After much deciding, the Hokage was declared to be Danzo. Although there was an uproar against him, they were quieted by his words of protecting Konoha by sending out teams to kill Orochimaru and promising everything the Sandaime was hesitant to do: lower taxes, strengthen bonds (drastically) with allied nations, increase border patrol, increase income for civilians, and allow for citizens to not pay for hospital visits if they don't make enough yen per year…among other things. He promised so much; his reputation was almost forgotten by many of the shinobi. Many believed him, hesitantly. To this, he responded that if he was found an unsatisfactory Hokage in a year, he could be replaced with someone else. Many on the jounin council hesitantly agreed. The few that refused were Hatake Kakashi. But because of the many that agreed for him to be Hokage, his vote was void.

An ANBU arrived at Naruko's apartment a day later.

"Hokage-sama has summoned you immediately," Boar said. Naruko nodded and walked out, locking her door.

At the Hokage tower, she knocked quietly and was ordered in.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" Naruko asked.

"I'll get straight to the point. I intend to train you personally to become Konoha's top shinobi," Danzo looked her in the eye.

"W-why, Hokage-sama?" Naruko flinched.

"You are to return here tomorrow at 7am. Do not be late or you will regret it. Dismissed," he said.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," she walked out and back to her apartment. She unlocked the door and walked in.

"So, what was that about?" Jiraiya asked with his mouth full of fresh bread and fresh strawberry jam.

"I've been taken under the tutelage of Hokage-sama," Naruko said.

"WHAT?!" Jiraiya yelled.

"I know…I don't want to learn from him, but perhaps I can get some training from you and Kakashi-sensei when I have free time," Naruko said.

"I don't want you to be his disciple. He's always seen the Kyuubi as a weapon for war. If he gets control of the Kyuubi, then he'll wage war on every nation making Konoha a battlefield," Jiraiya said grimly.

"I see…" Naruko said. Her heart that day got a little colder.

"I see you're not late, unlike that brat Kakashi," Danzo remarked.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Naruko said.

"Well, then. Follow me and we'll start your training," Danzo said.

For the next few weeks, she trained against Root ANBU, improving all her skills drastically. He contemplated putting a seal on her to prevent her from revealing information about him, but he decided against it, seeing that it may prove to mess with the seal containing the Kyuubi.

The next day, she was summoned to fight against Danzo. Both of them fought with fierce wind style techniques, but in her free time, she'd been learning fuuinjutsu. Although she wasn't an expert, she managed to cast a jutsu that made the floor he touched hold him in place. Throwing a kunai at him, he dodged it and she engaged him in a kunai battle. Kept occupied with the fight with her, and then multiple shadow clones, he didn't notice the kunai turning into a clone with a rasengan. The clone flipped backwards and fell towards him. He bent over and allowed the clone to hit one of its own. However, she managed to hit him with the rasengan. She stopped just a moment before impact and undid the seal and knelt before him.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama," Naruko said.

"Looks like you're ready to learn the next phase of your training," he said.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Naruko said.

"This is a book about reconnaissance. Read it and read it well. Then, I'll assign you a mission. Do not fail it. If you do, I'll forbid you to talk to Kakashi or Jiraiya," he warned.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," she bowed deeply and went back to her apartment with her book.

That night, she read it three times. She reviewed chapter after chapter, making sure she'd gotten all of the facts and theories correct. After that, she slept and waited for her mission.

"Hokage-sama, I have finished the book you have assigned to me," Naruko said.

"Good. Here is your mission. It is a B-Rank reconnaissance mission in the Land of Waves. We have intel that a tycoon named 'Gato' is ruining their economy. Find out every single detail about the Land of Waves and Gato. If you can, you must take him down," he said.

"Will there be anyone else going with me, Hokage-sama?" Naruko asked.

"Yes, seeing that you're still a genin nearly 13," Danzo growled, annoyed.

"Who is that, Hokage-sama?"

"A boy from an allied nation. He's here to assist to strengthen our bond with Suna. Get along with him. Come in," Danzo said.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," a male voice said. A mop of red hair walked in and Naruko's heart was tempted to skip a beat, but she decided against it. She'd have plenty of time to see him on the mission.

"What is the timeframe of the mission, Hokage-sama?" Naruko asked.

"A week," he said. "Dismissed."

Gaara and Naruko met at the gate ten minutes after they'd been briefed on their mission.

"It's—" Gaara started.

"Let's go," Naruko said and jumped into the trees.

After an hour of jumping on tree branches, Gaara spoke up.

"Is there something wrong? Did something happen?" Gaara asked with concern on his face. Naruko was reminded of the concern Sasuke had shown her.

"I suppose," Naruko said.

"What happened?" Gaara asked worriedly.

"I am learning to become a reconnaissance-expert ninja. It's hard work, but it'll pay off," she said.

"I feel like there's something different about you. What happened to the girl that changed my heart of killing to being bright like your smile was?"

"I suppose," Naruko wanted to say Hokage-sama sees me as just a weapon to sharpen to destroy all the other nations. I can't do anything or he'll kill me or extract the Kyuubi and then I die. It's a lose-lose situation and he has been gaining supporters. I don't know what do to other than follow orders.

"Naruko?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

Near night, they set up camp. Gaara gathered wood for fire and lit it and Naruko sent out clones to catch fish from the nearby river.

Silence filled their dinner and Gaara didn't like way she was so cold. How could someone so bright become so dark and cold over a month? Surely the Hokage hadn't done anything to her, right?

"Naruko," Gaara stared at his fish.

"Yes?" Naruko continued to nibble at hers.

Now's my chance! Gaara took her by surprise and closed the distance between them and kissed her. Her lidded eyes shone in the fire and Gaara smiled a little at her.

"Do you feel a little less cold? I've noticed that you're awfully different from a month ago. Has the training been that harsh?" Gaara asked. Naruko couldn't speak. She felt that the kiss wasn't right, but her heart wanted to believe it was. Her heart wanted to put faith in him and forget about Sasuke, but a part of her, still bright, wanted to believe that Sasuke remembered her. Sasuke…

"Naruko? You're starting to worry me," he said.

"I…" Naruko shook her head and handed him her fish. She couldn't finish it. She couldn't because…maybe she wanted to savor that kiss? No, that couldn't be right. Never…

"Oh, thanks," Gaara smiled and munched. After dinner, Naruko decided to take first watch.

"Yeah. See you in three hours," he said and 'slept' on a blanket.

"I don't know. I'm slowly losing my ability to see what's right and wrong…I think it's because of my training with Hokage-sama. He's having an influence on me and I have to stop unless I become a cold killing machine. I'm either going to have to leave the village and become a nuke-nin or oppose him and risk losing my life," Naruko pondered aloud. "I wonder what Sasuke would've done in my position. Hah, that's too easy: nuke-nin. What about Kakashi-sensei? Maybe he'd just follow orders. What about…Mom or Dad?" Naruko smiled a little, fondly remembering her parents.

Naruko, don't cry. I'll protect you, like I always do! Naruko inhaled sharply. It was a resurfaced memory she didn't know she had. Who…was that?

Naruko leaned on the tree branch. She sent out her chakra in waves, trying to sense any foreign chakra. It hit Gaara first, and she stopped after it did. She felt something very ominous coming from him. She glanced at him and noticed his breathing wasn't level enough to be sleeping.

"You're not asleep, are you?" Naruko narrowed her eyes.

"No," Gaara said.

"Why is that? Are you trying to be sleep deprived? It's bad for your health, you know," she chided.

"I know. There's nothing I can do about it though," he said, laying on his back.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I can't sleep or I'll die."

"Is this some crazy jutsu someone put on you when you were little?"

"In a way, yes."

"What does that even mean?"

"I know what you are. But it seems like you weren't told. Well, I'm the jinchuuriki of the Ichibi. If I sleep, he'll break out of his seal and kill me," he said.

"Isn't the Ichibi the weakest out of all of the bijuu?"

"Yeah…" Gaara glanced at her.

"Which explains why you're so strong," Gaara said.

"That's not it. I don't use the Kyuubi's chakra. I use my own strength and skills," Naruko said. That and I'm the child of two powerful people.

"I see," Gaara stood and stretched. Naruko jumped down and stoked the fire, adding more wood.

"My turn," Gaara said. Naruko nodded and slept on the blanket.

Gaara smiled fondly at her and secretly envied her ability to sleep. Perhaps one day, he could sleep.

"Naruko, wake up," Gaara said. Naruko opened her eyes and blinked.

"Morning," Naruko said.

"No, it's a couple hours before dawn. I thought that if we got into the Land of Waves early we might encounter fewer enemies."

"Yeah, let's pack up and go," Naruko said.

Gaara nodded and packed up everything while Naruko took down the traps and stored everything using a sealing technique on a scroll she put in her pocket along with the kunai.

"Ready?" Naruko turned to him.

"Yeah."

Naruko stepped on the water with ease and took a few steps before looking back at Gaara. He looked hesitant.

"You don't know how to walk on water?"

"No," Gaara smiled.

"Fine. There's no other way and we need to get back to Konoha as soon as possible," Naruko sighed. "Get on my back."

"What?!" Gaara blushed slightly.

"What's wrong with that?" Naruko asked.

"N-nothing," Gaara said. In his mind, he was embarrassed but happy at the same time.

Gaara jumped on her back and she began to run across the water. A rower carrying another group of ninja that Naruko noted as Konoha headbands rowed by. She clicked her tongue. She didn't sense in the shadows was a familiar figure. In this person's mind, he debated approaching her or not. I'll do it under the guise of a henge. I need to kill that red-haired boy as well.

"Naruko, you're awfully fast," Gaara noted. "And, I haven't noticed before, but why are you wearing all black clothes with an Uchiha crest? What happened to your orange ones?"

"O-oh," this question caught her off guard. She had it in her apartment as a gift, and she'd packed it unknowingly. Dammit.

"Come on, let's find this Gato guy," Naruko said. She sent out her chakra in waves again and turned sharply towards a building that was about twice her height. Who is watching us?

After a moment, they didn't move.

"Come on out, stop hiding. I know you're there," Naruko ordered. Gaara looked at her in surprise.

"Don't tell me you didn't notice."

"…" Gaara looked away. She sighed. A figure jumped down to reveal a girl about ten in tattered clothes.

"Do you h-have any spare c-change?" she whispered.

Naruko looked at the girl. She dug in her pocket and handed enough to feed her for a month.

"Thank you miss!" she smiled and ran away.

"That…was a lot of money. Why?" Gaara frowned.

"Gives me advantages here. The girl will brag and people will come. I will get information out of them, no matter what or by any means. Then we'll find Gato if we don't find him today, which I doubt," Naruko said. She walked in the direction of a mansion and sensed many people, but only two with large chakra reserves. She stopped a few hundred feet short and henged into a very busty woman with clothes that barely covered anything. She walked to the entrance.

"I…I'm looking for Gato," she blushed on purpose as she looked over the muscular men's chests.

They looked at each other and nodded.

"Right his way, miss," they said. She thanked them and started to flirt with them. They kept staring at her and she playfully said for them to stop.

"I'm sorry, but I'm here for Gato," she said. She walked into Gato's office and walked up to him slowly, letting him take in her whole body. She stripped and he was speechless.

"I'll give you five million ryo if you marry me!" Gato said.

"Sure, sweetie," she smiled.

He ordered a wedding to be held tonight and he led her to his bedroom.

"Hey, Gato. There's been something I've been wanting to ask you," she said.

"Ask as many question as you like!" Gato said.

"I want to know everything about the Land of Waves, I mean, if I'm going to be living here. Then I want to know everything about you~" she hugged him tightly.

He told her everything about the Land of Waves and about himself.

"So, that's it!" Gato said. Naruko smiled and had an arm draped around his shoulders. Little did he know that she had a kunai at the back of his neck. In an instant, his blood was spilled and he was dead.

"Mission, success," she said and henged back.

Next Naruko decided to take out all of his mercenaries. She killed all of them, leaving two left. These were the two that had large chakra reserves.

"I know you're only fighting for money, Momochi Zabuza," she said. "Gato told me the combination to his safe, where he kept all his money. You can have it," Naruko said.

"You're getting famous, Uzumaki Naruko," he said, smirking under his bandages.

"Oh?" Naruko smirked.

"A genius orphan being taught by the war-hawk Hokage. With those blue eyes and blonde hair, it's obvious whose child you are," he laughed.

"I'm not after you, Zabuza. I know I'm no match for you," she said, twirling a kunai around her finger.

"It's 9-7-3-1," Naruko said and walked away.

"Yeah, just like that Yellow Flash," he remarked as she got out of earshot.

"I'm done," Naruko said to Gaara as he waited outside.

"You're covered in blood!"

"Yeah, I am," Naruko said. "I'm tired. I think we should stay in the village here for a night."

"Y-yeah…" Gaara was shocked. Naruko stopped and henged into a girl with brown hair and brown eyes and in a plain yukata.

"Better? You seem so shocked at the fact I killed everyone," Naruko said.

Gaara nodded and pointed out an inn. Naruko nodded and paid for a room.

Soon, evening fell. Gaara decided to stay in the room while Naruko went out for food.

Naruko walked around the market and surveryed the shops. Everything was scarce.

After buying enough food for the both of them, Naruko decided to walk by the dock. She sat by the dock and pulled her knees up to her chest. She put her chin on her knees and sighed.

"What do I do…" Naruko wondered. She could sense a person coming behind her and she didn't make any attempt to stop him.

"Do you regret it?" Naruko asked.

"No," he responded coolly and took a seat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"I don't what to know why anymore," Naruko said sharply as she leaned her head on his chest. He sighed.

"I know something's happened," he pointed out.

"So you can still read my mind, huh?" she almost smiled.

"Let me guess…" he started.

"I can't stay here for long. I'll tell you myself," she said. "It started off with me staying in my apartment for a week. When I found out where my parent's lived and who they were, I was excited. I stepped out of my apartment and ended up being kissed by Lee, of course I didn't want to. Anyway, the Sandaime died a month later and then I met this boy named 'Gaara'. He's a jinchuuriki like me, of the weakest bijuu. Then Danzo-sama became Hokage and I've been training under him ever since. I've become colder and I'm scared I'll be so cold that not even you can bring me back…" Naruko said.

"Patience is a virtue," he said. With that, he disappeared.

"Bastard…" Naruko remarked. "Why would he approach me and not kiss me to say 'I missed you'? Ha, all I get is a reaffirmation of the fact he can still read my mind. Uchiha…" she sighed. Tomorrow, she'd go home. She got up and went back to the inn and made dinner and in the morning, Gaara and Naruko left. As she carried him on her back again, she could feel killer intent radiate off of the bridge. Sasuke…

A/N I just felt like it. Sorry if this was stupid, but still. Next chapter is going to be a major time jump so I'll make sure that I put in enough character analysis so that it makes sense about the power level of Naruko and other people. See ya next time!