Hey ya folks, new chapter here.

Tell me your favorite dinosaur game, share :)

Next chapter might take a while, next semester I have to go for an internship, so I have been going for these interviews.

Man, it's such a pain in my ass. So troublesome.

Please fav, follw, review, they are my fuel.

Enjoy


Chapter 28: Naru-Gao-Ko

"Yeah, how about we start we who you are?"

Naruto and the hunter nin were in a moment of silence until she spoke grimly. "I'm the Shinigami. You have passed on, and I am about to collect your soul."

Naruto's face paled. "No! N-No! I-I can't be dead! Don't take me please! I-I…"

"Hehe relax chill dude. You're still alive Naruto." She chuckled ruffling his hair.

"Ahhh! Come on you can't do that to me!" Naruto whined, sweating bullets. "Hey wait. You know who I am?" He asked.

"You're kind of a wanted guy, considering the things that have been happening of late so I had to look up on you." The hunter nin said.

"You still have not answered the question. Who are you?" Naruto asked again with slight suspicion.

"I'm…." The hunter nin left the sentence hanging for a moment. "An ally. Let's just leave it at that."

"That's not really an answer lady."

"Sorry. I just need you to trust me ok Naruto? If the situation is in need of it, you'll know." She said. "Why should I trust you?" Naruto asked.

The hunter nin let out a sigh. She stood up from the bed, with a hand she reached up to her mask, bringing down a bit to reveal the top half of her face. Her skin was fair, a little on the tanned side. Her black fringe reached below her dark brown eyes, the middle reaching her nose. "Fair enough?"

"Um fine." Naruto accepted, he hate to admit it but she did look really pretty even if it's only half of her face.

She put the mask back on properly, and she reached out to Naruto and slowly removed the bandages around his head. Inspecting the cuts on his chin, cheek and on the temple, she said. "Huh, well that was very fast. Ok not too bad, should remove the bandages off now." She took the bandages off Naruto's head. He was strangely in slight comfort letting this woman treat his wounds.

"Why am I wanted? What did I do?" Naruto asked.

"Finish that soup, when you're done and if you can move, come outside. We'll talk there. Thankfully your t-shirt is not too bad in its condition, it's in the closet." The hunter nin went to get her Shinobi vest from the closet, and she left him in the room. Leaving Naruto, the blonde winced a bit in slight discomfort. He continued to drink the miso soup, Naruto could safely say that, it was the best miso soup he'd have ever taken.

Drinking the soup straight from the bowl, he placed the bowl back on the tray. Slowly getting out of the comfortable bed, he stood up and slowly made his way to the closet, taking his black t-shirt inside. He'd assumed his vest was torn to shit seeing it was not around. A door right behind him opposite the closet was the bathroom he would guess. He looked out into the window above the bed, he could not see the ground outside it was like he was storeys up high, and it was just incredibly misty. Was he in an apartment?

Putting on his t-shirt. He slowly made his way out of the room. Opening the slide door, he was met with what seems to be an apartment sized living room. But it did not look quite homey at all.

At one side of the room, it was a very complex lab, with all kinds of equipment and medical supplies. There was a weapon rack, holding Katana, Bo-staff, Kunai, Shuriken, Kusarigama, and a few other he can't tell what they were. And there was a board on the wall, with a large map of the elemental nations and pictures of blurry images of subjects he could not make out of, and there were spider threads connecting certain spots on the board and the pictures. On the other end it was a little more cosy, a window with a sofa for three at most below it, a book shelf, a coffee table and a small kitchen, holding essential items for a kitchen. There was a door next to the kitchen Naruto would assume was the entrance.

The hunter nin was at the kitchen, dressed with the standard Kirigakure Shinobi ANBU body armour and the mask. Now she looked the part, and seeing her in full frame she looked rather tall. She walked up to him, and handed him his head band and back pouch, Naruto took them and tied the head band around his neck.

He's back in gear.

"Where am I?" Naruto asked. "My home." The hunter nin responded.

"Ok, where is your home?" Naruto gave an unamused face to the vague answer.

"Eh somewhere north-east of the Land of Fire's borders." She replied.

"You live in the middle of nowhere? Shouldn't you be staying in Kirigakure?"

"It's a little bit difficult to explain. All I can tell you is that I sort of have more than one house. This one is sort of temporary." She said as she leaned against the wall hands in her pocket.

"Ok…." Naruto was still quite confused in all of this. "So where are the others? You know those in my squad."

"Uh there wasn't anyone else." She said. "It was only you and the Uchiha you were fighting at the valley."

"Where is he? Where's Sasuke?"

"I left that guy at the valley. You sort of beat him in my books. I could not waste time in bringing two people, especially when one was hostile." The hunter nin answered.

"Why have you brought me here?" He asked. "I had to. I had to get you out of that valley before you got taken." She answered.

"What do you mean?"

"You were being watched." Hearing this, Naruto's eyebrows raised up, someone was watching his fight with Sasuke? "By whom?"

She did not answer, but instead she gestured him to follow him. They made their way to the board in the lab. "This organization. They're called the Akatsuki. You might know one of their members." She pointed a photograph on the board. Naruto recognised who it was.

"It's Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's brother. I've crossed paths with him before. And that guy, blue guy next to him." He pointed at the photo next to Itachi.

"Hoshigaki Kisame. Formerly from Kirigakure, he holds in possession of the Samehada, a sentient sword capable of consuming chakra of its victims and shredding them. Wanted for involvement for multiple assassinations including another country's daimyo. Chakra capacity rivals a Jinchuriki." The hunter nin gave Naruto the information on the S-rank criminal.

"How the hell do you know all this?" Naruto asked. "Jiraiya the Toad Sage is not the only one keeping tabs on the Akatsuki." She said. Naruto fell silent for a moment.

She continued, "This organization comprises of S-rank missing nins. Itachi and Kisame being examples. Even Orochimaru was a member before he left. Two members infiltrated Kirigakure once, Itachi and Juzo, but Juzo was killed. They've been doing various jobs by anyone who has the money, recently they were hired on destroying a small country between the borders of the Land of Fire and Land of Rivers. Can't really identify the attackers, but from what I can tell the attack involves aerial bombing, and puppetry. So we know that at least two of their members specialize in long range combat." She pointed the mentioned area on the map.

"One member was watching your fight, this one I've been trying to identify." She took a piece of paper and pencil, she began to sketch out the suspect. She handed Naruto the paper. The sketch of the suspect could only described by Naruto with two words, scary ugly.

"This guy looks like a clown and a cactus mixed together. Like an Aloe Vera on his head. " Naruto said looking at the picture. "Yeah, but I have no idea who he is. What I do know is that he was watching you at the valley instead of intervening, so he must be specialized in recon not combat." The hunter nin said, pinning the picture up on the board.

It was very peculiar, here Naruto was standing next to this hunter nin who was essentially a stranger and they were conversing like comrades. But it just felt right somehow.

The hunter then proceeded to remove his bandages and plaster on his arms, there were both relatively fine all things considered. "Not too bad alright, we'll leave it now." She said looking at the arms.

"So what do they want with me? I didn't know I was already famous." Naruto asked looking at the pictures. "It's not Uzumaki Naruto they want, they want the Kyuubi." She said.

"Wha-What? What do they want with the Kyuubi?"

"Not really certain. But it's definitely not for something good." She looked at Naruto. "And if they're after the Kyuubi, chances are they are after the other tailed beast. But so far they've become dormant for the time being."

Naruto let the information sink in. He then pointed at a small photograph, pinned on Kirigakure. "Who's that?"

"Yagura. The fourth Mizukage." She answered. Naruto let out a growl, "He's the one who tore Kirigakure to shit isn't he?"

The hunter nin was silent for a moment. "Not exactly. He's a victim himself. We discovered he was under a genjutsu. He's dead now."

"Do you know who was responsible?" Naruto asked. The hunter nin shook her head and said. "No, but I suspect that the Akatsuki could be involved. Seeing how Yagura was the Sanbi Jinchuriki, and that the Akatsuki are after the tailed beasts, there might be a connection. But now with Yagura dead, the Sanbi's gone."

"So who's in charge over there now?" Naruto asked. "Terumi Mei, the Fifth Mizukage, she managed to rally shinobi forces to rebel against Yagura. His tyranny is over, Mei-sama has taken the helm." She replied. "We've been trying to rebuild our village after Yagura's terror, trying to pull ourselves out of our horrific past."

"Is this why you are giving me so much of information?" He asked. "Take it as a token of good faith. The Fifth Mizukage wants to forge alliances with Konohagakure. She's hoping that Konohagakure is willing to make allies with her, to put the past behind and become strong together." She said.

Naruto inspected the map. He then spotted photos pinned on the Land of Waves on the map, there were a bit blurry, but he could tell what they were. "Hey those four things, those sea monsters."

The hunter nin said. "Yeah the sea predators, I was able to identify them. Tylosaurus, Elasmosaurus, Pliosaurus and Megalodon. These four predators were attacking ships in the Land of Waves. Word is that Momochi Zabuza may have taken residence there at the Land of Waves."

"I was there, but we managed to kill them, those sea monsters." Naruto said.

"Also creature sightings had appeared in spots around Konohagakure too." She pointed at the pictures of crocodiles. "Kaprosuchus and Sarcosuchus."

"One thing does not make sense is that these predators were not competing against each other or avoiding each other as they naturally should, they were cooperating together. This is out of predator behaviour, unless maybe they came from somewhere. I've been tracking certain patterns far out in the sea Far East, I suspect there could be something else out there too, way far out there. We don't know for sure, but we need to be ready." The hunter nin said.

Naruto then remembered. "Oh wait! How do I get to the valley from here?"

"Why?" She asked.

"I need to get Sasuke."

"Why would you want to find him?"

"I got to bring him back to Konoha." Naruto said "Sasuke's my friend."

The hunter nin slowly shook her in complete disbelief. "Naruto, let's recap, he did this to you." She pointed at the injuries. "I don't know about you dude, but I don't consider people who would do that to me as friends."

"But Orochimaru is going to take over Sasuke's body. I can't let that happen."

"Nah, it was too late for Orochimaru. He had to use another body, so he will be in need of another body in about three years from now, putting Sasuke out of danger in a certain way for now." The hunter nin explained to Naruto and he let out a sigh of relief.

"You can't help him Naruto. He won't even help himself."

Naruto then protested. "But I…I can't. I made a promise that I would bring him back. And I cannot go back on my word, I won't. I'm still going to keep my promise." He still wanted to believe, he still wanted to believe in Team Seven, be it in delusion or optimism he still wanted to believe.

"Naruto." She sounded a little sterner now. "Answer me this."

"What?"

"How much does your promise cost?" She asked, this time her a little more caring. "And in the end when your promise is fulfilled, ask yourself this. Was it worth the cost?"

Naruto stammered, "N-….Well….I…"

"I heard what he said to you Naruto. He has no respect or care for you or your comrades. He wanted to go to Orochimaru on his own account. And if you continue to go after him, what will be the price? Another Chidori to the chest? The loss of an arm or leg? The death of an innocent life? Your life? The death of a comrade or two? The death of friends who truly care and love you? Are you willing pay that price to bring Sasuke back?"

Naruto's eyes lost its light, hearing this. His mind went to a millions thoughts, and they were all frightening.

"Hn," The hunter nin scoffed a bit with arms crossed. "And he calls you a brother. Yeah, that's definitely how you should treat a brother."

"I have a brother." Naruto steeled his voice, causing the hunter nin to turn and look at him.

"His name is Kaseki Kohaku."

The two stayed silent for a moment. "I see." The hunter nin said. Before they could go on any further, something was heard.

A low, rumbling snort. It sounded like it came from something colossal.

"Ah dammit. Alright you got to go already." She went to the weapon rack to retrieve her sword and placed on her back. "What the hell was that noise?" He asked.

"My home."

Naruto's face clearly showed he was confused. "Huh?"

She ushered him to the front door, unlocking it and she opened the door. But there was no sunlight, in fact it was a tunnel or a vent, and it was narrow. And it was moving, like it was bending.

"What the hell is this?" Naruto was genuinely confused. The hunter nin did not answer, she grabbed his arm.

"Hold tight Naruto." The hunter nin took a step out into the tunnel, and immediately she zipped through the tunnel at intense speed, pulling Naruto with her. "What kind of tunnel is this?!" Naruto screamed as he was pulled. Light soon appeared at the end of the tunnel.

The hunter nin launched herself out along with Naruto. There was thick mist the air, the blonde jerked his head back to see the house, but there was too much of thick mist in the air so he only could make a silhouette of a small house, elevated. At the entrance of the moving tunnel, he could barely make it out. This tunnel was attached on top of something, the whole house was on top of something. And this something was enormous beyond measure. The entrance of the tunnel was above the head of whatever this was. He could not make it out being launched into the air with the hunter nin, the mist concealed Naruto's mystery. Whatever this thing was, it'd definitely dwarfed Gamabunta.

The hunter nin descended from the air and using her momentum she skidded down a bent tree with chakra on her feet. She landed on the ground without a single scratch, same with Naruto. Thick mist was gone now. The hunter nin placed her hands in a Ram seal and the mist started to slowly reduced. But her home was gone, nowhere in sight without a trace.

"What was that?" Naruto asked with heavy breathing.

"My home dude, how many times do I have to tell you? Come on let's go." The hunter nin said. She took his hand, gently pulled him a bit and they walked down the forest. Holding her hand, Naruto was little confused by this, being led by her, but he didn't protest, he felt a strange warmth.

She led Naruto down the forest a little more until she stopped she let go his hand. "This is where we have to part Naruto." The hunter nin said standing behind Naruto. "I know you're not fully healed, but you'll be getting help soon. And I have to leave already."

"Um thank you lady. We'll make alliances someday, I know we will." Naruto said looking into the distance.

"We'll meet again." He heard her voice.

Naruto raised an eyebrow and turned around. "Hey wait, how will I-" She was gone, there was no one around. No hunter nin, no house, just him alone in the forest. Looking up into the trees there was nothing, absolutely nothing out there.

His injuries started to take hindrance on him. He trudge down in the direction that the hunter nin was initially going. What did she expect him to walk all the way back to Konoha or something? Maybe he should have stayed with her for a while longer.

Fatigue from his fight came back to him, his pace decreased, his head started to feel faint and weary.


Kuin the T-Rex was struggling to pick up any scent belonging to Naruto now. "I'm getting a fading scent Kohaku, we're losing it." Kohaku heard her voice.

"Scent cover?" He asked. "Maybe, I can't say for certain." Kuin replied.

Kohaku groaned in frustration. "Dammit Naruto where the hell did you go?" He jogged ahead, turned his head in every direction looking for any sign of Naruto.

"If the scent is being covered, he could be nearby." Kohaku said, scanning around with careful eyes, Kuin was trying pick up any scent. The T-Rex let tilted her head up and let out a very long roar, broadcasting for anyone to hear, hopefully Naruto would.

The sound of a twig snapped caused the Rex to jerk her head to the right. The tyrant made her through thick trees. "Kuin?" Kohaku called her. After a moment of silence, Kuin came back.

This time with Naruto passed out on her head. "Holy shit he made it." Kuin lowered her head down handing Naruto to him, and Kohaku carried Naruto on his back.

In the midst of the forest, the hunter nin crouched on a tree branch was watching the Kaseki and the Tyrannosaurus Rex. She was paying careful attention to Kuin and Kohaku. Seeing them leave with Naruto, the hunter nin left as well.


The hospital was ripe in drama. Kiba, Chouji and Neji were banged up pretty badly, and Shikamaru was in turmoil. Kakashi in severe distraught slowly made his way to the hospital. As he stepped into the hospital, Shizune was waiting.

"Kakashi, where is Naruto?" Shizune worriedly asked. The Copy Ninja stayed silent, Shizune asked again, with no response from Kakashi.

"No, no." Shizune started to tremble. "I-I could not find them." Kakashi said. "No, Naruto." Shizune had a hand over her mouth.

"Shizune." A voice came from at the entrance. An ANBU in a hawk mask was standing there, with Naruto carried by him. Everyone had widened eyes.

"Naruto, thank goodness." Shizune said and quickly stepped in and took Naruto away to get treated. Kakashi one eye wide just watched. "How did you…where is….."

"Kuin tracked him through the rain, but Sasuke was gone before we got there." Kohaku answered. "Oh. Thank you Kohaku. Thank you." Kakashi muttered, and went over to a chair to sit down. Kohaku took his mask off and went upstairs to wait, he was still holding onto the Foundation documents that needs reporting.

Leaning back on the wall in the hallway, Kohaku was not too worried now after he had seen Naruto's condition. "Kohaku." He turned his head to see Inuzuka Hana and her dogs.

"Hana. How's your brother?" Kohaku asked. "His life is not in danger, he just needs time to recover. Same goes for Akamaru." She said.

"That's good."

"When did you become ANBU?" He pointed at his attire. "Technically I'm not, this is sort of souvenirs from my mission." He said.

"You're here for someone too?" She asked.

"Naruto. I found him and he's fine."

"I see." There was a short silence until Hana spoke, "Did you really fight my mother?"

Kohaku sighed. "I only defended myself, I never went on the offence. Besides I let her win."

"It's fine Kohaku, I'm not angry. Saw it coming anyway, my mother being an Inuzuka."

"Kohaku-san." Someone called to him before Hana could say anything. Uzuki Yugao, in her ANBU uniform and Cat mask. Hana was aware that Yugao and Kohaku were once made missing nins by Danzo. She'd guessed he was closer to Yugao than he was to her, not that she was bothered by it.

"Well I got to go back on check on Akamaru once more. See you." Hana made her excuse and left the two.

"Bye." Kohaku waved and turned to the orchid-haired woman. "Yugao-san."

"Naruto, is he ok?" She asked, and he nodded. "Ah, good. That's good." She took a seat by the leather bench by the side of the hallway and beckoned him to sit with her. They both took off their masks.

"Are you alright?" Kohaku asked. "Me? I should be asking you." She replied.

"I'm good. Just a little tired after a long journey." Kohaku rubbed his neck. "And Sasuke?" She asked.

Kohaku shook his head. "He was gone before I got there. For some reason Kuin and I tracked Naruto all the way to the north east."

"Well how your mission? Any anomalies around the borders?" He asked and she shook her head. "I had to get the Sound Ninja that you captured detained after that. Anko is watching over the Sound Ninja in T&I for now." She said.

The two fell silent for a moment, Yugao leaned back and spoke, "So Konoha so lost the Uchiha, and the Sharingan."

"That…might not be true." Kohaku whispered. "What? What do you mean Kohaku-san?" Yugao turned to him. "I can't talk about it here." He whispered as he took the scroll from his back pouch. Yugao nodded understanding.

"Kohaku, Yugao." Shizune called to them, comping up to them at the end of the corridor. "Naruto's injuries are treated. He's awake now."

Yugao and Kohaku slouched in relief. "Kakashi and Sakura are going to check on him now. Do you want to meet him?" She asked.

"Nah, I think we'll let them see him alone first, don't want to make it crowd." Yugao said, surprising Shizune a bit. "Yeah, think we'll do that." Kohaku agreed.

"Oh well, ok then." Shizune left the two be. Yugao and Kohaku just stayed there leaning back on the wall seated on the leather bench. Seated next to the younger Chunin pseudo ANBU, something in Yugao felt warm comfort seated next to Kohaku.


Naruto was on his bed, bandages on his arms and around his head. The same way the hunter nin did it. His eyes were lifeless, the shining blue was now turned into a dull one. Through that dead face, Naruto's mind was going through many thoughts.

Those thoughts were interrupted when the door opened. Kakashi and Sakura were at the door. "Naruto, you're awake." Kakashi greeted. "Naruto." Sakura greeted as well, not hiding her sadness.

"Kakashi-sensei. Sakura." He said, with not much enthusiasm in his voice, his eyes had unhappiness. "Naruto. You seem to be recovering well." Kakashi spoke. Naruto chose to remain silent about his saviour, at least for now. Sakura opened the curtains to let sunlight shine in.

"Sasuke's gone right?" Naruto asked to clarify. Kakashi took something from his pocket and handed it over to Naruto. Sasuke's headband.

Seeing the headband in his hand, Naruto gritted his teeth clenching the headband in his hand hard. "I'm sorry Naruto." Kakashi apologized. Naruto just stayed silent, leading Kakashi to worry.

"So Sasuke is with Orochimaru right?" Naruto asked to clarify again.

"Yes." Kakashi said, Sakura flinched a bit. "Naruto." She said to him. "Y-You promised me that you'll bring him back." She said with a bit of sniffling.

"Sakura, he tried. They all did." Kakashi said. "Sasuke-kun." She said with sadness. "Do you think we can still search for him, and bring him back?" She asked the two of them.

"If you want him back, get him back yourself." They heard the blonde's voice, a cold voice.

"Naruto." Kakashi said. "N-Naruto?" Sakura was taken aback.

"I'm done." Naruto said staring at the wall.

"Naruto." Sakura said.

"I said I'm done Sakura. Sasuke won't help himself, how can we help him?"

"B-But Sasuke-kun is a comrade, He's your friend. How can you just abandon Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said.

"Why is it every time, it's all about him with you?" He asked getting ticked now, breathing heavy. "Can't you just consider about me for once? Just take a look at me."

"Naruto easy."Kakashi tried to calm him down.

"Kakashi-sensei. In the bell test, you said it, work together and take care of each other. Was Sasuke taking care of me when he did this to me?" He pointed at himself. "Sasuke used a Chidori on me. A technique that you taught him Kakashi-sensei. Remember what Choten and Kichirou said? Did Sasuke take any responsibility? Did Sasuke stop to think if he should use that technique on me?"

Kakashi looked down. "I'm so sorry Naruto."

"Look at everyone who was injured. How much more do we have to pay get Sasuke back, who didn't even care about anyone of us?"

Naruto let out a growl. "You said a team is supposed to have unity Kakashi-sensei. Was there any true unity in this from the start?" Sakura had tears threatening to roll down her face.

"WE'RE NOT A TEAM! WE'RE A MESS!" Naruto threw Sasuke's headband at the wall in frustration, scaring Sakura and shocking Kakashi.

Naruto immediately calmed down, taking deep breaths. "I'm sorry I didn't mean…I'm sorry Sakura. I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi tried to speak, "Naruto I-"

"Please Kakashi-sensei. I- J-Just…leave me alone. Leave me alone please." Naruto buried his face in his hands. Kakashi sighed in sorrow, Sakura was sniffling. They gave Naruto space, leaving the room.

"Just give him time Sakura." Kakashi said to Sakura, who was starting to cry.


As the two walked further down the corridor. Yugao and Kohaku were still seated together at where they were. "Yugao-san." Kohaku said gaining her attention. The two saw Sakura and Kakashi coming, noting Sakura's sobbing face. "That doesn't look good." Yugao said.

Kakashi stopped in his tracks while Sakura went on ahead, not aware that Kakashi had stopped. Seeing Kohaku and Yugao, Naruto's friends, it became clear to Kakashi now.

This was the real team.

"Kohaku, Yugao." He said to them, they stood up and went to Kakashi.

"Can you two please talk to him? He'll listen to you." He asked. Yugao and Kohaku looked at each other before looking back the Jounin. "Yeah, sure. I'll try to talk to him." Yugao said.

"Thank you. It seems to me he needs you both now." Kakashi then left to join Sakura. Kohaku and Yugao headed to Naruto's room together. The Kaseki gripped the door handle, the two look at each other and nodded in unison. Kohaku opened the door.

"Please I said lea-" Naruto stopped, seeing Kaseki Kohaku and Uzuki Yugao.

"Hey man. You ok?" Kohaku asked. "Naruto." Yugao said.

Seeing the two, Naruto in couldn't fight back the tears.


Hope you've enjoyed this chapter. With so many things that's going on, I think may be splitting the whole story in sequels.

Hope to see you in the next chapter :)

Stay primal dino fans.