Well hello hello lovelies! Now, let's see . . . AH! Thanks to all the new favorites and reviews, love seeing them in my inbox. About this chapter. If you followed my advice to check out Naruto's True Nindo, chapter 46, then you know what's going on . . . a little. Obviously, that author took it in one direction that i cannot go, due to the severe differences in our story. Anyway! I warned you, to prepare for some bullshit. Well here we go. Looking back, how i explained this chapter was flimsy AT BEST. But if you google this shit, it's real.

IT'S HAPPENING PEOPLE. Google Suspended Animation, it's like . . . whoa. And, for those who wanted romance in the story, well . . . i hope this works. Until Shippuden at least. Then romance gets heavy.

So . . . oh Jeremy Wolfe! Dude, i love your idea. However . . . it just wouldn't fit in very well with the way this story goes. If i had made this more technology oriented, and Naruto more techie, then yeah this would work. Thank you anyway though.

Er, and there was another guest, who had something about Katsu going to Frost Country . . . and being friends wit the guys from Host Club. I'm sorry but no. That just won't work. At ALL. Host Club and Naruto are as different as can be and . . . it just . . . thanks for your review anyway.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does. Similarly, i do not own any songs english or japanese.


Chapter Twenty-Nine

What Do You Believe, Uzumaki Naruto?


A new fresh morning, and after breakfast the group is eager to read. After the last chapter they believed things would be steady for Naruto and his friends.

"So, who's reading?" Minato asks.

"Well Minato, we haven't heard from you in a while." Tsunade comments. With the others backing up her statement, Minato chuckles and obliges them all by taking up the book.

Naruto frowns. "Something's wrong here." He mutters.

Iruka, who is engaged in a game of chess with Kakashi, looks annoyed as he glances over at Naruto. "What now? You've been saying that over and over for the past hour."

Naruto huffs, shaking his head. "It doesn't make any sense! Katsu should have been home by now."

"Aw, he's pining." Rin and Kushina coo, smiling in amusement.

"Well considering we know what she's doing, he's on the right track." Minato murmurs in disapproval.

Tsunade, sitting on the couch with Shizune, rolls her eyes. "Brat, she's working. They said she would be back in a week, it's not even been five days yet!"

Naruto growls sharply. "For a regular person it'd take a week. But Katsu was taught tree-walking same as me, and I taught her how to augment her limbs with chakra. There's a reason she is taking so long, and I have a bad feeling about it!"

"Right on the money kid." Obito grunts.

Kakashi sighs, taking a sip of the hot tea from his mug. "She has her reasons, and when she comes back all will be explained."

Naruto just sighs moodily, glancing out at the window and staring up at the large milky moon that hangs in the sky like a pendant. Wisps of smoke-like clouds cross the moon.

He sighs again. "I just—"

A sharp, loud sound cuts him off and sends them all into alert. Naruto jumps up, "It sounds like it came from the lake!"

"It sounded like an impact of some sort," Tsunade agrees, eyes narrowed. "We need to investigate this."

They all move quickly, rushing out the door and staring at the lake, the once mirror smooth surface now chaotic and rippling with the impact of whatever it was that hit it, as the last of the spray from the impact faded into the atmosphere. Naruto surveyed the surface and pointed out something strange.

"What are those bubbles? Someone or something must have hit it with great force." He murmurs.

"You think it could be a training incident?" Iruka speculates.

Tsunade shakes her head. "I doubt it, it's very late, and the nearest training ground is still too far for someone to get launched here."

"Whatever it is, it's coming up— the bubbles are coming faster." Shizune points out, and they all tense as they look towards the lake. The bubbles stop but they can see the dark figure just under the water, thanks to the moonlight, as it moves toward the docks. They are expecting something threatening— perhaps an escaped animal from the Forest of Death, or even some crazy ninja who had a spectacular accident. Even, most unlikely, an enemy attack!

So they are appropriately horrified when Katsu bursts up with a great gasp for air, grabbing onto the dock's edge and hauling herself up. She is on all fours and coughs up water.

"What kind of . . . ?" Kakashi mutters in shock.

Jiraiya sighs. "Well that sounds about right. After I got done with my test for the Toad Summoning, I was forcefully ejected from that place and sent crashing back home right on top of Sarutobi-sensei. It was awfully hard to explain."

For a while they don't move, sort of frozen as they watch the soaked girl flop onto her back on the dock, hands moving to her chest as she takes in fast, greedy gulps of air.

"Crap, if Naruto's here that might have woken him up. Please let him be on a mission." They hear her plead.

"Your prayer was ignored. Faith won't save you here." Tsunade chuckles.

So then they decide to move into action. Iruka and Kakashi hold down an incensed Naruto while Tsunade and Shizune run to the girl, checking for injuries.

"Ooh, I picked a horrible time to come home." Katsu whines.

"Quiet. I wouldn't be speaking just yet— you come home in a very strange way, and Naruto's been worrying about you." Tsunade scolds sharply. Katsu winces, head craning to the side to see a trembling Naruto looking at her with a stare so intense she wonders if her skin will blister and pop, as if his eyes were giving her third-degree burns.

"Yeah we know the feeling." Minato's team, his girlfriend, and his sensei mutter. The blonde in question merely gives them a lethal sharp stare, smirking at their synchronized flinches.

When Tsunade and Shizune declare her healthy, she is hauled up not unkindly by the two women and frog-marched to the porch where Naruto and the others wait.

Silence. Naruto's mouth is clamped firmly shut, and Katsu knows very well that it's not for lack of things to say, but rather his attempt to censor himself and calm down. He shakes his head sharply, wildly, three times.

"I . . ." he takes a deep breath. "You said your boss gave you a job. You lied."

"I didn't—!" Katsu denies. She persists even under the chilling stare leveled on her by the boy. "I did have to go to another village. I was given a week."

"How long did it take you?" Naruto asks, voice trembling again as his restrained, pent-up fury tries to bubble through.

"Try and keep your temper sochi. I know it's hard, but try." Kushina sighs, and gracefully ignores the pointed cough from one of the others.

"A . . . a day." Katsu admits lamely, trying to step back when Naruto exhales sharply, but unable to do so because they're corralled in by the adults who stare like this is the most fascinating thing they've ever seen.

"Why—" Naruto stops himself. He hadn't meant to shout, and he knew he had sounded far harsher than he intended when Tsunade glares at him in warning. "Why . . . did you leave again?"

Katsu's voice fails her. She swallows past the lead block in her throat. She hadn't expected her return to be quite so . . . antagonistic. If she could have just returned to where she put her pack . . . but, her summons dealt better with water. That and the wily old leader probably knew she would have to face the music eventually.

"So she did get her summoning contract. And it's water-based?" Minato muses. It was indeed a feat worth congratulating— few shinobi ever got the opportunity to acquire a summoning contract, as it was really more of a connections thing.

"Katsuhime. I asked you why you left again." Naruto reminded her tersely.

Katsu takes a big breath. She steels her resolve and shifts her stance— shoulders back, back straight, looks straight at Naruto. She had made this decision, and knew she would have to face any consequences. She had made her choice and she couldn't wail about it now. She had proved herself.

"I performed the Summoning Technique." She answers quietly, yet boldly.

The weight of her words didn't hit Naruto, who looked confused. But Iruka and Tsunade's breath hisses out of their teeth.

"You never signed a contract— nothing would come here." Naruto dismisses, growing angry at her lying to him. Him!

"No, Naruto, not here. But she would go there." Tsunade corrects. Naruto turns, seeing her face unusually grave as she directs her attention to Katsu, who doesn't back down, secure in her unshakeable resolve.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asks. She would go there . . . ?

"Haven't you thought about where the summons comes from?" Tsunade prompted.

Naruto frowns. "Well yes . . . I guess I just assumed it was a different dimension or something. But why— what, she went to the summoning dimension?"

"The Summoning World," Tsunade corrects. "Where all summons live. And, when one performs the jutsu but doesn't have a contract, they are taken to the Summoning Clan with whom they'd be best suited. I didn't get the Slug Contract handed down to me Naruto— I was chosen. After Jiraiya showed up after being missing two weeks in need of a full body cast almost, he told us what happened. I tried it, and thankfully got the less extreme Slugs, so my test wasn't quite so . . . bad."

"Quit your exaggerating, I didn't need a full body cast." Jiraiya denies.

"No, but you did look like shit left in the sun for three days." Tsunade counters calmly.

Naruto's eyes go wide, and he looks again to Katsu, who meets his stare head on. "So where did you go? What did you get?"

Katsu smiles, a light of happiness in her eyes. "I am now the proud owner of the Koi Summoning Scroll."

"There's a summoning Koi family? Like, Koi fish?" Obito wrinkles his nose, unimpressed. "For all that trouble she got a bunch of goldfish."

"Hush, Obito, she didn't need some grand offensive animal summons. What were you expecting? Dragons and phoenixes?" Tsunade mocks. "They are all real animals, and Koi are fine animals themselves. Their symbolism and mythology are very interesting."

"Key word being mythology. Koi are fish, with no limbs or claws to adequately aid in any battle situation. So just what, Tsunade-sama, is the worth of a Koi summoning?" Obito snaps back, demanding answers.

Tsunade glares. "I may not know the answer, but there is no summoning that is completely useless. Perhaps we'll hear the advantages of Koi summoning this chapter."

Though they are surprised, and would like dearly to ask about the Koi— they had never heard of such a summons— it warred with the need to scold her.

Naruto took the first countermeasure.

"STUPID!" He exploded, Katsu jumping in fright at the sudden shout. "How could you— I saw you coughing up water, whatever test they had you do was incredibly dangerous! Just going to another world that I can't get to if you need help is incredibly dangerous! What were you thinking?!"

"I—" Katsu tries to talk, but Naruto isn't having it. Feeling as if they were intruding upon a private moment, the others quietly walk back into the house. Not like they wouldn't be able to hear everything anyway.

"Shut up! You weren't thinking at all were you?" Naruto snaps, bristling and wishing for a nice strong log or four to obliterate. He yells and scolds, working himself up into frenzy. Katsu allows him since she knows he was seriously worried— a thought both heartwarming and a little amusing— and is scolded even more viciously for allowing her lips to twitch into a smile.

"I can't believe you were so reckless!" he cries at last. "Why? Why would you do something so dangerous?"

Katsu hesitates now. She'd have to explain her petty feelings now. "What Masahiro said to me . . . he said, that one day you'd leave me behind because I'm a civilian and you've got a whole lot more on your plate than I do—"

"You know that's not true!" he shouts, stopping when Katsu glares at him and holds a hand up for silence.

"I know that!" she scowls. "I don't doubt you Naru— you know that—"

"Then why?!" he snarls.

"Because I can!" Katsu shouts, and the answer throws Naruto for a loop.

"That is not the correct answer." Kakashi admonishes softly, shaking his head.

"You're sinking, evasive action!" Obito cries.

He stares at her, as if seeing Katsu for the first time. She endangered her life . . . just because she could? What kind of answer was that— who does that? Not the Kurohime he knew . . . not the brave, crafty, reasonable girl he knew. But the impulsive, wild, selfish comrade-in-arms of his many pranks? He started to deflate, starting to get the reason but still not quite there.

"I have always been with you, right by your side. Not on the sidelines, not behind you, not waiting around with my thumbs twiddling and hoping you'll be okay. I was there! I was part of the process of making you who you are today, every step of the way." Katsu starts to unload, her composure slipping again. "Academy— every test and quiz, every piece of homework that they gave you and still graded unfairly even when we both poured over textbooks for hours and got the correct answers. I was with you every lesson we took after school, I ran after you to every training ground we could go to practice taijutsu and ninjutsu. I'm here now, but it's the first time you've taken steps by yourself to chase a dream, and . . . I feel sad. Like something good passed by."

"Objectively her reasons might be selfish and even petty, but . . . the emotions behind it are real and genuine." Tsunade analyzes.

"There's nothing petty about going after what you want, no matter what anyone else says." Kushina speaks up proudly, eyes glittering with a determined light.

"It's going to hell and back for a friend, just like Naruto would do for her." Jiraiya adds. "I honestly believe that boy would go nuke-nin for her."

"Kurohime . . . I . . ." Naruto hesitated. He didn't want her to feel like this, but what could he say? "We still have plenty of good times ahead of us!"

Katsu rolled her eyes. "Yes, but only if we work for it." She stops, suddenly pointing at him imperially. "You heard that? We. Not, you fight and I'll be here in the kitchen. We fight to keep the good time's rolling. I'm not sitting around on my ass and being protected like some damsel. Got it?"

"We got it." Minato mutters sarcastically, nudging Kushina and getting a giggle from the redhead.

Naruto frowns. Well, she had certainly given him something to think about. Much as he wished she would just stay protected, he also knew that was the best way to kill her spirit. And he dearly valued that passionate spirit of hers. Sighing, he allows a reluctant smirk to quirk his lips. "Fine, if that's the way you want it. It's going to be tough from here on out, Katsu, I'm telling you now."

Katsu tosses her hair. "It would be boring otherwise."

She pauses, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "So . . . are you still mad at me?"

"Oh of course." Naruto confirms, nodding firmly.

"And you're still in trouble!" Kakashi yells from inside the house.

Two days pass after the incident, and Naruto was returning from a solo C-rank to An no Kuni, and he was about an hour from Konoha.

"What kind of mission does Red Bean need?" Obito wonders, voice cracking for just a second over the country's name.

He sang a song under his breath that recently came on the radio that he could not forget. "So stay away from me, this beast is ugly. . . I feel the rage and I jus can't hold it . . ."

To pass the time, he talks with Kyuubi.

Ne, Kyuubi! What's the strangest thing you've ever seen?

Ah? Kyuubi hems, thinking about it. Well . . . this was a long time ago. Me and this dimension-hopping demon got really drunk. So, I was in another world. I don't remember the name. But it was a strange place filled with monsters. The humans there had invented a technology to tame these "monsters." I say it like that because it's not like these beasts were ravaging towns or eating people. At most they might go berserk but that was rare. Anyway, sometimes humans would capture them with these strange devices called pokeballs. Then these monsters would either fight in competitions for the humans or just be companions to them. It was alright, things were pretty peaceful there. Well, I wasn't as big as I am now. So I was mistaken for a large version of a similar-looking pocket monster. Long story short, one of them caught me in a pokeball and called me Ninetails. I'm still not sure what the hell happened there, but I got the hell outta there after he became a Champion and came back home.

"What the fuck?" Tsunade deadpanned, brow furrowing.

. . . What the fuck?

I know. Kyuubi agreed.

Naruto was about to add something more when he suddenly got a thoughtful look on his face. He didn't stop walking, didn't pause or tense up. His arms were loose beside him, but his chakra was buzzing just under the surface of his skin, for the moment he would fill the storage seals on his wrist to bring out his axes. He tries to sense how many were around him.

"An ambush? Perhaps ninja under Orochimaru's command?" Kakashi wonders.

A sigh passes through barely parted lips. They're very good. I can barely sense them. Jounins?

A single jounin you could defeat, but to take on multiple jounin-level enemies is ill advised. If you can get to your village your ANBU can handle them. Kyuubi counsels.

"Excellent idea." They all approve.

Naruto isn't so sure. What little I can sense feels deliberate. I might not get a chance to just run.

He was quite right. A brace of shuriken flies at him and he flips backward, the maneuver allowing him to avoid the punch that would have hit his jaw from the opponent that shoots out from the other side of the forest.

Skidding back a couple feet, Naruto straightens and regards the enemies that now jump out from the trees around him. He is circled in, not that it means much. He can escape them, if it is really necessary (or, he hopes he can).

Five in total and they look tough, and more worrisome, they carry themselves with an assurance of experience and power to back it up. They aren't young, but their age will in no way impede them, he knows this just as fact and by looking at them. One straightens up and regards him with a dismissive look. Only the lines at the edges of his steel gray eyes and the gray that smears his beard lets his age be known.

"Uzumaki Naruto." He rumbles, still looking askance at the blonde boy.

"Shit, this is deliberate. If they know his name, they've chosen him for a specific reason." Jiraiya grumbles.

"Helpers for Akatsuki?" Rin asks.

"Possibly."

"You have me at a disadvantage." Naruto replies, smiling a little.

"Good." The other man says— Naruto realizes he's joking by the small grin. "It's nothing personal son, but you are a big piece of our plan against your Hokage."

"You plan to kidnap me?" Naruto asks curiously.

"Of course not. That will mean nothing if the woman can't see it." The man assures, but then he no longer speaks. Naruto detects a subtle stress on the word woman, as if that's not the word he'd use to describe Tsunade. For a time, as Naruto waits for more words, they are all still and silent, a slight breeze cooling them.

"They want you to see him beaten . . . they know you?" Minato mutters in thought, looking over at a flinty-eyed Tsunade.

Naruto sighs when he realizes talking time is over. "Don't expect me to just let you get away. If you have any plans against my Hokage it is my duty to bring at least one of you in."

They spring forward.

Eyes wide, Naruto creates a slew of clones as he jumps to avoid a slash from a kunai and snaps his head back allowing a fist to barely graze his chin. With twin glows the seals on his inner wrists light up and out his axes come. It is a surprise to the men, but it's only a split second of hesitation that they recover from admirably. Thus, Naruto is once again scrabbling back but he is no longer as much on defense as he was before.

They are good. The way all five leapt into action with fluidity and speed that spoke of years of team experience. Yes, they had Naruto at quite the disadvantage, especially as now his clones were starting to pop from the excessive hits.

"They're doing it five against one? How cowardly!" Kushina hisses.

"You heard them before. They want Tsunade to see the damages they've wrought— and five men will make it much easier." Jiraiya reminds them all tersely.

Now it's three against one. "This is a little unfair guys." Naruto grunts, jumping away but not fast enough to avoid a slash of a kunai that bites into his side. He retaliates by spinning with chakra and letting his axes lash out, catching at least one of the men on his collarbone, a spray of blood resulting.

Naruto jumps away from his fight, awkwardly palming his axes as he flies through hand seals. "Katon: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" with a huge expulsion of air a huge, glowing orange ball of fire flies toward the group, his clones popping away. The group of men dart away, and Naruto sprints straight after the fireball, thanking Kyuubi for his high resistance to heat this close to the jutsu.

"Great, now run!" Obito barks.

He can hear the men behind him start to chase after him, and as the jutsu dissipates he runs faster.

A man with black hair in a waist-length ponytail throws a kunai with unerring accuracy, and grins when it nails the Uzumaki in the back, the boy tripping up. But then with a puff of smoke, the kunai is stuck in a log.

"Oh thank goodness." Kushina sighs gratefully.

"This brat is alright. Let's not cripple him boys, and that means you Idate." Kohaku, the leader with the greying beard and guarded eyes comments.

Idate, the man who threw the kunai, snorts and starts to speak but is blindsided with such force he chokes on his breath. Naruto has shot out from the side of the road and rammed into Idate with such force he flies through the air, hitting a tree. Though not knocking him out, he has to catch his breath, gritting his teeth as he holds a hand to the stab wound given to him by Naruto.

Naruto, now wielding the more versatile daggers, shoots through the group slashing as he goes. To his frustration, he only catches two more, before he augments his legs with chakra and sprints off.

Kohaku roars. "Enough running! Now's the time to get serious!"

Naruto sucks his teeth in frustration. I thought they were pretty fucking serious in the beginning! He is ruffled, and more than a little cut up thanks to the flawless teamwork of the three-man cell he fought earlier.

"Run as fast as you can then musuko." Minato murmurs, eyes tight.

Dashing to the side he avoids a thrown kunai, but has to contend with the knee that sinks into his stomach— then the right-handed haymaker that he spins away to avoid— and he cries out in pain when a kunai sinks into his left side, just under his ribs and is drug out. With a snarl, he grabs a hold of the hand that is holding onto the kunai and lands a mule-kick that has the man rolling away.

Calling up on the Kyuubi's chakra he roars, "ENOUGH!"

Kyuubi snorts, rankled by the wound the man had inflicted on his vessel. About time, brat!

He takes a deep breath and then his body bows forward as he roars. The powerful sound and the chakra that accompanies it nearly blows the men over, but besides two they hold their ground.

Kohaku growls, shouting over the blast of air. "He's badly injured now, even with some sort of strange power-up our plan will continue!"

"Some sort of power up?" Kushina snorts.

Naruto stops roaring and shoots forward, seals on top of his hands glowing and from it comes his claw knives. Securing them around his hands, he lunges into the middle of the group and with incredible speed— the kid had been no slouch for his age, Kohaku could tell, but the speed he was showing now was nigh on ridiculous— and slashing three deep lines on the front of a man with a shaved head. With a scream of pain the man falls to the ground.

"YEAH!" Obito and Rin cheer.

"Tsuna!" Kohaku yells, but then jumps back when Naruto comes for him.

Naruto growls in anger at the missed hit, and calls up three clones to deal with the others, all snarling and pissed off like him.

He runs after Kohaku, growling and slashing with all his might. With the extra speed and strength, he is able to land a few more hits on Kohaku— just a few more.

"Tell me your name before I kill you?" Naruto growls out, wishing the man would stop dancing long enough to use the Crimson Blades.

Kohaku smirks, wiping a small trail of blood from his mouth. "I'm not planning on dying before I complete my mission kid. But I'll tell you, since you're such an interesting opponent. I am Ishibashi Kohaku."

Tsunade bites her lip. That name sounded familiar, but . . .

Naruto pounces, trying to catch the man but all he does is land on all fours, sliding around to face Kohaku once more.

Kohaku tenses up to try and get at the boy again before he pauses, eyes widening. "We've got company people, let's move out!"

"Finally some reinforcements?!" Tsunade sneers.

There is no hesitation, no trying to get a last hit in, as the men all disengage from their fights and leap into the trees. Idate picks up Tsuna and carries the man as he vanishes into the trees behind his comrades. The clones pop away in their exhaustion.

"Damn it!" Naruto snarls, hoping he'd have the clones follow the group. He steps forward, and then sinks down on one knee from the pain of his deep gash. A lightly trembling hand presses to the bleeding wound and a hiss escapes him— it had cut deep. "Gah . . . damn it to hell." He growls.

He can sense the "company" Kohaku had spoken of now, and they appear a second after he has sensed them.

"As expected of ANBU." Naruto murmurs under his breath.

Minato snorts contemptuously. "ANBU are expected to deal with threats within moments of them appearing. They couldn't feel the high levels of chakra from the beginning of the fight? You were only a mile off!"

"Seems to me either ANBU were distracted or they are severely slacking." Jiraiya notes with an almost menacing tone.

Slow wastes of flesh. Kyuubi snarls in reproach.

"No, Uzumaki-san, it is expected we get here before a lone chuunin can fend off his attackers." An ANBU replies. Naruto turns, expression bitter but it lightens as his eyes land upon a purple-haired, slim form he hasn't seen in what feels like ages.

"Neko! I'm glad to see you again." Naruto chirps, as best as he can in his pain. He slowly moves to crouch on his feet, and then makes a struggled ascent to stand. Neko steps forward and slings his arm around her shoulders.

"Ah, the Neko-san from his Academy." Rin remembers, snapping her fingers.

"She took her time too." Kushina frowns, not forgiving the ANBU.

Naruto raises an eyebrow, watching as the other ANBU leap into the trees with not even a sound, gone like the ghosts they train to emulate.

"You cannot make it on your own to the hospital." Neko explains, and with a nod Naruto allows her to help them. In a swirl of leaves they leave the scene of the fight and reappear in front of the village gates.

Naruto is picked up in Neko's arms, a clear squawk of protests coming from him before they are leaping over rooftops in haste to the hospital. Though the ride jostles his body, and makes the pain of his wounds flare, Naruto remains silent. Not only this deep wound, but more cuts were bleeding still and he'd like to get to the hospital before passing out.

"At least she's taking no chances with him." Tsunade mumbles, as Kushina thaws slightly in her scorn.

Neko jumps down to the front of the building, wasting no time as she barges through and calls sharply for a doctor. The staff jumps to at once, a doctor rushing to them as a group of nurses bring over a gurney and Naruto is settled down onto it.

"I'll send word to the Hokage." Neko promises as they wheel Naruto away, their quick voices and medical jargon flying over his head.

"Of course, I'll trust no one else with his health." Tsunade snorts.

"Don't bother, she's behind on her paperwork as is!" Naruto shouts back before they turn into another hallway, and Neko loses sight of him.

Obito snorts in amusement, though he still grins as he mumbles an apology to a glaring Tsunade.

Naruto underwent surgery, and was placed in a room with lots of air and light as per the terse and very specific instructions of the esteemed Hokage. The surgery went easily enough, and Naruto would make a full and naturally quick recovery.

Which was ridiculously difficult to explain to his worried friends and family.

"Funny you should mention that . . ." Tsunade comments with a sly smile, looking at all of them.

But that's a story for another time. Right now, Naruto awakens . . . he blinks rapidly, groggy and a little sore. Nothing a few stretches can't fix, he's sure—

"Ru! Oh, you're awake!" The relieved and joyful voice of Katsu reaches him a split second before her form bounds into his view. Tousled hair and a nervous tremble to her smile, Katsu smiles at him nonetheless and brightens the room.

"Aw, she was worried." Rin and Kushina coo.

"So it seems. Was there any doubt I would?" Naruto teases gently, but softens the words with a benign smile. He turns his head, now sensing another in the room— Sasuke.

"Yo, Sasuke." Naruto mumbles in greeting, as Katsu flutters about smoothing his sheets and asking him if he wanted water or ramen.

Sasuke glances at him from under inky lashes, head tilted toward his chest as he sprawls— ever so gracefully, one must notice— in the chair by his window, across from the bed. The Uchiha smirks and tilts his head up, adopting a scornful tone that melds inexplicably well with the mocking jibe. "So the Uzumaki is human like the rest of us."

"Yes, though why it took surgery to convince you is a discussion best left for later. When I'm able to aide my rebuttal with physical persuasion." Naruto jabs back. With a grateful murmur Naruto takes the water glass offered by Katsu, and waving away her attempts to help him up, he sits up and takes small sips.

"I was just so worried." Katsu sighs, looking rather bashful and frazzled. "You've been to the hospital before— but that was for chakra exhaustion. I know that's nothing to you. But this, oh this was something else, and—"

"To tell it from her reaction you should be decapitated Naruto." Sasuke snorts, cutting off Katsu's ramble. The orange-haired girl pouts, shooting a dirty look at Sasuke.

"We'll see who's getting Tomato Shiso Salad and grilled fish today Uchiha-kun." Katsu grumbles, and Sasuke shoots her a dark look, yet when they stare down he looks away with a scoff. Naruto grins.

"It's always an important note to try to get along with your buddy's girlfriend. It makes things so much easier when she's genuinely nice." Minato mentions to his students, a grin playing across his face.

Obito turns to Kakashi. "Kakashi, as your best friend, I'll totally accept and be cordial to every girl in your harem."

Kakashi nods solemnly. "Same to you."

"So, what are you two doing here together?" Naruto asks slyly.

Katsu rolls her eyes. "Don't get any strange ideas—"

"Someone had to make sure she didn't spend all her time fretting over a dobe like you." Sasuke snorts. I was looking out for her, like you'd want.

"Well I appreciate it." Naruto laughs. Thank you for looking out for her in my stead.

Sasuke smirks, and looks out the window to the skyline. What are friends for?

"So when am I getting out?" Naruto asks, turning puppy dog eyes to Katsu. She giggles, arms coming up as if to ward off the attack of the sparkling blues.

"I am not in charge of such decisions. Tsunade-sama should be coming here in another minute or so . . . you wouldn't know, but you had a lot of visitors while you were sleeping. Your team, obviously. Team Ten, Lee, Neji and Hinata— together, and when I saw them I could just die— of course Iruka and Anko and . . ." she trails off, looking out the window with a small smirk, as if searching for someone. "Of course that stupid brother of yours."

Naruto frowns. "Speaking of stupid . . . did Baa-chan call Ero-sennin in? He might be able to get some info on these guys."

Katsu shrugs. "I don't know."

They wait another three minutes, before the door opens— instead of Tsunade though it's Sakura with a fresh bouquet of flowers, which she clutches tightly in reflexive surprise when she sees Naruto awake and generally healthy-looking.

"Naruto!" she breathes, walking forward quickly. "I'm happy to see you awake, I was so surprised when I heard you were attacked."

"Trust me, I was surprised to be attacked." Naruto assures. He smiles, taking the flowers from Sakura's grip (not bringing them up to smell, he doubt he'd ever get over that particular quirk) and looks at her. "Thank you for the flowers. I'll ask for a vase."

"Don't worry," Katsu steps in with a grin. "I'll take them home with me after Tsunade-sama has come in."

"I won't keep you waiting then." Tsunade's dry response has them all turning as the blonde beauty strides in, plucking his chart and reading quickly.

"So what was the damage doc?" Naruto asks as Tsunade places the chart down and walks over to him, checking his vitals.

"Well that blade didn't hit any major organs thankfully, but it was a deep cut and so you lost quite a bit of blood. You needed a blood transfusion, but other than that whatever bruises and cuts you acquired are fading away if not gone already." Tsunade lists, cool hands almost ghostly as she checks him over.

"So I can go home now?" Naruto asks hopefully.

Tsunade sighs, leaning back once she has finished. "Well . . . your health is in no immediate danger . . . but I want you to stay for a little longer, so I can get a report of what happened. With me," The dragon-masked ANBU that appears behind her makes them all jump.

"Is the ANBU Commander, codename Ryuu." Tsunade finishes with a smirk, amused at Naruto's slight startle.

"A pleasure Commander-san." Naruto murmurs with an incline of his head, his side still a little too sore for a bow. Ryuu inclines his head. He doesn't speak immediately, merely tilts his head in one direction. Naruto is confused, until he realizes which direction Ryuu would be looking in . . . Katsu's direction.

"So it must be something serious." Minato murmurs.

Squashing the automatic urge to grab her hand so she wouldn't leave, Naruto lets her excuse herself. "Ah, I think I'll just go home and put these flowers in some water. I'll cook something delicious for lunch when you come home. Uchiha-kun, will you be joining us as well?" Katsu asks Sasuke.

Sasuke nods. "Yeah, in fact I think I'll walk you home."

"Good boy," Kushina murmurs, pleased with her friend Mikoto's youngest.

Naruto beams at Sasuke, and waves as the two walk out. Turning back to Tsunade and Ryuu, he waits with a patient and open expression for whatever they wanted.

"Uzumaki-san, we need to know everything that happened. Start from where you were at the time of the attack." Ryuu directs quietly.

Naruto nods. "I was about a mile off from Konoha, going down the main road after completing my mission in An no Kuni. I only sensed them at the mile— it is possible they had been there or following me for longer. I dodged a brace of shuriken and they surrounded me. Nade," he cuts his eyes to her with a serious look. "They knew my name, and they said they wanted you to see all the damage they would inflict—"

"Did they say Tsunade-sama specifically?" Ryuu interrupted.

"They said I was a big part of their plan against the Hokage. It would mean nothing if 'that woman' couldn't see it." Naruto replies.

Tsunade bites her lip, anger flaring in her sharp honey eyes. "So these enemies are someone who knows me, or I might know them. Naruto, describe them to me." She orders.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. The one who appeared to be the leader, his name is Ishidate Kohaku . . . though it might be a fake name since they weren't planning on killing me. He was an older man, around Jiraiya's age . . . brown hair and a beard with grey in it— brown like cinnamon, Nade, and . . . grey eyes. Sharp grey. There was a scar on his left bicep," he points to the top of his own, "Sort of star shaped. There were other names shouted— Idate and Tsuna. Tsuna I had cut down with my claws blades, he had a shaved head—"

"That falls in line with what my operatives could observe. But even with the trail of blood they disappeared." The evident darkness in his voice could either be with the craftiness of the opponents or more likely, with the perceived failure of the elite ANBU.

"There is no perceiving it here, ANBU failed." Minato snorts, eyes stormy.

"Well as Hokage I'm sure you'll be more than up to the challenge of shaping them back into the lethal blades they were before." Jiraiya reassures with a gruff sound of amusement.

Naruto continues. "Idate, is a man with long black hair in a ponytail, he looks like a samurai."

"Hokage-sama. Do these people sound familiar?" Ryuu asks.

Tsunade's eyes are narrowed in thought. "Yes, but . . . I'm not sure . . . I have to consult Jiraiya, he might know. They sound around our age, and in those days Team Sannin did everything together. Yes, Jiraiya might know." She turns to Naruto. "Shizune has discharged you, so you can go home now Naruto. Thank you."

"Sensei, do they soud familiar?" Minato asks.

Thinking about it, Jiraiya tips his head back against the couch and searches through his memories. When he lands upon a similar face— that Kohaku?!— His head pops up.

Tsunade, I thought you knew better." He sighs in aggravation, shaking his head.

"Oh God, so they are who I think they are." Tsunade groans. "Damn it all!"

"Well who?" Kushina demands, but when no answer is forthcoming Minato reads on.

Naruto nods, hopping out the bed with no small amount of relief. "Thanks. Good afternoon then," with a bow, Naruto walks out of the room.

Ryuu turns to Tsunade. "Hokage-sama, you have some idea don't you?"

Tsunade nods, sighing gustily as her hands fall to her hips. "Yeah . . . but I really thought I had killed them. Curse my younger self's arrogance. Hell, I thought if I hadn't killed them, someone else would, they were so badly injured . . ." she mutters darkly as she strides out the room. "It was the Second Shinobi World War after all."

Naruto walks out into the sunshine and fresh air, reveling as he leaves behind the disinfectant and bleach smell of the hospital. With a spring in his step, Naruto walks through the town, waving briefly to Ayame and Teuchi as he passes Ichiraku Ramen— and God, it hurts worse than he thought to just walk right past it.

"You have good self-control." Kushina nods solemnly.

He goes through, stopping every so often when he meets his friends.

"Naruto, you out of the hospital already?" Shikamaru asks, puzzled.

"Yeah, I got crazy good healing man." Naruto assures with a grin.

"Well nice to see you up and about, Naruto." Chouji congratulates, chewing on a mouthful of barbeque flavored chips. Naruto smiles at the two of them, and agrees to catch up some time later and tell them (what he could, anyway) about how he ended up in the hospital in the first place.

Arriving back home, Naruto opens the door and slips inside, carelessly kicking off his shoes as he saunters into the living room.

Naruto's face lights up when he sees his old friend. "Haku!"

"Oh, how nice to hear about him again." Kushina murmurs pleasantly.

The beautiful ice-wielding shinobi smiles as he gracefully rises from his seat. "Naruto-kun, I'm glad to see you are well. I'm sorry if I came at a bad time . . ."

"No, no!" Naruto denied, smiling. "I've missed you Haku! And I wanted to give you and Zaza something to keep in touch better. By the way, when did you get into Konoha?"

"Earlier today actually." Haku answered. "Zabuza and I heard some strange rumors and wanted to check them out, about Mizu . . . and then, since we were already on the road we decided to see how you were doing."

"Ah well, at least now I won't miss your visit." Naruto chuckles. Will you be staying for lunch?"

"I'd like that. I've met Katsu already, she's very nice." Haku smiles.

"Well of course! Well, let's get set up then." Naruto cheers, moving into the kitchen. Directing Haku to the living room table, he wanders into the kitchen when the smells coming from it are too great to resist.

"Ow!" Naruto whines, hand snapping back quickly to his side. Sasuke smirks, retracting his hand as well.

"No touching." Sasuke grumbles.

"The salad ain't got your name on it, teme." Naruto growls.

"Well that's a little different from the normally cultured kid." Rin giggles.

"I'll say . . . Kushina said that exact same thing a couple weeks ago, only about ramen." Minato snorts.

Sasuke opens his mouth to speak, when Katsu walks in from the living room and frowns at them. "Next one who insults the other gets no food."

They shut up very quickly. Smiling at their silence, Katsu directs them to make up the table and place the food on it. Lunch passed with a game between Sasuke and Naruto— trying to insult each other without Katsu finding out about it.

Which was very difficult.

Naruto and Sasuke both cursed women's intuition that day. Whatever it was.

"Ah, Haku." Naruto realizes something. "When you're making your way out of here, please be careful. I don't want you to be attacked because they think you're a native to Konoha."

"Don't worry," Haku chuckles. "I can slip by unnoticed if I want to."

"Ah, then . . . Haku, I'd really like to ask you a favor." Naruto begins, then pauses.

Haku looks at him knowingly, but prompts the boy to speak his thought. "Yes?"

"Would you be willing to . . . scout around Konoha? Just in case something happens and they move into the village . . . I'd like someone to follow them in. I'm not asking you to intercept." Naruto adds quickly.

"Well, all we can base Haku's combat skills off of is the chapter before last." Tsunade mumbles uncertainly.

"If Naruto thinks he's strong, I'll take sochi's word for it." Kushina shrugs.

Haku shakes his head. "Naruto, after how you helped Zabuza and I, this is just a mere trifle. What's a favor or two between friends? I'll help you, Naruto." Haku swears, smiling getly.

Haku had to leave soon after, so Naruto gave him the shorthand— he still hadn't come up with a good name for it— and stern instructions to be safe.

When Sasuke had left with a takeout box of leftovers pushed on him by an insistent Katsu— though Naruto wasn't fooled, he knew Sasuke really wanted it— and everything cleaned and put away, the two sat in the living room and waited for another idea of what to do.

Katsu swung her legs in the air idly off the back of the couch, sitting upon the thing upside down. Naruto sprawled in the big chair next to her, idly flipping through a page of the second Icha Icha book (not as funny as the first one, but quite a read in its own way— he wanted to know where exactly Jiraiya found women who could bend like that).

Tsunade frowns at a chuckling, giggling Jiraiya, while Minato kept his gaze on the book and ignored his weird sensei.

Naruto's gaze flickers up from the book to the quiet Katsu, watching small ankles make figure eights in the air. Suddenly, a thought hit him— that's right . . . he had something to discuss with her.

"Hey hime." He prompts. Katsu stops her legs and lets them drop to the side, squirming around until she was lying on her side blinking up at him with huge gold eyes.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"What else did Masahiro say to you?"

"Huh?" she blinked.

"I know he said something about me leaving you behind," Naruto scoffs. "But . . . did he say anything else?"

Katsu groaned, flopping over onto her back. "He told you?" she whined petulantly, folding her arms in a huffy manner.

Naruto clucked his tongue. "Don't huff at me; I'm the one who should be frustrated here. I don't know how many times I've told you already that I'll never fall for anyone but you—"

"Ooh, he's told her?!" Rin squeals. Kushina giggles happily, her and Rin cooing.

"I guess their relationship would be classified as a slow burn." Obito murmurs to Kakashi, who nods in agreement.

"No surprise here he still hasn't gotten through to her . . . stubborn women tend to be romantically shy." Minato laughs.

"Preach it." Jiraiya grumbles.

"You don't know that," Katsu interrupted quickly. "You have only just begun to see the world outside. How can you think I'm the only one for you? There's so much more outside of Konoha!" she spreads her arms wide, as if to indicate just how wide the world really was.

"And throughout all the travels I have done, and will do, I know for a certified fact that there will never be anyone quite. Like. You." Naruto finishes smugly.

"Aw!" Kushina coos, a hand rising to rest above her heart.

"That is a very nice line," Jiraiya muses. Under his breath he mutters, "I'll have to remember that for a book."

"You're just being stubborn." Katsu mutters.

"Hello pot, my name is kettle. I hear we have a lot in common!"

"You know, it's pointless to be this worldly ninja if you're just going to act like some small town hick." Katsu gripes.

"Eh?!" Kushina glares at the book. "I expected Katsu to be a bit more sympathetic."

"I wouldn't throw stones Kushina," Minato reminds her. "You sucker punched me just for buying you flowers . . . and shall I remind you what you did to me when I asked you out on a date?"

Kushina blushes bright red, and looks away, shaking her head at his question. She glares at the snickering forms of her lover's students.

"Whoa— was that an insult? Because if it was . . . the fuck did you just say to me?" Naruto glares.

"Hmph!" Katsu turns her nose up into the air. "Settling down with the girl you've known forever— how unoriginal! How normal . . . as I recall, you told me once that Uzumaki Naruto doesn't do normal."

"Trust me babe, you are not normal. Or completely sane. But that's okay, I like my girls a little crazy."

"What a coincidence," all the males in the room cry, raising their arms. "So do we!"

"Who are you calling crazy?" Katsu hisses, shooting up to her elbows and glaring darkly.

"Me, what are you going to do about it?"

"How about I break your legs?"

"I love a girl who can kick my ass." Naruto grins.

"These coincidences just keep getting better!" the males laugh, Minato and Jiraiya edging away from their violent love interests even as they continue laughing.

Katsu rolls her eyes and sighs in a put upon manner as if thinking, 'this guy is hopeless.' Swinging her legs over her feet touch the carpeted floor and she sits up.

Naruto watches her from the corner of his eyes, and wonders how to break this stalemate. "You know . . ." he starts slowly. "I remember, way back in the day— like, way back— when I was seven years old . . . we asked Nami-baba why adults kissed all the time."

Katsu sends him a look, but he continues on.

"And we wondered why they would kiss on the mouth, because that was so icky. Remember what she said? She said that you kissed people you really liked or loved on the mouths. So we asked her why we didn't kiss her on the mouth, remember that? She laughed and said it's different, not family love but a love between two people who really like each other and want to be with each other all the time."

"Hey, that was a long time ago . . ." Katsu frowned but Naruto talked over her.

"So, this little orange-haired girl just blinked big gold eyes up at Nami-baba and said, so then . . . can I kiss Naruto, if I love him and am with him all the time? We aren't related!" Naruto grinned monstrously at the slightly mortified groan of Katsu. "I think Nami-baba had never laughed harder."

"Ah, the logic of children." Tsunade sighs blissfully.

"A pertinent question, which in the context explained, certainly makes sense." Kakashi muses.

"It seems legit." Obito agrees.

"Yeah, well that was a long time ago." Katsu snapped, turning her face so he couldn't see her bright cheeks.

Naruto sniggered. "Aw, don't you love me anymore hime? Don't you wanna kiss me anymore? I'll let you, I promise."

"Oh God, it's even more hilarious hearing it from sensei." Obito giggles, pressing his face into a couch cushion.

Katsu glares at him, alarm slightly flaring in her eyes as Naruto drops his book and starts to get up slowly. "No I don't— stay where you are!"

"But," Naruto's lips wobble into a tremulous pout. "But I love you hime! Come on . . . give me a kiss!"

"No!" Katsu denies, jumping up and dancing around the couch to move from Naruto.

"Yeah you do! You did then, you certainly do now!" Naruto insists with a laugh, jumping over the couch. Katsu shrieks and tears off, running out of the house as Naruto follows after.

"Kiss me kiss me kiss me!" Naruto shouts, the two darting around the yard.

"Never!" Katsu declares with a scream of laughter, hopping over the fence of their yard and running down the road.

"I'll get that kiss from you Katsuhime if it's the last thing I do!" Naruto swears, laughing delightedly as he chases after her.


The Chuunin and Jounin forces are all in the same room together, a large auditorium, as they mill around and wait for an announcement from their Hokage.

"But wait!" Obito cries. "Did he ever get the kiss?!"

"I can answer that for you." Jiraiya supplies. "No."

Shikamaru clucks his tongue in irritation next to Naruto and Shino, the three friends leaning against a wall until Tsunade comes in.

"What a drag, why'd we have to get up so early?" Shikamaru complains.

"For the jounin sensei's sake. Why? Because they don't want the genin to suspect anything, hence the chuunin and jounin forces hearing this at the same time." Shino replies promptly.

"Very good Shino." Minato murmurs.

"Plus there's already been another attack on a trio of chuunin, and it was only three days after my fight with the same group." Naruto mutters, pocky stick bobbing in his mouth as he speaks.

"So the rumors were true?" Shikamaru mutters, losing that disinterested and tired look on his face for something a little more serious. "Jeez, the Leaf has no so small amount of enemies."

"It's the price you pay for excelling in a field like ours." Naruto shrugs. He thought about the messges he had gotten from Haku, stating the absolute proficiency of the group, and how it was difficult for him to get close or get a read on them.

"Yes, both individual and collectively, Konohagakure no Sato has always been a powerhouse, churning out more stars than any other village." Kakashi informs them cheerily, eyes trained on his Icha Icha.

"Onii-san, you missed the best chocolate shortcake last night." Naruto playfully reproached the older man.

Kakashi's eyes widened, then narrowed as he looked at him. "You couldn't save me a piece?"

"Between Katsu and me, Shikamaru, Chouji, Anko and Genma? Not a chance." Naruto scoffed, grinning as the last man in question sidled up to them.

"It was delicious and I thought of you with each bite that melted in my mouth Kakashi." Genma taunted silkily, his smirk not lessening even as Kakashi's chakra killing intent rose to a slow crescendo.

"None of that Kakashi, or else you might start something you can't finish." Anko warns flirtatiously, grinning at the group.

"But I always finish what I start." Kakashi deadpans, looking genuinely confused.

Shikamaru and Naruto scoff, looking away from the other man. "Stupid elite jounin."

All talking, all noise period stops when Tsunade walks onto the stage before them. Every ninja in the room straightens and forms perfect rows as they all bow as one.

Tsunade's impassive eyes flicker around the room. "At ease shinobi."

Her eyes narrow, her chakra swirling through the room with a definitive frostiness that sets them all on edge. "We are being prodded by a group of shinobi, whose motives for the moment are only this: to piss me off. Probably not the hardest thing to do," Tsunade smirks, and they all feel safe enough to let smirks of their own flit across their faces. "But the way they're going about it is particularly . . . stressful. You know of the two public attacks already, first a sole chuunin returning from a mission and more recently the trio of chuunin, one of which is still in critical condition from the damage he's taken.

"But what these fools don't seem to understand is that they are prodding a sleeping beast. A beast that has proven more than capable of crushing any threats and coming out victorious. These fool shinobi, don't seem to realize that they're messing with shinobi of Konoha, who each carry a burning Will of Fire." Tsunade pauses, eyes roving slowly over the assembly before here.

"That being said, we cannot be hasty or arrogant. From now on, there will be no solo missions until we can ascertain the whereabouts of our enemies and deal with them decisively. I will be depending heavily on ANBU and our jounin force to increase security watch around the perimeter of the village. Your enemies are a group of five men, men who have seen the coming and going of the Second Shinobi World War just as I have. They are fast, they are careful, and they rarely ever miss— a dangerous enemy. If you see or notice anything strange either around the village or on a return mission notify me immediately." Tsunade instructs almost harshly, but each shinobi in the room takes her words to heart and commits to them.

These men had hurt their comrades, and they threatened the safety of Konoha. They would be dealt with.

"Good to know the Will of Fire burns even more strongly in the new generation." Minato murmurs approvingly.

The changes are swift and immediate, and so for two days Naruto is abused by his fellow shinobi for his shadow clones and sharpened senses above the average shinobi— though he meets many an Inuzuka who commiserates with him, so he doesn't feel quite so bad about that.

"My poor, hardworking son." Kushina giggles.

Two days where the village is put under an air of caution and wariness, and it surprises Naruto how uncomfortable he feels watching the civilians tense and anxious for any sign of attack. He thinks to himself that— son of Namikaze or no, Jinchuuriki or no; he would have become a shinobi just so he could protect his home and his precious people.

On the third day— no . . . that very evening, the village is infiltrated.

"What?! After all the changes . . . these guy cannot be that good." Obito growls.

Naruto looks over maps and schedules with Shikamaru and a grizzled jounin by the name of Hayashida Kenji.

"Ooh, I win the bet!" Kushina laughs.

"What bet?" Rin asks.

"No one thought Hayashida would live through the war— said he was so paranoid he'd end up doing himself in eventually. But I voted for Hayashida, ha!" Kushina gloats.

"Hayashida-san, what about any attempts to get in through the Forest of Death?" Naruto murmurs in question.

"Though it might be viable to get in, they will never get out of that Forest. Between Anko and the animals in there, along with the occasional training ANBU they would certainly have a hard time." Shikamaru replies.

"If the enemy is hungry enough, they'll make it happen." Jiraiya lectures calmly.

"Speculative theories, and all with holes." Naruto responds calmly.

Hayashida nods in thought. "Both arguments are sound, but in the end . . . a good nin prepares for every outcome. In the rare event that an enemy can get in through the Forest of Death Konoha would be sorry for such a talented enemy to come into the village. There should be, ideally, two squads put into place . . . however . . ."

"We are short on shinobi at the moment, and the only recourse would be to either cut missions or assign genin to the job— neither favorable." Naruto fills in the open sentence.

"Aww, he's so cute." Kushina murmurs.

"He's professional." Minato corrects with a laugh.

"Even cuter!" Kushina giggles.

"Missions we can't afford to let pass by, and we need all our fresh blood to build up Konoha. Man, what a drag . . ." Shikamaru sighs. "What about if we assign one guard, with rotating volunteers from our departments?"

"There's an idea Nara," Tsunade congratulates. "Put that genius brain to work!"

"I'll consult your old man and the Hokage to see if it's feasible." Hayashida growls. He smirks at Shikamaru. "You're turning out to be a chip on the old block Nara . . . and you, Uzumaki. Not bad kid."

Naruto sighs. "I just want this to be over so I can sleep a full night."

Hayashida laughs in a rather hoarse manner. "Child, if you think this is bad you would have never survived in the War."

Naruto snorts, but doesn't comment. He just wanted to go home and eat Katsu's home cooking, and maybe play a round or two of poker with whatever sucker came over for dinner.

Katsu sneezes, sniffling. "Someone must be talking about me." She giggles, swinging her arms as she walks down the road. Head tilting back to look up at the sky, she sighs.

"Oh crap." Obito groans.

"She wouldn't be part of this unless . . . she is part of the invasion." Rin grimaces, hating to hear it said out loud.

"I hadn't expected to stay out so late," she murmurs. "But seeing as Naruto has been coming home late these days, no one will care if I don't have dinner up just yet."

Katsu had been training with her Bo staff in the forest, a ways away from the village center. There were no houses here, just trees and brush, the moon and the wind. Oddly, she couldn't help but think of this as a rather romantic scene.

Thinking of romance made her think of Naruto. Which made her both blush and scowl.

Despite the tension, Kushina couldn't stop the smirk that lifts her lips. This girl was truly her perfect daughter-in-law. Like Kushina, she didn't fall so easily into love's allure.

Really . . . why couldn't he see she was just looking out for him? She knew he loved her. But just how deep that loves go . . . well, she just thought it'd be better for him to really think about that. Then again— she sighs exasperatedly. She had been telling herself the same things ever since she was ten years old. If she couldn't even convince herself she wasn't in love love with Naruto, she couldn't dare hop to convince him.

Obito snorts. "Love love . . . how childishly adorable."

Which, really, was just bothersome. He had so much to do— she had so much she wanted to do!

"She could still work," Rin mutters in slight confusion. "He wouldn't stop her."

She wanted to laugh at all the silly little girls that fell over themselves for her best friend once he grew up into an undoubtedly handsome man. Now she would be more focused on not being like those silly little fawning girls. Meaning she'd be missing out on some prime blackmail and harassment material, not to mention some hilarious laughs, and all because she was too busy keeping herself together in his presence.

That sucks.

"Dear God, she's your reincarnation." Minato says to his girlfriend, who playfully socks him on the shoulder.

"Aren't you Kuroshio Katsu?" a deep, almost grave voice breaks her from her thoughts. Her brow furrows— that voice was unfamiliar.

"You're searching for . . . ?" her voice dies, stuck in her throat as she turns around.

Five men look back at her with dangerous eyes, glittering with steely resolve. Five men who looked about Jiraiya's age.

Minato's grip tightens on the book as hisses and growls fill the room. He had a feeling this chapter would be another difficult one to read. It seems the book was starting to take a graver tone, and he silently mourned for the coming storm his son would have to weather through.

She swallows, her suddenly dry mouth bothering her a little. Oh come on . . .

Her sudden pale face must alert them. "It's nothing personal. You just made the wrong kinds of friends . . ." the one with brown hair and beard, the facial hair smeared with grey, speaks sympathetically. "For our cause, we cannot falter. If you comply, we will make this painless."

Rin scoffs. "Beating someone half to death cannot be painless."

"They don't want to beat her, Rin." Minato corrects quietly.

Katsu turns around fully. Well . . . . fuck. She shifts to the balls of her feet, rocking back and forth slightly as she shoves her hands in her pockets. "You gonna hurt a defenseless little girl?"

"Hurting you won't be painless. But we can assure your death will be." The man answers calmly.

Katsu nods. "Well I can appreciate that I guess. But, just so you know . . . I'm not going to make this easy at all." With quick movements her hands shoot out and throw smoke-flash tags, a la Uzumaki, at the ground before them. As they jump away and the tags go off, Katsu darts off, disengaging the gravity seals on her to sprint at her full speed.

Kohaku sighs, rubbing his eyes to try and get rid of the flash that seems to float behind his eyelids. "Find her." He orders softly. As his men flit away, he opens his eyes slowly, the steely grey orbs cold and unfeeling. He follows after his men.


Naruto yawns loudly, long canines a sharp impression against the cavern of his mouth.

"Where you heading to now Shikamaru?" Naruto asks.

Kushina's heart trembles with feeling for her little boy. She could only imagine how scared and angry he'll be when he finds out about the men hunting Katsu down.

"Man, if I go home now my okaa-san will just scream at me about not telling her where I've been going. Troublesome woman, I take up my chuunin duties like I'm supposed to, and she still screams." Shikamaru grumbles.

"Well . . . Katsu was doing something and I was planning on catching up with her to walk home. Want to come with?" Naruto offers.

"Gah, a part of me wishes you wouldn't but mostly I'm just hoping you find her!" Tsunade whispers, tension coiling in her belly.

Shikamaru ponders this. If he caught the orange-haired princess in a good mode he'd most certainly be able to weasel some brownies out of her. Sold. "Fine." He sighs.

Naruto grins at Shikamaru's play of being put-upon. "Well then, off we go!"


Katsu swallows a shriek at the kunai that fly past her nose, dropping to a roll, one leg kicked out to catch one assailant in the stomach and send him flying with her continued motion. Scrabbling back up she dodges and dances around kunai and shuriken as best as she can, still getting sliced by a few.

Gritting her teeth she throws an exploding tag and keeps moving. What should she do?! If she goes near the village, she had the distinct feeling these guys wouldn't shy away and try and hurt the other villagers. But trying to go at this alone was suicide!

"Try and signal someone." Kakashi murmurs, it is almost a whisper.

She can't stop the scream that tears from her lips as two kunai hit the mark on her shoulder blade. With a grunt she darts to the side and eases the kunai out. Slapping her right hand to her inner left wrist she grabs the Bo staff that pops out from her storage seal and turns on a dime, the hard end catching one man in the face and she whirls, catching another in his inner knee and pressing hard. She tilts her head back to avoid the slash of a sword and with a flick of her wrist the staff flies up and into the genitals of the black-haired man with the samurai style. He goes down with a whine, and she turns to flee.

"Just dodge and run, don't fight!" Rin whimpers.

"Just running isn't going to help her." Kushina whispers, though she also wishes Katsu could just run so far and so fast she'd fly into the sky and stay safe.

Panting harshly, she thinks desperately, I could really use some help . . . but how can I get anyone here?!

"Doton: Earth Dragon Bullet!" A voice shouts behind her. Katsu looks over her shoulder, paling as a big-ass dragon made of mud comes speeding at her like the bullet its name implied.

"Shit!" she curses, enhancing her jump with chakra to flee into the trees. The dragon splatters behind her, the earth it impacted shattering with the force. As she is followed into the treetops, she suddenly realizes how to get some help.

Flare! I just need to flare my chakra! Gah, they better not be sleeping on the job! Katsu thinks grimly, ignoring the bite of a kunai as it grazes her outer right thigh.

(line break)

Naruto and Shikamaru walk through town, joking and conversing about things other than the crazy ninja trying to get at their Hokage. Whoever wanted to take on Tsunade, good luck.

"Shit I can't stand this." Obito groans. "God, isn't there some way Naruto can just know?" he whines.

"This isn't a fairytale," Minato chides his student. "Sometimes, you can't be there like you want to be there. Like you need to be there. And you have to live with that, and except it."

"He won't be able to live with this if she dies." Obito murmurs. No one answers.

"Hey, isn't that Hinata?" Shikamaru interrupts Naruto's joke about Jiraiya and a never-filling tub, as he points over at the blushing Hyuuga heiress speaking with Sakura and Ino, a frazzled Sasuke being kept there by the strong-willed kunoichi.

"It is . . . let's go save her, she looks about ready to faint," Naruto murmurs, and then raises his voice. "Hey, Hinata!"

By the obvious relief on the pale-eyed girl was waiting for an opportunity to leave the gossiping duo to themselves. "Evening, Naruto-kun, Shikamaru-san." She greets quietly.

"Hey," Naruto grins. "We were about to go get your girl, want to come with us?"

"That depends," Hinata murmured mischievously, "are there brownies in store for my future?"

"I'm sure she'll oblige." Naruto rolls his eyes good naturedly.


Katsu falls from the tree with a guttural cry of pain, but she doesn't miss a beat as she flips up and starts running again. Funny, she was coming to the old field she and Naruto had played in, and later trained in together.

Tsunade clutches at her shoulder, other arm wrapping around herself to quell the butterflies that want to rip her stomach apart. Feeling a larger hand on her own, she glances over at Jiraiya who still looks at Minato's reading form. She doesn't move his hand, and yet doesn't admit to feeling grateful.

Her trip down memory lane was broken by a kunai to her leg. She falls down heavily, skidding. With trembling hands she brings her leg up and presses around the kunai, stifling a cry by biting her lip until it bled. She tries to scrabble back up, but her leg hurts too much— it's not the first hit it's taken.

Rin can't help it. Tears come to her eyes and push over the edge. She tries to cry as quietly as possible, breathing through barely parted lips so no sniffling sound comes from her. Still, Kakashi and Obito grip her hands, and she squeezes back in reassurance.

"We offered you a peaceful death, but you foolishly refused." The bearded man is back, and his apathy and cold tone both angers her and sends chills down her spine. She glares at the man, spitting in his general direction.

"Don't think I'm out of tricks just yet old man!" she snarls, and clutching the last of her explosive tags— she counts them and nods in satisfaction, five all at once ought to make for a rather attention grabbing spectacle— she hurls them at the ground in front of the men. They jump away again, this time farther once they see how many she has.

Katsu curls into a ball, hoping to avoid any debris from the blast. Concentrating, she searches deep inside for a large enough flare of chakra to be noticed. She blasts it from her body, and concentrates on just one thought.

Naruto Naruto NARUTO!


The explosion catches the attention of the villagers and the shinobi.

The bright flare of chakra catches Naruto's attention.

Hime? He thinks in surprise, focusing on the emotions he can feel. Fear, desperation, pain . . .

Naruto's eyes flare red, and it startles Shikamaru and Hinata who are looking at him.

"Naruto, what is it?" Shikamaru asks warily. This was his first viewing of the demon that Naruto carried.

"Katsu. She's where the explosion is. She's hurt . . . and scared . . ." Naruto strained voice startles them all. Ino, Sakura and Sasuke who had walked up to them upon hearing Shikamaru's question, stiffen in shock with the rest of them.

Naruto's scarlet eyes nearly glow with malice as he looks at Ino. "Go and alert the Hokage of the attack— the intruders are most likely in the village. Tell her Katsu is there . . . she'll understand." Without another word, he sprints off, taking to rooftops to cut through the village. Hinata, Shikamaru, Sasuke and Sakura follow after him without hesitation.

"Oh God, please make it in time." Kushina whispers, voice almost nonexistent.

Obito still remain s optimistic. "Oh thank goodness, she'll be fine with him there." He sighs in relief. And, no one has the heart to try and ground him in reality.

Ino gulps, spinning to run to the Hokage Tower. She sends up a small prayer for the safety of all involved.


Katsu's world is spinning. Her head is ringing and pounding . . . she coughs, spitting out an impressive glob of blood. Wiping her mouth of the smeared life liquid, she struggles to all fours. The collar of her shirt is suddenly choking her as she is lifted into the air.

Steel grey eyes. She narrows her eyes. Kakashi had a much darker, much prettier eye than this pitiful bastard. More like a dangerous storm front, filled with the electricity that would make lightning and sweep away trees and drown the land.

Kakashi's laugh trembles only faintly, but no one comments. "She's delirious. There's no other way she would admit to any good point about me." He breathes out.

She would have to tell Kakashi that— that she liked his eye.

A blow to her cheek brings her back to a more lucid state, though still not quite at the mental faculties she wished she could be, if only to have better success trying to find a way to escape and live.

"You have spit upon our offer of an honorable death. Now you shall die like an animal." The man's clipped tones stir some sort of amusement in Katsu.

"Buddy, let me throw that right back at you. They are going to slaughter you." She giggles a little hysterically.

"He will." Jiraiya mutters in correction.

"They won't find us." The man replies. "You're little fire show still hasn't brought any reinforcements. You gave us a good fight, for a civilian and a woman; all our information said you were just a civilian. You're not just a civilian." Steel darkens to iron as his eyes narrow, as if displeased with the hiccup in information.

Which was probably true. He and his group had been ever so careful so far . . . everything, every factor had to be accounted for. Katsu felt a little proud she could have been the one unpredictable factor.

Unpredictability made her think of Naruto. She was too disoriented to blush.

"You are going to die now." The man declares quietly, yet very firmly as if she would argue about this.

Which she would . . . if she could. She was pretty sure her concussion had a concussion.

A large beefy arms raises up, and she follows the corded appendage, follows the veins and the bulging muscle up, up, up . . . to the thick wrist and then to the calloused palm that held aloft a katana. A very pretty katana, she couldn't help but notice, with pretty lavender silk and a nice little charm at the end . . . it had to belong to the man with the long black hair. She couldn't see the grizzly bearded bear wielding something so pretty.

Bearded bear. A little giggle escapes her lips. What alliteration.

Something almost like pity sparks in the man's eyes that are now lightened to a soft grey. He must think this is a mercy killing.

A chime from the T.V. makes them all turn their heads. Words, glowing soft and white against the swirl of pixels are taken immediate notice of.

This part would perhaps be a little difficult to read. At least with Naruto's near brush with darkness, it would have been cruel to make you watch that. This should be watched . . . if that is your wish.

The general mood in the room plummets, growing perturbed and fearful.

"If they think we should watch this . . . then I think we should." Kushina speaks quietly.

". . . Okay. Are we all ready?" Minato asks, setting the book down. When he sees them all nod, he picks up the remote and puts on the TV.

(TV mode)

The katana flashes.

Blood sprays.

And Katsu is dropped unceremoniously to the ground as the bearded bear shouts in alarm and pain. He clutches the wrist where blood pitches. Katsu looks down at the katana he has dropped, and sees a bloody axe next to it.


"Kohaku!" the snarl of righteous fury makes the man grit his teeth against the pain and glare at the attacker. Naruto glares right back, twice as frightening with his jagged thick scars and bloody scarlet irises. Katsu blinks in mild surprise— behind him are Hinata, Shikamaru, Sakura and Sasuke.

"Oh thank goodness, they made it in time." Rin sighs in relief.

Katsu scoots away from the group, reaching for Naruto's axe as she does. A sandaled foot stomps down on her hand, and she cries out in pain.

Naruto snarls, taking a step forward. "Why are you attacking a civilian Kohaku? Much less a woman! Have you no honor?!"

"Honor does not ensure the job gets done." Kohaku dismisses him. "Fine, now there will be an audience to her death."

"The only ones dying tonight are you and your cronies!" Sakura snaps, cracking her fists as she prepares to step up. She is stopped by Sasuke's hand.

"Sasuke—"

"You're the only one with medical training. We'll need you back here to support us." Sasuke reminds her stoically. Grimacing, she nods and steps back.

"That and, you might be picking up on training but you'll be easy pickings for these guys." Obito mutters.

"Give it up Kohaku, you've been caught. You will be arrested, and then the Hokage will decide what to do with you." Shikamaru commands.

"Don't presume anything child!" Kohaku snarls, spittle flying from his lips in a sudden fury. "I'll kill that bitch too!"

A sound through the air.

Before Kohaku can move, one of his men dive into the way. "Kohaku—ugh!" the man falls to the ground. Stuck in his neck, are two senbon. Kohaku snarls, looking back at the direction they came from.

"Yes! Haku!" Obito and Rin hiss, high-fiving.

Naruto uses his distraction to perform a Kawarimi with his axe, grabbing Katsu and sprinting away. Sasuke and Shikamaru lob exploding tags at the exact same time, and the whole scene dissolves into chaos.

Hinata, Shikamaru and Sasuke dive into the fray, keeping the enemies at bay whilst Naruto places Katsu by Sakura. "Sakura, heal her and keep her safe." Naruto orders.

"Right!" Sakura mutters, kneeling down and starting her duty of healing Katsu.

Katsu smiles at Naruto. "Hey, you were right on time."

Naruto smiles, giving her thumbs up. "How about a kiss as a reward? Later, later, yeesh. . . Now—"he stands, twirling both axes as a bloodthirsty grin spreads across his face.

Naruto leaps in, slashing and hacking away at whatever piece of the enemy he could find. With more people on his side, it was easier, but not by much.

Kohaku bellows wordlessly, blocking and parrying not only for himself, but for his friends. Jutsu and weapons fly, and the men had the advantage on both. They knew more jutsu, they used jutsu better, and they had better experience with weapons. But the Konoha group was holding their own.

It helped that every so often, senbon would fly from the sides of the forest to knock weapons off course, and slash at their enemies. Only Sasuke had an idea of who this was, and he smirked at Naruto in passing as a senbon deflected a kunai meant for his neck.

Idate swings around as he skids away, hands flying through seals. "Katon—" At the very last second he leaps away, dodging the pale fist that slams a deep crater into the ground where he had once stood.

"You took your sweet time Tsunade-hime." Jiraiya jokes, grinning at the not so hard hit she gives him.

Tsunade straightens up, glaring at the invaders of her home. "So, you bastards are still alive!"

The words call for a cease fire.

The two groups are split once again— Konoha versus the intruders. Tsunade takes stock of everything, honey eyes roaming as her two ANBU guards are tensed and ready for anything. The panting, but stony-faced ninja on her side, to the determined form of Sakura healing a coiled up, wounded and hissing Katsu, and then to the intruders who are looking a lot worse for the wear themselves.

Tsunade's eyes narrow. "Why are you attacking Konoha? What is your business with me Kohaku?"

Kohaku smirks. "It has been my life goal for these many years since that War . . . to make you suffer Tsunade."

Tsunade growls. "And so you take the cowards way and attack innocent people not involved? A child, for Kami's sake?"

Kohaku growls, anger filling his features. "I don't care to hear your preaching on honor or killing children Tsunade!" He raises two fingers to his mouth and whistles. It is sharp and loud, long and high.

The Konoha ninjas dodge just in time to avoid a volley of explosive tags. Five ninja jump from the shadows of the forest to join Kohaku's group.

"Shit!" Kushina hisses.

"There was no mention of additional forces?" Jiraiya growls.

"Reinforcements?!" Tsunade spits, spitting mad. There was no intel about this! Her mind hisses.

"I want at least one alive, preferably the leader Kohaku!" Is Tsunade's only command as they all begin to fight their opponents. She goes for Kohaku, honey brown eyes glinting with a steely ferocity.

It is a chaotic scene, jutsus shouted over one another, others forced to dodge and leap over it as they continue their own battles.

They are completely absorbed in the fight, as if they are there. Every twitch restrained from full motion, what they would do, how they would dodge. Every near miss their loved ones in the future experience makes them flinch, tempers rising.

Haku has left his shadowy perch and has engaged the extra nin on Kohaku's side, his ice jutsu grabbing attention for a split second before it its them that he's a Konoha ally. His use of his rare ice kekkei genkai is indeed novel, and they feel relief he is with them.

"Naruto, I expect an explanation about him!" Tsunade shouts as she fight Kohaku.

"Yes ma'am!" he shouts, dipping and weaving frantically. His opponent fought with an unbridled enthusiasm, face contorted in a crazed desire to fight and see blood.

"I'm gonna cut you to pieces you little shit!" the man hisses, dirt brown hair flying around his face as he fights. What makes it all the worse is his very sharp, very deadly Kusarigama. Naruto bends nearly ninety degrees to avoid the sickle end decapitating him as the weapon flies. The last time he tried to tangle it with his own weapons he ended up nearly being electrocuted by a raton jutsu from his opponent, and now made sure to only go for direct hits to the man's person.

"What a freak!" Kushina hisses. "How dare he!" She growls unintelligible words, furious that she cannot do anything. Even if this hasn't happened yet, her heart still pounds.

Which was not often.

Naruto and the opponent whirl around each other, Naruto spamming Kage bushins which are nearly always destroyed by one of the opponents of his friends, using the senbon they pick up after Haku has thrown them. Soon Haku just switches to ice or water senbon after seeing this, grinning wickedly under his mask when they just melt away.

Slash, hit, punch, kick— the man takes it all in stride and comes back for more! His axes had long ago been thrown by the man's stupid chain, and his daggers were soon useless. He was back to his claw knives. His Crimson Blades at least, when they hit, were effective. But the man still gets back up!

"He has a lot of experience musuko," Minato murmurs. "But if you can just wear him down . . . you can win this!"

"Hinata!" he hears Katsu scream. He looks over and sees Hinata sprawled on the ground and scrabbling to get back up, but her opponent is bearing down on her. He dodges the Kusarigama and sprints to Hinata, a high kick sending the attacker flying away and he grabs Hinata to pull her up.

"Thanks Naruto-kun!" Hinata coughs, Byakugan flaring as she races back to capitalize on her wheezing opponent. Naruto's instincts allow him to dodge a katon jutsu and then roll under the slash of his opponent's Kusarigama.

"Hey kid, you're not bad!" the man laughs. "It's too bad you're still such a green thumb though."

Naruto doesn't respond, thinking it to be a taunt to distract him. The man's Kusarigama slashes, flies, and Naruto leaps back further and further.

Just how long is this chain?! He snarls. He is about ten feet from the man now.

"Here's a bit of advice kid," the man calls. "You aren't the only one who can do clone jutsu!"

What?! Naruto balks, then turns as he hears a rumbling behind him. A clone of the man is rising from the ground, and the Kusarigama is a silver flash heading towards him. He jumps— he isn't fast enough.

"Aah!" it's half growl half scream as he falls to the ground in a rolling heap; leg bloody from the deep cut. Snarling, he shoots to his feet, though he favors the injured leg. Both clone and original come for him with matching grins.

Kushina whimpers, hands curled up so tightly her blunt nails bite into her palm, and she grits her teeth. Minato smoothed out her fists with his own larger hands, and squeezes carefully.

It's slowly turning in the favor of the other man. With his leg so badly hurt, Naruto cannot move as quickly or as agile as before. He slowly starts to get cut deeper and deeper. He falls to the ground in pain when the Kusarigama slashes his arm from the inside of his elbow to his wrist.

"Oh God, get up!" Kushina whimpers. She wants to turn away, but her pride as a warrior won't let her. Besides, she knows Naruto won't die. The book is still too long. Still . . . why? Why her son?!

"Shit, shit!" Kakashi hisses. Rin whimpers and presses her fists to her mouth so hard her teeth bite into the inner lip flesh.

The man raises the Kusarigama, and Naruto can only faintly hear the cries of his friends as they realize his plight, but cannot aide him.

The Kusarigama falls.

Naruto feels a tug on his chakra and tumbles to the floor, eyes widening as he realizes someone performed Kawarimi to switch with him.

Blood sprays.

"No!" Kushina cries.

Katsu coughs up blood, hand falling away from the opponent's chest as she sways. Naruto chokes, as he watches Katsu fall to the ground. The man backs up, clutching his chest. He grips the kunai that pierces him, but can no longer get it out. He falls to the ground, dead.

"It's too deep . . . she has to get to the hospital now, but . . ." Tsunade's faltering whisper brings the mood down even lower.

Naruto doesn't care about that. There is no fight. There is no pain from his injuries.

There is his best friend, dying.

"O-Oh God," he chokes out, crawling over to a trembling, coughing Katsu whose eyes are glazed from pain. "It . . . oh God— it's okay. It's okay!" he soothes. "We'll heal you up, we . . . we have to get to the hospital . . ."

Katsu coughs, eyes that were clenched shut in pain now opening halfway. A small, sad smile crosses her lips. "We won't make it in time, Naru . . ."

"Yes we will." Naruto insists forcefully, shaking hands smoothing away blood-soaked strands of hair from her pale face, the streaks of blood on it smearing her complexion that grows paler. He makes to move her— fighting, treason be damned! — When Katsu grabs his wrist.

Katsu shakes her head, tears starting to well. "I'm so sorry . . ."

"No," Naruto groans, looking pained. "No don't say that. God, please, just . . . shit! No, no, no . . . Tsunade can—"

"Oh God, his face . . ." Kushina sobs, head dropping into her hands. Minato wraps his arms around her, but he doesn't turn away from the screen. This was their world; he wouldn't back down from this. He would watch all of this; take this all in so he would never take the changed future for granted.

"This can't be . . . isn't this too cruel?" Rin whimpers.

Katsu shakes her head, a hand trembling as it reaches for Naruto. Naruto takes hold of it tenderly, brings it to his face as tears start to course down his cheeks. "You think she can get over here? Naruto, please . . . I don't have much time. So listen ok?"

She takes a deep, shuddering breath. "Don't die here, ok? You deserve so much happiness, all the happiness the world has to offer! You . . . you bring so much joy to people. You've brought so much joy to me. Don't let that all go to waste— don't close yourself off from happiness. I'll . . . never, ever forgive you . . . if you do." She coughs, blood oozing from her mouth, and Naruto sobs, clutching to her tightly.

No, no, no, no, no, oh please God please no . . .

"Don't go . . . don't, please . . ." he sobs. "Don't leave me alone!"

Katsu smiles at him. "You won't be alone. You have so many people who love you and care for you."

Naruto shakes his head frantically, but can't think of what to say. "I love you, I love you, I love you so much, I love you—"

Tsunade heaves a shuddering sigh, tears making her eyes bright and glassy. Two kids who should have had all the time in the world, who should have had so much more together . . . torn apart so early. Too early. God, this reminded her so much of Dan and her, but this was somehow even worse.

"He won't make it, if she's gone." Obito whispers.

A half laugh, half sob tears from Katsu's throat. "I know. God, Ru, I love you too. I am so in love with you. More than you'll ever know . . . so that's why I want you to be happy. It'll hurt, I know. It'll hurt a long time, but . . . maybe one day; you can have happiness come easy to you again. Maybe someday you can accept love again. That's my greatest wish for you, Naruto. I love you— I want only for you to be happy."

Minato loved her optimism for his son's future, but he suspected he wouldn't ever really fall in love quite like this again. Especially as their love was still so young.

"I'll keep going." He whispers brokenly. "But I can't live without you."

Katsu's smile is heartbroken; it wobbles on her lips and is drenched with salty tears. "Maybe one day, you'll surprise yourself. I can't tell you anymore after this . . . I wish I could cram in a lifetime right now, but I'll have to take what I can get— I love you, Uzumaki Naruto. I love you, I love you I love you . . ."

Naruto shudders, sobbing, whispering brokenly, desperately, his love to her.

"NARUTO!" Tsunade screams, but he doesn't care what she's screaming about. His love, his life . . . her breaths are getting shorter, the blood just won't stop . . .

Katsu pushes him away with surprising strength, the last of her strength. "Katsu—!" He gasps. The next words are stolen from him as an ANBU grans him around the middle and rockets away, just as a wave of ice cold wind whips past. Naruto feels the bite, the absolute cold even as he moves away.

"Katsu!" he screams brokenly. He hadn't been holding onto her— she'd pushed him away . . . he waits for the blizzard to pass, a large-scale jutsu that Haku uses— it freezes the legs and arms of the enemies. Cuts them down, wears them down . . . where is she?

She lies there, on the ground in the same position. Her skin is pale and tinged blue.

Jiraiya closes his eyes.

"She's . . . she's gone." Rin whispers , as if she can't believe it.

She is dead.

And so is Naruto.

What is this . . . ? He wonders, only watching the fallen girl. Sakura runs to Katsu, trying to do something, anything. But her expression is clear— the girl is Dead. His vision swivels around when the ANBU— a lizard mask— grabs him, and Naruto thinks he is speaking but the words are . . . I thought, perhaps, I would be in pain . . . but I can't . . .

I can't feel . . . anything.

"Uzumaki!" The ANBU calls sharply, slapping the boy. When he sees the eyes start to focus, he speaks. "Uzumaki-san, the enemy must be stopped, mourning can come later—"

"Why?" Naruto's voice isn't a whisper, it isn't a yell. It's normal, so no one hears him.

The ANBU growls in anger. "Uzumaki—" he stops when the boy walks past him. Naruto walks out back into the field, eyes only for Kohaku.

"Kohaku." He calls louder, voice clear . . . dead. "KOHAKU!" he shouts, but it is such a dead sound that they all stop in surprise.

Obito shivers. "God . . . that voice, he . . ."

Hinata turns, looking in shock at Naruto, then her eyes flicker down to the body by his side. Her eyes widen in horror, and a shocked sound escapes her lips.

"Why?" Naruto repeats. "Why are you doing this? Why am I dead? You didn't just kill her . . . you beat her, hunted her down like an animal. She died scared, and in pain . . . why?" he asks.

Kohaku smirks, standing up straight, casual. He shrugs and says, "I chose her because of you."

Tsunade snarls, and the sound sends shockwaves down spines. "You . . . ! You son of a bitch! Why her?!" she screams. She cannot even look at Naruto.

Kohaku figures why not. "Tsunade . . . you remember us right? We were on opposite sides . . . and yet, what you did was abominable. You killed our loved ones—"

"It was war!" she roars.

"She was my wife!" he roars back. "Idate's sister, Tsuna's father, Kenshin, Toboe, Haru— you killed them! You killed our friends and family! You're a medic; your job was to heal! Then you decided to get some glory and kill them all! It's all! Your! Fault!" he screams, pointing at her.

"Tsunade-sama? What does he mean?" Rin asks frantically. "We're all shinobi . . .we have to fight."

"Textbook wartime codes, Rin." Tsunade answers wearily. "Medics are, technically, neutral no matter what your village. In theory, a medic can heal any person, no matter what side you and the patient are on. All that should matter to a medic is healing, doing their job. I, was a rarity at the time. I was the first combat-oriented medic-nin . . . it wasn't all that appreciated by the enemy. Even though the chances of medics healing the enemy is slim, it still was . . . quite the scene."

"Not that it excuses Kohaku." Kushina spits. "It's war— we know what happens in war. We knew getting into the whole shinobi business what would happen."

"We wanted to hurt you! To make you feel like we do every single fucking day! To know the pain we feel at not being with the people we love. So we waited . . . and lo and behold, here you were, becoming Hokage of Konoha! All thanks to some blonde kid. He must have been someone important to bring you in to a place you washed your hands of. So we did some investigating," Kohaku speaks faster now, a glint of madness and inescapable agony in his eyes.

"We thought it'd be perfect— kill the child you are so fond of. But then we thought about it, did a little more investigating . . . and we came up with that ginger-haired chit. If we hurt him, we hurt you . . . and it'll be even worse. The guilt that will eat you up, knowing she died because of you . . . the fact that he'll hate you for being the cause of her death! It was perfect! And you'd be forced to see that hatred nearly every day, because you cannot give up your seat as Hokage!" Kohaku laughs madly, head flying back and arms wrapping around his middle, because wasn't it just so damn funny?

"An interesting plan . . ." Minato chuckles, eyes cold and smile sardonic. "But what makes them think Naruto will just fall in line with their plan?"

"That would be the expected reaction," Jiraiya agrees darkly. "And an Uzumaki is never anything expected."

Tsunade opens her mouth— to screech, to scream, who knows— but is cut off by a quiet voice.

"I see . . . you did this . . . all for revenge." Naruto whispers. He looks down at his beloved Katsu . . . his beautiful girl . . . Dead Dead Dead.

"You were hurting. So you decided to hurt her. And to hurt her, you got an innocent involved. Someone who didn't know you, or anything about your involvement in the War. Someone connected to me, who is connected to Tsunade." Naruto recounts it all in a murmur, a hushed tone that captures everyone's attention.

Naruto nods slowly, and says something that shocks everyone. "The pain of losing loved ones. Of being alone . . . yes, I understand loneliness. I understand a loved one dying now. I too, would probably want to kill the one involved.

"Naruto?" Kushina murmurs.

"But you went a step further and kill the person connected. While I find this . . . deplorable. I understand." He whispers.

Katsu is cold. Katsu is dead. He was cold. He was as good as dead.

They were cold. They had been walking dead for years. So many years. He understood. Really, he did.

"I . . ." he pauses, shutting his mouth. Did he forgive them?

"If only to spare yourself the pain they went through. Just focus on getting a proper burial." Minato whispers.

Do I forgive them . . . ?

No.

"No," he whispers. "I can't forgive you."

The world becomes black.

"Fuck." Kushina says. Perfect description, really.

"What is that . . . ?" Jiraiya trails off, eyes wide as he looks at what Naruto is becoming.

"That . . . is four tails transformation. The bad kind." Kushina mutters.

To the outside world, Naruto is suddenly engulfed in a large shroud of Kyuubi's bubbling, potent, and deadly chakra. Tails grow from the shroud, waving around. Naruto falls into a crouch, eyes now entirely taken up by red, the pupil is gone. Thick marks surround his eyes, like the Kyuubi— his fangs grow— the chakra grows thicker.

His skin peels.

"Oh God." Rin croaks weakly, watching the skin peel away with disgust. Big pieces, floating away like paper.

It floats away, disintegrating and underneath is a roiling mass of black and red chakra, the look is distinctly disgusting. With a large burst, the Kyuubi's chakra creates a shockwave that buffets them all, nearly makes them lose balance.

Naruto isn't there anymore. He is enshrouded in chakra— he has gone into four-tails mode.

This is bad! The ANBU Kuma thinks, and prepares himself. I have to seal him quickly . . . !

He isn't even able to think fast enough to catch up to Naruto. The boy/fox roars, and it seems as if he disappears.

"Where did he go?!" one of the invaders screams. A clawed hand through his chest is answer. Naruto rips him in half, and continues on from there.

"Oh . . . oh my God . . ." Sakura whispers, shaking so terribly. That chakra was horrible . . . she couldn't stand it!

"Oh baby, no." Kushina moans in horror, tears coming faster now. They can only watch in horror, to shocked to speak, as the sweet and gentle child Naruto had been turned into a bloodthirsty creature, killing so horrifically. It was something straight out of a horror movie.

"Naruto . . ." Tsunade whispers, eyes wide and haunted as she watches the child tear apart the men. He pays no heed to screams, does not care for pleas of mercy . . . he kills. She shakes her head sharply, and rushes to a trembling Sakura who was closer than any of them to Naruto when he transformed. She is frozen stiff, terrified.

Tsunade turns back to Katsu, eyes dimming. The girl had no pulse.

"Sakura," she speaks softly. "Take Katsu to the hospital . . . get Shizune. Tell her to put her in a room and . . . just . . . try to clean her up as best as she can. Naruto has to say goodbye."

Sakura blinks— two times, three times— and swallows. She gives a jerky nod in answer, and her limbs are sluggish and rather awkward as she fights past mind-numbing shock to take her task. Katsu is nearly frozen stiff; she has to handle her carefully. Sakura turns and doesn't look back as she runs back into town. Tsunade sighs, and stands to walk back to the genin and the ANBU.

Inside the mindscape, Naruto is floating in the lake, blank eyes observing the stalagmites.

"Naruto . . ." he turns. Kyuubi walks onto the lake, tails gently swaying as he looks at the boy with a neutral gaze.

"You are not in control." Kyuubi says, not unkindly.

Naruto makes a noise of recognition. "Will I hurt my friends?" he asks.

Kyuubi thinks about it. "No . . . your instincts are to kill those men. You're not unconscious right now because I'm helping you . . . you can, if you try hard enough, break through the shroud."

"I didn't know that would happen." Naruto mentions.

Kyuubi shakes his head. "I am not surprised. You are down to the last man . . . the mad man."

Naruto sits up then, abruptly. Kyuubi eyes him curiously. "I can't kill him." Naruto murmurs.

Kyuubi nods, not needing an explanation. "Then go, I will make sure you can last long enough to see your affairs through. There should be something I can do . . ."

Naruto nods. He closes his eyes and concentrates.

Out there, as the others watch him kill and beat, and kill some more, they ponder on their inability to do anything but watch.

Only the ANBU attempted to try and take Naruto down, but he has dodged all their attempts, and them.

He has not hurt them.

"I wonder if that means he's in control . . ." Tsunade murmurs.

Shikamaru's eyes widen, looking at the woman with disbelief. She calls that in control?! He scoffs mentally. But . . . he has to wonder too.

Kakashi sighs. "I hope he hasn't just destroyed everything he's worked for. No doubt everyone in the village can feel this."

Minato shakes his head. "I don't even want to think about that now."

Sasuke does not judge— he is impartial. He knows what Naruto is feeling, multiplied. His entire family is dead— his world ended. It may have been only Katsu that died— but Naruto's world has ended. He will not judge his friend.

Naruto falls upon Kohaku now, ripping at flesh and reveling in the man's screams. They watch as he raises a paw for the killing blow, raises it and . . . and . . .

He stops.

Tsunade's eyes widen. Could it be . . . "Naruto?!" she calls.

The shroud-covered boy turns his head to her. He picks up Kohaku by the shirt— the man won't do anything, both arms are broken anyway. He looks back at Tsunade, and shakes the man, still looking at her.

Tsunade blinks.

Naruto . . . blinks back?

Warily, she walks forward. The ANBU leap next to her, practically radiating disapproval of her actions. Idiots. She knows Naruto won't hurt her.

She walks up until she is five feet away from Naruto. She looks down at the form whose head is cocked to the side. He once again shakes Kohaku.

Kushina sighs in relief. So he was in control.

Tsunade nods, her voice coming out in her most gentle and soothing tone. "Thank you Naruto. I wanted him alive. Give him to the ANBU please?"

Naruto extends his hand, waiting for the ANBU to take Kohaku. After several seconds they take the man, and the ANBU with the lizard mask departs. Kuma stays, hands moving through seals to—

"Wait." Tsunade puts her hand over the ANBU' s stopping his jutsu.

"Is he trying to hurt Naruto?" Kushina hisses, angry. "He's in control! He should be thankful Naruto destroyed their enemies!"

"Hokage-sama—" he tries to argue.

"Can't you see he's in control? He has been this entire time. Look, he's coming out of this himself."

Truly, the chakra starts to fade, little by little. Skin is revealed . . . burned skin, horribly burnt skin . . . and sky blue eyes come back to them, looking at them with that same detached, blank gaze.

They all wince as more if his body comes into view. Everything, every piece of skin is burnt so terribly . . . yet his clothes, most curiously, remain.

The chakra is slow to go away, but it does eventually. Naruto's legs buckle, and he falls to his knees, Tsunade with him. Palms glow green as she begins to heal him, totally concentrated on the task.

"ANBU," She calls sharply, and Kuma straightens quickly. "Go and inform the other forces that the intruders have been take care of."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kuma disappears in a swirl of leaves.

Pounding footsteps approach them, but Tsunade does not look away. Hinata drops to their side, tears being pushed back in her eyes, but the tear tracks on her face showing her previous failures.

"Naruto . . ." she breathes shakily. "You . . . you're hurt."

Rin shakes her head. "Hinata at least, will stay with Naruto."

"They're both mourning. Why wouldn't she?" Obito questions.

"No," he denies. Hinata flinches at his . . . blank voice. A voice with nothing in it. "I'm not . . . this will heal quickly. Kyuubi will make sure."

"K-Kyuubi . . ." she stutters. So what Shikamaru was muttering under his breath before was true. "That's good then." She decides firmly.

Naruto doesn't react, looking past them all at some unknown wraith in the forest. He wonders idly where Haku has gone.

Where . . . "Where is she?" he whispers, and it's the first emotion they hear in his voice. It's just a hitch, but it's there. The raw agony is there.

"Oh, you poor thing . . ." Rin murmurs, voice throaty and low from her tears.

"I'm giving you and Hinata a room," Tsunade speaks quietly. "And time to say goodbye. Don't . . . worry. Everything will be done quickly, you won't have to do anything. She will be with her family."

Naruto doesn't react, merely watches as the green glow of Tsunade's palm heals his skin with excellent speed, but the healing factor being pumped up by Kyuubi is still faster.

"How much longer?" he asks.

"Give me twenty minutes." She whispers.

Twenty minutes later, he walks through the hospital halls, Hinata at his side clutching onto his hand like it was a lifeline in a typhoon. Tsunade walked behind them, patient and silent. He doesn't see anyone that passes them, doesn't notice the whispers and the fearful looks he gets.

At the room, people fill the chairs on either side. Sakura is curled up, and doesn't look up at him. Sasuke leans against a wall, and gives him a nod before looking away. Naruto's axes are by his side . . . he'd picked them up, then. Kakashi, Genma, Izumo and Kotetsu . . . Anko and Iruka, everyone they know . . .

Jiraiya stands up, gives him this look that he can't describe but, it hurts . . .

"I guess I got there too late." Jiraiya sighs bitterly, a smirk playing across his lips.

"No, sensei . . ." Minato whispers.

"Naruto . . ." Jiraiya pauses. Naruto doesn't respond, just turns to Hinata.

"Go in first— I have to . . ." he gestures to Jiraiya.

Hinata doesn't speak, just squeezes his hand and walks into the room. His enhanced hearing picks up the soft cry of despair she gives. He turns his attention to Jiraiya, who has now put his hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto . . . you did good kid." Jiraiya says gruffly.

Naruto blinks, head tilting. "You always speak for peace; to forgive your fellow man . . . I killed them."

"You killed all but the most important one. You left Kohaku to be questioned— you did your duty. The rest . . ." Jiraiya shrugs, sighing heavily. "There will be a council meeting, you'll have to attend . . . about the Kyuubi's chakra you used."

"Oh." Naruto says, as if he doesn't care. He really doesn't, they can see that. Naruto is just grateful no one is coming up to give condolences . . . he'd kill them if they did.

He walks into the hospital room, sees Katsu still curled up, but not like she'd been on the grounds before. She must be . . . no that was too morbid a thought. He goes on the other side of the bed, pulling up a chair. Hinata cries over Katsu's left hand, biting her lip. He takes the right hand gently in his, brushing a thumb across the pulse point of her wrist. Of course, there is nothing there. Inwardly he feels a tiny spark of relief that her hand isn't as icy as he'd feared. Just cold, from the body heat that left her, that she can no longer make herself.

He inhales deeply then lets it out with a sigh, placing his head down next to her shoulder. He closes his eyes, shuts them tight. For a time, he tenderly, softly, holds her hand.

He opens his eyes slowly, watching her face. How could it looks so peaceful, when she was in so much pain . . . "She looks like she's just sleeping." He whispers brokenly.

"But she isn't." The voice comes from behind him, but Naruto has known he was there already. He closes his eyes in pained acceptance of the words.

"Dude, such an inappropriate time to pop up." Obito growls.

"I know." He answers. "Why are you here." He is accusatory.

"Just to check on you. You lost yourself there for a little while, it seemed." The stranger speaks as if they are only talking about the weather. It disillusions Naruto, and he can appreciate the break from the emptiness he feels.

"I didn't lose myself. I saw what I was doing. I knew what I was doing." He whispers back.

"But you can't deny you let go of your self-control. The fact that it was deliberate is a little more incriminating." The man replies.

"Can you blame him? He's only human!" Kakashi growls.

"I watched the one I love die. Excuse me if I was in pain." Naruto scoffs, eyes going up and down, drinking in every detail of the peaceful face of his beloved.

"Pain is a constant in life— something you are very familiar with." The man answers back.

Naruto sighs, dropping his head down onto the bed again. "If you're here to lecture me, I'll kill you, God or not."

"I'm no God. And I'm not here to lecture you," the man denies. "I am here to make sure you grow stronger on the path to becoming the hero this world needs—"

He got a response out of Naruto then. Standing abruptly, Naruto turns and snarls at the man like a wild animal. "Hero! I never agreed to be a hero, or save the fucking world!" though the words were heated, they were hushed, so no one would come in and see the man.

Minato's mouth twists into a grimace. He himself had put the Kyuubi into the boy, he was sure, to become the hero he was now denouncing. Naruto had no choice, and Minato wonders just how badly he had screwed his son over.

"What did you agree to then? Did you think I gave you that taijutsu scroll, those claw knives for no reason?" The man asked, and the faintly mocking edge to his voice fuels an anger Naruto is desperate not to let loose.

"Low blow asshole." Tsunade snarls.

"If I remember correctly, stranger," Naruto speaks softly. "You were just interested in seeing the story unfold."

"I also said I would aide you to the path of greatness."

"And that greatness is being a hero?" Naruto chuckles with such derision it shocks the stranger. "That's not a full agreement. I never agreed to be a Hero . . . to anyone but Katsu, and look at her. She is dead."

"Just because you lost confidence in yourself doesn't mean you're can't still be a hero. These things . . . they are trials all heroes must go through." The man speaks quietly.

Naruto smirks, looking the stranger right in the eye. "Trials? Trials picked out by the Gods themselves then? Tell me stranger, did the Gods design this? Do they even have anything to do with us pathetic mortals at all?"

"The Gods cannot meddle with free will, if that's what you're asking." The man answers carefully.

"So my prayers last week in Iwa were just my fanciful words. Good to know." Kushina chuckles.

"That's not free will. That's a plea for help, and it did help right? If only to give you some courage." Jiraiya points out.

"Theological debates are now banned, I so declare it. I know where these things go, and I will not have it." Minato declares firmly.

Naruto nods, sighing. "As I thought. They have no say in what I do; I care little for what they say. Any God that would create this just to test me . . . yeah, I'm glad they have no way to meddle with humans."

"That's not—"

"Oh it isn't? You said they can't mess with free will. That's all our life is, us humans I mean. Our choices made from free will. Fate . . . destiny . . . I spent a good amount of time beating such notions out of Hyuuga Neji, it would be remiss of me to suddenly pick them up now. Do you see where I'm going with this stranger?" he pauses, cerulean blue eyes piercing and pinning the stranger to place.

"I'm not fated to be some grand hero. My path isn't laid out, and if I stray that's it for the world! I'm not a hero . . . damn it, I'm a shinobi! I'm the jinchuuriki of the King of Bijuu! That's what I am . . . this hero bullshit you're trying to pitch isn't working stranger. Oh, if there's something I can do to save my precious people I'll do it, but that doesn't make me a hero. There's no such thing as heroes. Guys who just follow the path of good and justice, who can destroy the bad guys? Because sometimes the good guys can just really be justified bad guys, or the bad guys are the weak— the ones you had wanted to protect. Sometimes you can't be the hero all the time, the good guy, and you have to become the bad guy. Sometimes the path of good and justice that you decide to take isn't the path for everyone else. You're just an egotistical megalomaniac with a God-complex and a desire to shape the world into your perfect utopia. Fuck heroes . . .

"We don't need heroes, just people. Just regular people, with the will and the power to change something. I have the will and power to change something . . . or at least, I thought I did. Maybe, just like any other regular guy, I'm no more in control of my life than an animal." Naruto seems to deflate, turning back to Katsu and sitting down again.

"Wow . . ." Obito mouthed.

"I would like to make a lesson, but I'm damn tired of this chapter." Minato sighs. "Point is, Naruto is right. Maybe not about there being no heroes, but about how everyone can make a difference. Shinobi, artist, merchant or farmer . . . if you try, you can do anything."

"That's an interesting notion, in its own way. Does that mean you'll give up this path?" The stranger asks, curious.

"No." the answer is quick, but firm. "This path is one I had started down long before you came stranger. I won't give this up, she asked me not to. She asked me to be happy. So I'll continue down this road, to search for happiness, and to keep all that I love safe. I won't feel this way again . . . I'll keep my loved ones safe. I'll grow stronger; protect them where I couldn't protect her. I swear it!"

"Don't promise something you can have no control over." The man cautions mildly.

"I'll keep them safe . . . I have to." Naruto whispers.

The stranger is gone.

The door opens, and Tsunade pokes her head in, expression gentle. "You've had an hour Naruto. It's time to go now."

Naruto looks at her, pained. "I . . ." he swallows, then nods. "Okay."

He looks down at Katsu— one last time. Tanned fingers gently trace her cool cheek, brush against closed eyelids. He looks at her lips. He smirks bitterly and thinks, I was right. This would be the last thing I'll ever do . . . with her.

He leans down, and gives her their first and last kiss. Small, gentle as butterfly wings he brushes his lips against hers, and then he walks away and does not look back.

Tsunade loops an arm around his shoulders, and as one everyone in the room gets up. Hinata and Jiraiya follows them home as the others say one last goodbye to Katsu. By the time they get to the door leading out the hospital, his friends have caught up with him. Sasuke is by his shoulder, Hinata clutching his hand, Shikamaru behind him. Sakura walks a little ways away, but the fact that she is there is a nice enough gesture for Naruto to ignore the distance. Iruka, Anko, and Jiraiya are like their escorts. The walk home is a procession followed by many curious eyes, not as frightened as Naruto would expect.

It feels slow to him, that walk, and yet, they are home before he knows it. They open the door, and he only hesitates a beat before walking in. He takes off his shoes and walks into the living room. He pauses there, unsure of what to do. Where to go. Does he even want to be here? This house isn't his . . . this was theirs. Why is he here now?

A gentle hand takes hold of his, and he looks down at the manicured fingernails. Tsunade leads him to the couch, and sits in front of it on the ground. There is some trouble getting Naruto's unresponsive limbs to fall with Tsunade, but he tumbles down eventually. She leans back against the couch and pulls Naruto back gently to lean on her, his head resting on her shoulder as his body slumps. Raising her knees, she loops her arms around them, sort of caging Naruto with her body. She rests her head on his spiky one, and breathes deeply, hoping he would eventually just do something.

For a time, Naruto is just still, eyes looking far away from everyone as they settle themselves on the furniture, taking care not to look at him. Eventually, his legs rise, knees coming up. Tsunade adjusts her arms, and Naruto's knees come to press against his chest, as he tucks himself in tightly and his head drops to his knees. Tsunade shifts with him, head still resting against his and her legs now looping around both of their knees.

"Nade . . ." he whispers shakily.

"Naruto." She murmurs back.

"Nade." His voice breaks.

She sighs, nuzzles his head. "Naruto . . ."

"Oh God. Nade . . ." he breathes out, as if he can't even believe it.

"Naru . . ." she whispers back.

"I . . ."

"I know." She hums.

"Nade." He whispers, his voice is back to the dead blankness of before. They don't speak anymore. When Jiraiya feels Tsunade's head come to rest against his leg, he knows they are both asleep.

(End TV mode)

There is silence. What is there to say? Minato and Kushina just saw their child essentially die right in front of their eyes. What was there to say?

"The book . . . there's still more." Rin whispers, a shaking finger pointed towards it.

Minato blinks slowly, and then looks at the book. Why was there more? What more? That council meeting?

"I guess I better finish it then." He clears his throat, voice just a little hoarse from tears he couldn't help but let escape. He picks up the book, reads from the page it had opened up to.

Shizune sighs, rubbing at aching shoulders as she goes through her last duties of the night. The whole thing was just exhausting . . . who knew that shinobi group had more members? In addition to the eight the ANBU had told her about Naruto and his friends fighting, there were ten others that had tried to attack the village proper. They were hard opponents, but they were dealt with. To think so many would be swayed by the words of a man mad with grief . . . it was truly scary to think of. There would be answers to all the hard questions, now that Kohaku was captured.

She pauses as she completes the last file. Before she went home . . . she bit her lip. She had to see that poor little girl one last time. She didn't know why, but she just felt compelled to do it. She walks through the corridors, greeting the nurses and doctors that pass by her. She arrives at the room, and opens the door.

Shizune frowns. Was it a little warm in here? Ignoring that thought, she moves to Katsu's side. The girl is . . . not as pale as she looked before. Well, she had been frozen before, so maybe . . .

Shizune frowns. Something is wrong with this picture. She looks up and down the body, searching for something. Pale skin, no breathing, almost no pulse—

"What?!" she gasps, going over that again. Wait . . . wait . . . there! Something so faint and small!

Tsunade shakes her head. "What?!"

"Maybe Shizune is losing it," Kushina snorts bitterly. "I don't appreciate having to read her delusions."

Shizune cuts her eyes to the blanket hiding the girl's wound. Pushing it back, she gasps when she sees a stain of blood that seems to be growing, where there had been no stain before. The wound had frozen, it couldn't . . .

But it was. There was a chance Katsu was still alive.

"YES!" Rin screams, jumping up and down. "Thank you medical advancements!"

"What— but how?" Minato balks.

"Heh . . . I don't know, but we'll find out!" Rin sings, spinning around the couch. Obito tugs her back down to her seat.

"We won't know if you make sensei dizzy with all your spinning!" he snaps, waving to Minato to continue reading.

"Doctor! I need a doctor in here! Someone get Tsunade-sama!" Shizune screams, and it seems to be an immediate action because then there are doctors and nurses flying into the room.

One nurse gasps. "But this patient was . . . !"

"In a state of death, now if we don't close this up she really will be dead!" Shizune snaps, and at once they are going to work. "GET TSUNADE-SAMA!" She bellows as they being to move Katsu to the Operating Room.

A nurse runs down the hall, looking for anyone who can find Tsunade-sama, but screams when her path is blocked by an ANBU that comes out of nowhere.

"I will deliver the message. Thank you." The ANBU's clipped answer is short, and in even shorter time he is gone.

Tsunade is awoken abruptly by a hand shaking her awake. "Wha –"

"Tsunade. Go to the hospital. Now." Jiraiya cuts her off, strangely insistent.

"Why—" again she is cut off!

"Katsu might live if you hurry." Jiraiya answers.

"Yes!" Obito hisses. "It wasn't a fluke!"

Cheers and whistles pierce the air. "Go, Tsunade, Go!" they chant.

Tsunade's eyes widen. But that girl was . . . ! Oh. Oh God, it was really possible? Tsunade quickly, gently as possible, moves from Naruto's side and props the boy up against the couch. "Move him to his bed." She orders Jiraiya, and then she is sprinting out the house. Jiraiya watches her go with an exasperated sigh. Picking Naruto up, he looks at the sleeping boy, and then at the others who are sleeping. A chuckle escapes him.

"Now wouldn't it really be something?" he murmurs to himself, walking up the stairs.

Morning sunshine pierces the shadows of slumber that still cling to Naruto. He groans, rolling away from the bright light. Grumbling, he wakes up. Sighing, he looks around. Why is he in bed alone? It's too early for Katsu to . . .

Naruto winces when a pain tears into his heart. He had forgotten. Katsu was . . . Naruto shakes his head. Somehow he could accept it last night, but now?

With any luck, you won't be grieving for long sochi-kun! Kushina thinks to herself, wiggling with anticipation.

Sighing, he rises from his bed, and grimaces. He takes a shower, but doesn't linger long. He can't feel clean no matter how hard he scrubs, and he doesn't want a repeat of that god-awful feeling of your skin peeling away. He dresses in sweats and a white t-shirt and jogs down the stairs. The others are waking up, and they freeze upon seeing him.

Naruto smirks, though it is wan. "I won't fall apart . . . just yet. Come on, I'm not in the mood to cook but you guys are fine with cereal right?"

"You got some cocoa puffs?" Sasuke asks.

"Yeah?" Naruto asks, a little confused.

"I fucking love cocoa puffs." Sasuke declares. Sauntering past Naruto, he goes into the kitchen without another word, leaving a speechless group behind.

"And that joke was brought to you by Uchiha Sasuke." Obito boasts smugly.

"Uchiha Sasuke . . ." Naruto trails off.

"Likes . . . cocoa puffs?" Sakura finishes, looking a little disturbed.

Shikamaru shrugs. "Meh. I prefer Choc-O's."

The breakfast is stilted, awkward. Despite all the talking that goes on, the others trying to fill a silence— despite Naruto's best efforts to try and participate . . . it is sad and awkward.

Naruto is trying to laugh at a terrible joke Shikamaru tells— the kind of terrible, corny puns he would usually relish— when Tsunade bursts into the house, kicking down the door.

"Tsunade," they sigh.

Tsunade giggles nervously. "Ehehe . . . after surgery nerves?"

"Are you fucking serious?" Naruto grumbles, spoon held in mid-air as he looks over his shoulder to the doorway of the kitchen as Tsunade comes storming in.

"You— agh!" he chokes, Tsunade's hold on his collar tight and unyielding as she drags him out of his seat. She drags him out the kitchen, out the door of his house, and he squawks in manly outrage.

"Tsunade!" they complain.

"Oh shut up!" She snaps, rolling her eyes. "Bunch of pansies."

"Wait!" he wheezes, turning in her grasp and scrambling to keep up with her but still unable to breathe. Tsunade looks down at him from the corner of her eye, releases his collar and then transfers the death grip to his shoulder.

"What have I done . . . recently?" he gasps out, massaging his neck.

"Hold on, we just need to get to the hospital." Tsunade murmurs absentmindedly, still strutting along and forcing her to keep up with him. She was still taller than him; her long strides ate up more distance than his frantic scrabbling could after her death grip.

They walk up to the white building, and Naruto's stomach flip-flops. And yet, the feeling of dread isn't quite as bad as he'd thought it would be . . .

They walk into the hospital, go up the floors to the second . . . down the hallway . . . right, left, left, straight, right . . .

His heart sinks. Why were they going there? "Tsunade . . ."

"Hold on!" she insists, but she sounds more earnest than harsh, so he closes his mouth and just walks reluctantly after her.

They stop right outside of the door. Before he can look into the window on the door—

"Suspended animation." Tsunade declares.

"Come again?" Naruto asks.

"A very recent find, some scientists are still sure it's all a fluke, but tests are being done. Of course, there were other things helping here. The Kyuubi's chakra, which for some reason didn't eat up her insides . . . anyway, suspended animation is the process of slowing of life process by external means without actually killing someone. Some processes might be halted, or still occur like breathing, pulse . . . yada yada."

"Like with senbon?' Obito asks.

"Senbon don't make your heart stop beating." Rin corrects. "This is, essentially, a death you can return from."

"Don't joke around Nade," Naruto warns lowly. "What is all this about?"

Tsunade continues as if she hadn't heard him. "But what's really surprising was the Kyuubi's chakra in her system! Just enough to ensure she didn't bleed out on the table, which was really a big help. It's all gone now, dissipated but . . . well, I guess he can answer that for you. Now, go on inside. I'll make sure I'm the only doctor that bothers you two." She looks down now, and smiles at him with such warmth his heart skips a beat in hope.

"You . . ." he whispers. Tsunade nudges him to the door. Naruto stares at the doorknob, terrified.

"It's okay." Tsunade assures him quietly. Nodding, Naruto opens the door, steps inside, then closes it.

Katsu is huffing as she picks irritably at the sheets, propped up by pillows. Her arm is slung over her eyes, so she doesn't know who's inside. Her tan skin is still a little pale from her recent ordeal, but the heart monitor beats steadily, strongly.

"I rock!" Tsunade sings amidst the more boisterous cheers and whistles, the joyful cries.

"Tsunade-sama, I'm bored," She whines. "When is Ru coming to visit me?"

When there is no answer, she moves her arm, blinking to get used to the change in pressure. "Tsunade-sama?" she asks again, looking to the door.

She blinks in rapid succession, and pauses. A smile blooms on her face, and she lights up like a Christmas tree. "Oh! Ru! You're—" she breaks off, because the sudden expression that twists his face concerns her.

"Ru, are you . . ." she squeaks when tears pour from his eyes. "W-why are you crying? Don't cry! Ara, Ru, don't cry!"

Naruto laughs. He laughs and sobs. "You idiot! I'm crying because I'm happy!" he tells her, bounding over to her side and scooting up onto the bed. Stretching out besides her, sharing her propped up pillows, Naruto gathers her in his arms— anything more and he'll upset her wound surely— to make sure she is really there.

He grabs her hand carefully, thumb brushing over the pulse point of her inner wrist. The blood that rushes through throbs steadily, cheerfully in his mind. It's more beautiful to him than he can describe. He smiles through salty tears, a huff of laughter escaping him.

"So . . . you came back huh?" Naruto murmurs, still playing with her hand

"Well . . . I couldn't just leave." Katsu exclaims as if it was obvious. "I was pretty sure I had left the pies out on the windowsill and someone had taken them—"

"There they go, back to joking friends . . ."Rin huffs.

"You'd think after that awesomely sad love confession they'd be a bit more . . . lovey dovey." Obito jokes.

"I think the fact that they can slip into easy jokes and just be content with each other's presence shows just how lovey dovey they are with each other." Minato corrects them patiently. "Not all relationships are as fluffy as the ones in stories."

"Oh whatever." Naruto scoffs, lightly pushing her shoulder.

"And I hadn't finished the laundry . . ." Katsu teases, laughing as Naruto rolls her eyes.

"And well," her tone softens slightly, a rueful expression on her face. "I did promise after all . . . not to leave."

"Yeah." Naruto whispers, tears starting to dry up. He wipes his cheek roughly, and raises Katsu's hand to press a kiss to her pulse point. He lets it linger to feel the steady throbbing of her pulse, because it truly is wonderful.

"Ru?" Katsu calls him quietly.

"Mhmm." Naruto hums, because he still hasn't let go of her wrist.

"I'm hungry. You think Kakashi can bring something from the house? And I want clothes . . . I hate this stupid hospital gown."

Naruto chuckles. "Yeah . . . well, let's hold off on the clothes for now. But the food . . . he can bring it. It'll be quite interesting to see his face."

It really was. Naruto had never seen Kakashi so flabbergasted, and Katsu took delight in laughing at his face, though it had to stop quickly when she upset her wound again.

"I should have known I wouldn't be rid of you so easily." Kakashi scowls, but there is unmistakable fondness in his eye even as he ruffles her hair.

"Unmistakable fondness?" Rin giggles.

"Kakashi . . . did I ever tell you, you have a very pretty eye?" Katsu mentions nonchalantly. "Hee!" she giggles at his surprised look.

"So she was serious?" Kakashi laughs.

"Well, she said she was going to do it." Kushina chuckles.

"Er . . . thank you?" Kakashi answers. He turns to Naruto. "I suppose I'll alert the others when you're ready."

Naruto sighs. "Hinata is absolutely heartbroken. Go and get them, but make sure she gets here first."

Kushina snorts. "How kind! If it'd been me, there would be no visitors for a couple days."

"Oh? How sweet, you care so much Kushina." Minato murmurs teasingly.

Kushina gruffly tells him to shut up, turning her face from the snickers of the other group.

Kakashi gives them a two-finger salute, and then is gone in a swirl of leaves.

Katsu giggles excitedly, grabbing the basket of goodies Kakashi brought them with a greedy glint in her eyes. "Ooh . . . I'm starving!"

Naruto watches her fondly, heart beating steadily, in time with her heart monitor.

So . . . a freak occurrence called suspended animation, and your chakra . . . huh? Naruto muses, nudging his demon into a conversation.

Well really it was you. Kyuubi answers gruffly. You were panicking so badly, you didn't realize your chakra was chaotic, and spilling into everything. It swirled in the air, soaked into the ground . . . soaked into her. However, there was one difference.

Which was? Naruto asks.

My cooperation. Usually, my chakra would be corrosive. But in that moment, when I realized your chakra was flaring wildly, I allowed you full control of my chakra. So the chakra that poured into her . . . was not my poisonous chakra. It was our, pure chakra. It's hard to explain . . . Kyuubi sighs gruffly, not at all comfortable with speaking so . . . emotionally.

"That's okay. You did more than enough." Kushina murmurs, in this moment, for the first time, slightly fond of the fox.

It's hard to understand. But I don't care, because you helped save her. Thank you Kyuubi. I . . . don't know how to thank you for this. Naruto answers sincerely, sending a rush of gratitude and happiness to the demon fox.

Privately though, his thoughts are a little darker. She died. Even if she came back, she was gone. I couldn't bring her back . . . pure circumstance did. A . . . freak occurrence. I wasn't strong enough. I failed her this time.

"But you promised to get stronger. You promised to not let this happen again." Obito murmurs.

He glances at Katsu again, who laughs and smiles and lives.

But . . . I won't be this weak again. I'll get stronger! I won't go back on the promise I made to that stranger. I will protect my loved ones . . . I won't ever feel that way again!

"Ru?" He is broken out of his thoughts as a slim hand waves a strawberry-flavored juice box in front of him. Smiling, he takes it.

Minato practically throws the book down, grabbing Kushina by the hand and dragging her to their room. "I'm fucking exhausted. See you guys in the morning!" he calls back. Kushina smiles a little awkwardly at them all and waves at them, and the door closes behind the couple.

"Well, he's right. I am exhusted too." Tsunade sighs. "Well, I'll skip dinner how about you guys?"

General murmurs of agreement as they all drag their weary bodies up.

"Goodness, I don't even want to hear about the next chapter. Can we take a days' break or something?" Obito whines.


And so, how was that? Hey, i told you the Suspended Animation thing is sketchy at best. You see in Naruto's True nindo, Hinata died in the Sasuke Retrieval Mission and was brought back to life by the Magc of Dragons (so serious, i'm not joking). Which, in he context of the story, worked out well. But i don't have magic dragons. What i have, is a scientific explanation, that works here on very shaky grounds. Hinata's death in that story struck me as being very important, and so was the conversation following with the mysterious stranger. So, i just wanted to add that in to my story, a little nod to the originals before me.

Read and Review, it's what i'd like you to do!

OK. You guys ready? I'm so fucking excited . . . THE BATTLE AT THE VALLEY OF THE END! OH SHIT!

Love,

Bloody Mad~3