."
No one in the village had seen him like this before he was always so kind to people it scared them Noa was scared.
"I think it best if you leave," the waitress said to the Konoha Shinobi.
"Just answer me this if it was Hinata Sureri or Naruko, would you have listened?" Shikamaru asked.
"But they are not here and Naruko doesn't even know who the fuck I am anymore and if you don't leave right now all you will be is a memory just like your Sensei," Naruto said getting to his feet face the four Shinobi.
"So you know?" Ino asked looking horrified.
"You are surprised," Naruto asked laughing, "at what that I knew or that I don't go running to fight your battle?"
Tears ran down Ino's face Choji stood looking in shock Kiba looked pissed and Shikamaru just shook his head in disappointment, "this isn't about justice but vengeance. It is the way of the Shinobi to kill and be killed," he said his voice much softer.
"What about you?" Shikamaru asked.
"I gave up being a Shinobi. All I am now is a man who wants to be left in peace. Now can you leave," Naruto asked sitting down, "I am sorry I cannot help you. Don't send any more Shinobi to pay me a visit, but birthday cards are always welcome."
"Is it really that simple you say that you are done so it ends just like that?" Ino asked.
"If I was a normal Shinobi and called it quits would it change anything would you still have asked me that would it be that simple? Would anyone question my choice?"
"But you aren't a normal Shinobi, you are the Shodai Kaosukage, the greatest Shinobi our generation has ever seen," Ino said. Everyone looked shocked at this none of them had known this.
"I was the Shodai Kaosukage, Takumi is the new Kaosukage," Naruto said, "there are a lot of things I was, but none of that matters that is no longer the life I choose to live. We all have choices that we have to live with I made mine."
"If you won't do this for us do it for all the people you can save he burned down Amegakure just to kill one man. To kill one man he killed hundreds fight for them if you won't do it for us," Shikamaru pleaded.
"I am sorry but I can't help you," Naruto said.
"No we are sorry, I hope you live a long peaceful life," Shikamaru said walking out the others following him.
When they returned back to Konoha Sureri wasn't surprised that they couldn't talk him into coming back, "I knew he wouldn't," she said in a soft voice.
"How did you know this?" Ino asked.
"He hates this place, he almost didn't even help us the first time he did. It was a mission someone paid him for. He never told me who it was that sponsored the mission or what his price was," Sureri said.
"Does any of that matter?" Choji asked.
"Yes it does," Shikamaru said, "You see he turned us down because he knew what we wanted even if we paid him it would have made no difference so who was able to talk him into taking the mission and what did he get in return."
"There are only a few people who would know this information the man who paid for the mission, and him and my guess Naruko," Sureri said.
"But Naruko's memory has been wiped she didn't even know who Naruto was," Ino said.
"But maybe he wrote the information down somewhere," Choji said.
"I don't think so but it will be worth a try, we could always go pay Takumi a visit and see if he knows anything," Sureri said.
"I know," Hotaru said the idea hitting her like a ton of bricks.
"You know what?" Shikamaru asked.
"I know how we can find out who hired him," Hotaru said smiling, "but it will cast you Shikamaru."
"What?" he asked, knowing it was going to be troublesome.
"You have to take me shopping when we get," she said smiling.
"He agrees," Ino said quickly.
"Well before he left to look for Naruko he summoned two foxes, and he told them that is was time to pay what they owed, and they vanished and he did too shortly after that," Hotaru said smiling, Shikamaru kissed her.
"You are a genius," he said.
"I know," she said happily. They all quickly went to talk to Tsunade and they got permission to go to Arashigakure. It took them a day to get to the village moving at full speed.
"What do I owe for this pleasure?" Takumi asked.
"We need to see Naruko," Hotaru said quickly.
"Okay but why do you need to see her?" he asked.
"It is important but we can't tell you I am sorry," Hotaru said.
"You are my friend but I cannot allow you to do as you wish in my village," Takumi said smiling.
"It is about Naruto-Sama," she said hoping he wouldn't pry too much. He took a deep breath and went to get Naruko. When he returned she looked better than the last time they had seen her she looked happy.
"Naruko can you mold your Chakra?" Shikamaru asked.
"Hai," she said.
"What can you do a summoning jutsu?" he asked her.
"Hai, I have my families summoning," she said.
"Can you summon two foxes the one and two tailed?" Hotaru asked. She didn't know why they wanted those two but she did it.
"Naruko-san what is it," the two tailed said looking around.
"We need your help," Hotaru said quickly.
"I have seen you before you have grown," he said in a lazy tone.
"Hai and on that day Naruto-Sama sent you two to contact someone to collect a debate can you tell us who it was?" Hotaru asked.
"I was sent to get the one of seven ninja swordsmen of the mist Zabuza," the two tailed said.
"I don't know if I should tell you who I went to get," the one tailed said nervously.
"Please it is important," Ino said.
"Why he is dead?" the one tail foxed said just as nervously.
"Who is dead?" Shikamaru said.
"The boy I went to deliver the message to," he answered trying not to answer the question.
"Please I beg you," Hotaru said.
"They won't be happy with me, I don't know if I should."
"Please," she said again.
"It was Itachi Uchiha; he was paying on the mission he requested of the Shodai Kaosukage."
"What was the mission?" Sureri asked thinking it had to be a different mission.
"To save Konoha, to save someone important to him." They all looked shock Itachi was the one who hired Naruto, this didn't make sense two people who apparently hated Konoha saved it, the question now was why.