Author's Note: Hey, what's up guys, CannonBaller here with another chapter for you today. First of all, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope you guys have a wonderful year starting from today itself, and wish you all the luck in the world. Speaking of wonderful, my story has reached 500 pages in length! I am really astonished myself, as I never expected that I would be able to write this much. I hope that you guys continue enjoying my story, and I shall keep posting for as long as I can. So, with that being said, hope you guys enjoy today's chapter, and of course, Happy Reading!

Chapter 36: Coming of Age

Naruto woke up and blinked. He looked at the wall clock and thought, 'What the heck! I'd set the alarm for 6! How'd I oversleep by two hours?!' He checked the alarm clock and found that it had been turned off. He thought, 'Ino's up to something, I'm sure.' The boy got up and was about to stand up, when Ino came in with a tray full of food.

She said, "Good morning, Ruto-kun." He smiled at the new nickname she had given him and said, "Good morning, Ino-chan." She said, "I came up with something special for today." Naruto said, "Why? What's today?"

Ino stared at him for a full minute. Naruto started getting nervous and said, "Ino?" Ino kept the tray on the bed and said, "Naruto, honestly, how bad is your memory? It's your frigging birthday today, dammit!" Naruto said, "Oh yeah! I totally forgot about it!" Ino shook her head in disappointment and then said, "I made breakfast in bed for you today. Have a look."

Naruto opened the tray and saw all kinds of stuff on the tray, which he loved. There were pastries, funny shaped breads, sandwiches and best of all…

"RAMEN!"

Ino smiled at his enthusiasm as he dove right into the first ramen bowl with gusto. She thought, 'Can't make it much better than this for him.'

She began to eat a pastry too, and Naruto said, "Aren't you worried about getting fat?" Ino smirked and said, "Well, I thought about doing some exercise after breakfast, so that the calories would burn immediately." Naruto grinned and said, "I have absolutely no problem with that, Ino-chan." He leant in and licked a bit of sugar icing off her lower lip.

Ino kissed him, and he leant in too, until his stomach gave a loud roar, and he grumbled, "Stupid stomach. I guess we have to continue this session after breakfast." Ino giggled and said, "Sure."

After a morning full of fun, Ino said, "Come on, Naruto. It's cold out today, I was thinking of going to the hot springs and relaxing." Naruto agreed and the two of them headed out. They reached the hot springs and Naruto was surprised to find that they were the only ones in there. He looked at Ino questioningly and she said, "I booked it for the two of us." Naruto said, "Wow! That's amazing! We can totally have a wonderful time here!" Ino said, "More wonderful than back at home?"

He grinned and said, "Well, maybe we can improvise here." Ino nodded and they entered the hot springs.

Tsunade was frustrated. She said, "Did you find him yet?"

Kakashi replied on the phone, "Not yet, Milady. He isn't at any of his usual haunts, nor his house. Ino isn't there either, for that matter." Tsunade said, "Dammit, I should have known better than to leave him alone at a time like this. I should have kept the ANBU watching him."

Shikamaru said, "You can hardly expect that the ANBU would have been able to keep him in their sights. He used to escape them when he was 10, what do you expect now?" Tsunade sighed and said, "This is a disaster. Where could the two of them be?" Shikamaru said, "I told you to tell Ino, she could have kept this a secret. You know how resourceful and determined she can be if the need arises."

Tsunade said, "I don't care what happens. Find them in one hour, or else…" Shikamaru balked and ran out of the room. Kakashi said, "I'll ask Gai to help me out." He cut the call and rushed to Gai's house.

Tsunade thought, 'This can't be happening. I told everyone to make sure that Naruto wouldn't disappear today of all days. Where on earth could he be?'

Naruto and Ino sat on top the Fourth's head, sighing contentedly. Ino put her head on Naruto's shoulder and he said, "This is my best birthday ever." Ino said, "It's about to get better. It's present time!" Naruto said, "You got me a present?" Ino bonked him on the head and said, "How can you even assume that I wouldn't get you a present?!" He said, "You're right, Ino-chan. Sorry."

Ino took a scroll out of her pocket and gave it to him. She said, "It's a FuinJutsu scroll. Activate it, and you'll see your present." He unwrapped the scroll in excitement and put his hand on the seal. He let his chakra flow into the scroll and three things came out of them.

"WOW!"

The first and foremost thing was a black leather scabbard. It was weird, though, it wasn't like a scabbard for a sword. Instead of a slot for a sword, it had a perfect round hole in it. He guessed correctly and asked, "For Kitsune?" Ino nodded and said, "You always have to summon your staff blade for fighting. I figured it would be better if you carry it with you. Although you have enormous amounts of chakra, this will help in a pinch. It will also give you a nice personality, as people get intimidated by seeing people with weapons. And the scabbard is chakra bonded, so it will hide the chakra signature of Kitsune. It won't be detected by any jutsu or Kekkei Genkai."

Naruto grinned and said, "Thanks a lot, Ino." He looked at the scabbard closely, and found the Konoha leaf etched into the leather. There was also a swirl of the Uzumaki symbol next to it. Naruto summoned Kitsune and slid it into the hole. It fit perfectly, without a single hitch. The scabbard had a lining made of gold, which clashed magnificently with Kitsune.

Ino said, "Keep going." Naruto slung the scabbard over his shoulder and looked at the second gift. It was further wrapped in a parcel, which he unwrapped carefully. He found a decorative wooden box inside it, and looked at Ino, confused. She urged him on and he opened the book. Delight and joy filled his eyes as he saw five kunai in them. He picked them up and said, "Stealth blades!"

Ino smiled. She said, "You always tell me how you wish you could be better at stealth, so I got you these blades." Naruto said, "But how, Ino? You told me about your plan for my birthday only three days ago!" Ino nodded and said, "I got these from Iguromo. He had a set stashed aside for a rainy day. He never forgets who helped him set up his shop when he was hurt and couldn't walk. I heard a lot about you from him. Seems that he was the only person in the village who sold you kunai and shurikens."

Naruto nodded and said, "Iguromo was always kind to me. He never displayed the hate that the rest of the villagers showed me, although that may be because he isn't originally form this village." Ino said, "Anyway, when I asked him about them, he gave me the kunai immediately." Naruto said, "These are wonderful, Ino."

He looked at the blades, and felt their balance. They were perfectly crafted, smaller and more concealed than the regular kunai. They were painted matte black, rather than regular kunai which are shiny. The blades were made of a rare ceramic, which is harder than steel and doesn't break easily. These type of blades were rare, and Iguromo only made three to four sets every year.

Ino said, "Iguromo told me that these blades will not be detected by anything other than the person who you stab them with." Naruto laughed and hugged her. She said, "Now, for the final present." He kept the kunai back in the box and kept it to the side. He opened the third parcel. It was a slim box, and he wondered what could be in there.

He opened the box and found a gold pendant inside. It was a heart shaped pendant, and he opened it to find a picture of him and Ino inside. It was a picture of Naruto looking affectionately at Ino, whose head was on his shoulder. He said, "When did you get this photo?"

Ino replied, "Konohamaru took this photo of us when we were going home from a restaurant once. He was going to use it to blackmail us. But after your promotion, when we kissed in front of everyone, he realized that it wasn't going to work, so he gave it to me."

Naruto grinned and said, "He sure is a good photographer, I'll tell you that." Ino smiled and nodded.

Naruto said, "Ino, this is too much." Ino shook her head and said, "No, it's not. And if you really feel that way, my birthday isn't too far off." Naruto grinned and leant in to kiss her, saying, "I'm not sure I can do justice to what you've given me." She said, "I'm sure you'll do fine."

Just then, a cloud of smoke burst in front of them and Kakashi emerged from it, panting. He said, "Finally, fuck! Where the hell have you been, Naruto! Come on quick, we have an X-Rank situation!" Naruto and Ino gaped at him and Naruto got up in a hurry. Ino followed suit. The three of them jumped down onto the Ninja Ops building and Naruto started to head into it, but Kakashi said, "No, Lady Tsunade isn't here."

Naruto was surprised and said, "Then where is she?" Kakashi retorted shortly, "She's at the Chunin Exam Stadium, preparing for the next Chunin exams. She asked me to make you come there directly so that she can keep working." Naruto nodded, but Ino looked a little suspicious.

The three of them ran at top speed, and Kakashi was a little surprised that Ino was being able to keep up with them. He already knew that Naruto was much faster than him, but he hadn't expected Ino to be so fast as well. Nevertheless, he didn't say anything but focused on getting to the destination as soon as possible.

As they reached closer to the stadium, Kakashi said, "Oh yeah! I should let her know I've found you. She's got many others looking for you." He dialed Tsunade up and said, "Milady? I've found him and Ino. Yes, we're heading there right now. Call off the others." He cut the call and Ino got even more suspicious, but decided not to say anything.

As the trio entered the stadium, they noticed that it was pitch black. Naruto said, "Why aren't there any lights?" Kakashi shrugged and then remembered that they couldn't see, so he said, "I don't know, Naruto, maybe there's been a power outage or something." Ino secretly activated her Mind Sensory Relay and almost gasped in astonishment, but managed to smother her reaction.

Kakashi said, "Milady? Naruto's here."

All of a sudden, a loud voice echoed through the stadium, "RELEASE!"

The entire stadium was flooded with light and a huge crowd looked happily at Naruto, shouting at the top of their voice, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NARUTO!"

Naruto stared at the crowd of people, totally dumbfounded. He looked at Ino and she shook her head and shrugged. The boy was so shocked at the sheer presence of everyone that he was rendered speechless. Lady Tsunade steered him into the crowd and he was overwhelmed with handshakes, back slaps, and friendly shoves.

After a few hours of non-stop partying, Kakashi and Iruka stood on the podium which had been erected, and Kakashi took the mic. He said, "Can I have your attention, please?" Everyone turned around to the podium and he said, "I would like to have Naruto up here with me, if it's possible."

Naruto was practically lifted and carried to the platform, and finally stood there. Iruka walked towards the boy with a large bottle. Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "For our guests who might not be aware of this ritual, an explanation may be in order."

His eyes strayed casually to the Three Sand Siblings, who had graced everyone with their presence, but then also looked at Shin Busata, Sasame and Naruto's other acquaintances from different countries. He continued, "In the Land of Fire, a father presents his son with a bottle of alcohol on his sixteenth birthday, i.e. his majority. However, as the legal age for drinking in the country is eighteen, the boy cannot drink it. Instead, this gift, this bottle of alcohol, represents a strong bond of trust, from the father, to his son, stating wordlessly, that the boy is now an adult, and is responsible for his actions, therefore he will know not to open the bottle until he is ready to drink it. Also, once the boy turns eighteen, he and his father drink from the same bottle together."

A shinobi from the crowd shouted, "After the booze has had two years to age!" That set off an appeal of laughter from the crowd. The Copy ninja nodded and said, "True enough."

Iruka took the mic and said, "However, unfortunately, Naruto's father is not among us, therefore we hoped that he might let his irritating, nose-poking uncles might be allowed to fill in." Everyone laughed again, and looked at Naruto.

Naruto simply walked up to the two of them and enveloped them with a hug, strong enough to break a person's bones. However, the two uncles bore this hug without showing pain, knowing the strong feelings behind it. Naruto said, "Thanks a lot, you two. I don't know what I would have done with you."

He accepted the bottle from them, and Iruka said, "Now remember, you can't open it until you're eighteen." Naruto nodded, the corners of his eyes becoming moist. He said again, "Thank you."

Ino walked up to the Fifth Hokage, and caught Temari speaking to Tenten. Temari said, "What about Narumi? Wasn't she invited?" Tenten shook her head and said, "Her father didn't allow it. He told her that if she wanted to attend school like a normal person, she couldn't skip it for a person's birthday, either. So, she couldn't make it. She'll be here for the Chunin exams though."

Ino finally caught up to the Sannin, who was trying to avoid her throughout the party. As Ino walked up to her, she sighed and spoke without preamble, "I'm sorry, Ino. But I wasn't sure that you wouldn't let anything slip." Ino nodded and said, "I couldn't have done this on my own, anyway. You even got the Kazekage to come."

Tsunade nodded and said, "I didn't do it alone either. I had a lot of help from Kakashi, Shikamaru and even Jiraiya." Ino said, "I must give them my thanks."

Naruto slid away from Kiba and Choji, who were discussing whether to take the Jonin Trials, towards Ino's dad. He said, "Hey, old man, I wanted to ask you a favor." Inoichi smiled at him and said, "What can I do for you, Naruto?" The boy replied, "I wanted to help in Ino's birthday party preparation."

Inoichi said imperiously, "I am sorry, Naruto, but that's impossible." Naruto was surprised and said, "Why not?" Inoichi laughed lightly and said, "Because in our clan, we prepare for our children's majority two months in advance, and we have already finished preparing for Ino's birthday." Naruto looked crestfallen at that, but Inoichi said, "However, if you feel like it, you can help deliver the invitations around the village. Ino's mother is going to be handing them out, and you can use it as a chance to bond with her too." Naruto looked at him delightfully, and the older blonde nodded. Naruto hugged him quickly and said, "Thanks a lot, old man."

Inoichi smiled at the familiar form of address. He patter the teen on the shoulder and said, "Not a problem. Now, I mustn't keep you all to myself. Your friends want to speak to you. Happy birthday again, Naruto, and best of luck for the future." Naruto nodded and said, "Thanks."

The clock struck midnight, but the party didn't end. As the hours dragged on, some of the guests began to beg off, claiming work or missions. Ayame and Teuchi exited, as did Konohamaru's team, dragged by Moegi. In the end, Naruto, Ino, Kakashi, Iruka, Tsunade, Shizune, Anko, the Konoha 11, and the Sand Siblings, were all that remained. As the party had straggled onwards, Tsunade had begun to become restless.

Anko said, "So, Naruto, are you planning to buy your own house any time soon? Get settled, you know." Tsunade jumped a little. She reached into her pocket, almost expecting the cold metal touching her fingers to burn her. The knucklehead replied, "Dunno really. Ino's got a nice place, and houses ain't exactly cheap. But I guess I'll move out into a bigger house eventually."

The master medic said quietly, so quiet that she half expected him not to hear, "You have another option." The entire group turned towards her in surprise, and she guessed she had no choice left.

Naruto said curiously, "What do you mean, Grandma?"

Tsunade sighed, and extracted her hand from her pocket, a key held in her fingers. She said in a heavy voice, "Kushina Uzumaki owned a house. More precisely, a bungalow. It has been maintained by the Hokage's office since her death. However, as of now, since you're an adult, it is legally yours."

Naruto stood there, blank. He finally summoned up the strength to say, "My mom had a bungalow? Did you guys know about this?" He looked around at the others.

All his friends shook their heads, as did his girlfriend, Iruka and Anko. But Kakashi nodded, and the Sand siblings remained neutral. Naruto rounded up on Tsunade and Kakashi, saying, "Why am I finding about this today?" Kakashi explained, "You didn't own it legally until today, Naruto."

"SO?"

Tsunade put her hand on his shoulder, saying, "I know it must be hard on you, but do you honestly think that you could have resisted the temptation? It would have started by a look around, until you started sleeping there at nights, and eventually, you would have all but moved in."

Naruto looked at the ground, unable to refute her arguments. She continued, "Also, it is within the Hokage's rights to sell the property to cover any expenses you might have cost the village." Naruto looked up again angrily and said, "You were gonna sell my mother's house?"

Ino caught hold of his hand, and he calmed down slightly, almost subconsciously. Tsunade said indignantly, "I would never do such a thing. And god forbid you've given Sarutobi sensei enough reason to do so. I merely stated a fact."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. Tsunade held out the key, but he didn't take it. The Hokage said, "What's wrong, take it." Naruto's hand raised up, but he hesitated. Ino said, "Naruto, I think you should at least see it once." Tsunade nodded and Kakashi said, "I think Kushina-san would have at least wanted you to see it once. If you don't like it, you can sell it. She would be okay with that."

Naruto nodded and grasped the key.

He looked at the group and said in a small voice, "Will you all accompany me tomorrow? Or later today, judging by the time." Ino squeezed his hand and smiled, "Of course." Everyone else nodded as well. Iruka glanced at Anko, who shrugged and nodded. He said, "We'd love to."

Naruto looked at Gaara, so he didn't notice Anko mouthing 'We?' at Iruka, but Ino's sharp eyes caught on and she smirked evilly. The Kazekage looked a little flustered at his inclusion, but said, "I would be honored, Naruto." Tsunade said, "Alright then, let's all get some rest, we need to be wide awake tomorrow to see Naruto's house." Everyone nodded. After deciding to meet at ten in the morning, everyone began to leave. Tsunade and Shizune left with the Kazekage, apparently talking about some new strategy for the alliance of the villages. All the Konoha 11 left, talking to each other. Kakashi and Iruka hugged Naruto once again, and bid him goodbye, before leaving.

Ino and Naruto walked home, Ino almost supporting Naruto. He was exhausted, physically and emotionally. She helped him seal his gifts in a scroll, and the two of them reached his place at a snail's pace.

When they reached home, Naruto sighed heavily and sat down, slumped on the sofa. Ino began to unseal the scroll; having stayed a long time with Naruto, she had learnt a few things from him. She took his gifts out and he unwrapped them. Most of the people had given him a small amount of money and a kunai, customary gifts for a person's majority. Iruka had given him a mission backpack, which was much lighter than the one he used normally, and bigger as well. Ino marveled at the quality.

Kakashi had gifted Naruto a book on FuinJutsu, which he really appreciated. He said, "This will really help me along." Ino nodded. Tsunade, apart from the key, had given him a set of medical vials, which contained various fluids, ranging from chakra restoratives, to pain killers. Ino said, "Ingenious. Fluids are much easier to absorb than chakra pills, this will really help you in a fight. I had no idea that Lady Tsunade was working on something like this."

Shizune had given him a set of poison vials, with detailed instructions on how to use them. Gaara had gifted Naruto three sand made figurines, one which showcased Naruto head-butting Gaara atop Shukaku; another of Naruto, with his hand on Gaara's shoulder; and the last one of the two of them shaking hands. Naruto let the memories flow into him, remembering the time when they rescued Gaara from death itself. He made his mind to encase these figurines in glass and keep it with him forever.

Ino said, "Alright, Naruto. If you want to be punctual tomorrow, we better get some shut eye." Naruto nodded and the two of them went to the bedroom they now shared. They got into the bed, fully dressed, and Ino put off the lights, saying, "Good night, Ruto-kun. And happy birthday." She kissed him on the cheek and then they went to sleep.

Naruto was in his usual good mood the next morning, when the group assembled at Ninja Ops. He was amazed to see Tsunade, Shizune and Gaara wearing jeans, something he had never seen before in his life. Anko and Iruka arrived last, even after Kakashi, who was punctual for once. Ino smiled sweetly at Iruka and he thought, 'Uh oh. Trouble.'

The Hokage lead the way, and they walked a few blocks, before coming up to a house, surrounded by a modest sized verandah. Everyone gaped and Sakura said, "Is that Kushina-san's house?" The Hokage nodded and said, "More precisely, it was Naruto's father's house, but was on his mother's name. However, since I can't state his father's name right now, it is but obvious that I must use Kushina's name instead."

They looked at Naruto, who was staring in awe at the size of the property. He said, "Are you sure this is my mother's house?" Tsunade nodded gently. The troop walked up the few stairs, up to the door, before Tsunade spun around and stood before Naruto, blocking it. She said, "Naruto, before we go in, I want to warn you about something. Sarutobi sensei removed any reference to your father from here, and I gave it a once over when I became the Fifth Hokage. So, if you're expecting to find any…"

Naruto was exasperated and cut in, "I know, dammit. I don't get to know who my dad is until the right time. Geez, it's starting to sound like some weird prophecy or something." Tsunade nodded, happy that he understood, and said, "Well, you have the key, so…"

She stepped aside, and Naruto walked up to the door, and slid the key into the lock. The door swung inwards, and a huge cloud of dust billowed out. Naruto jumped back, coughing, and sputtered, "What the heck? It's such a mess. This will take forever to get rid of."

Gaara smiled and moved forward. He placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. The blonde looked at him and he said, "Allow me." Naruto stepped aside, and Gaara stood in his place. He raised his hands in front of him and pulled them inwards. The dirt in the house began to flow towards him. After a half minute or so, the entire house was cleaned out, and a small dense sandstone was on the ground in front of Gaara's feet. He picked it up and put it into his pocket.

Naruto clapped him on the back and said, "Wow, man. If the Kazekage thing doesn't work out, you can make a load of cash as a maid service." The others stared at Naruto as though he were mad, but Gaara chuckled and said, "I'll keep that in mind, Naruto."

Naruto walked into the apartment, and looked around in awe at the spacious interiors. The living room was on the west side of the door, and had two doors further towards the west, presumable leading to the bedrooms. The kitchen was to the north of the living room, and opened out to the living room without a door. There was another door between the bedrooms and the kitchen, most probably for the bathroom.

Naruto stepped further in and the others came in behind him. Shizune said, "Kushina sure did have a big house." Everyone agreed, and looked around. The living room was plush and had a sofa almost twice as large as Naruto and Ino's current one. It also had two love seats on the side, with a coffee table in front of the large sofa. There was also a media center in the southern part of the living room, which also had two large windows built in on either sides of it. Anko went over and pulled the curtains open, allowing sunlight to stream in and bathe the house in warmth. Everything was covered in white tarps, though.

Anko whistled and said, "You can see the Ninja Ops and the stone faces from here. What an amazing sight!" Everyone nodded. There was a half wall between the main door and living room, where a cupboard and a book shelf had been installed.

Kakashi walked over to the sofa and pulled off the tarp covering it. Ino and Hinata walked over and began to uncover the rest, folding the tarps as they did. The sofas, once uncovered, caught everyone's sight. They were of the same material and were simple, yet of plush construction, the type that never went out of fashion. Anko pressed into the cushion of the larger sofa, and it bounced back into place as soon as she removed it. Anko nodded approvingly and said, "Kushina had good taste." Gaara nodded in agreement.

Tsunade walked over to the kitchen and requested Shizune's help. The two medics uncovered the dining table, which had six chairs. Naruto nodded approvingly and said, "It's nice and elegant." The coffee table was also made of the same material, and they both looked timeless, and clean.

Kakashi had meanwhile walked over to the book shelf, and removed the cover off of it. Naruto walked over, and perused the shelf. Something caught his eye and he opened the book shelf, taking out a book from within. Everyone's gaze turned around to face him and he said, "Founding of the Land of Fire, by Soun Uzumaki?"

Tsunade said, "Soun Uzumaki, your grandfather, was a great writer in his time. He has written many amazing books and biographies, ranging from Academy level, to professional levels." Naruto's normal expression cracked, and the emotional strain began to show through it again. He said in a broken voice, "So, my grandfather was a writer. I wonder what else I don't know about my family."

Tsunade did something that no one would have anticipated. She went forward and hugged Naruto. He froze, not expecting something like this. Tsunade broke off and said, "Naruto, I know this is hard for you. But you had to see it sometime or the other." Naruto nodded and kept the book back in place. He said, "Which room should I see first?" Tsunade pointed at the left bedroom, and said, "That one. That's the master bedroom, and has another bathroom in it."

Naruto struggled, and looked around at all the sympathetic faces around him. But as he looked at Gaara, he found a look of curiosity and disappointment within it. He realized that Gaara would never give up a chance to learn more about his past. Naruto took a deep breath and said, "Alright, let's go." Ino caught his hand and guided him to the master bedroom. After a moment's hesitation, Naruto swung the door inwards.

Inside the door, was a suite sized bedroom. A large master bed occupied most of the space, and there was a bathroom at the left end of the room. The right end was aligned with doors, which he opened to find a closet in the wall. The bathroom at the left was much larger than Naruto's current one. It had a shower stall as big as his tub, and a tub that could easily accommodate two people. There was a nightstand on either side of the bed, and a digital alarm on the right side. There were two framed photos on the left. The first photo was of his mother with two people he did not recognize. Tsunade picked up the photo and said, "These were your grandparents."

Naruto picked up the other photo, which was of his mother standing with a large group of people, mostly taller than her. He said, "What about this one? That looks like the Academy in the background." Ino came over and said, "That's Dad right there, with the original Shika and Cho. And if I'm not wrong, that is Hiashi Hyuga…" Hinata saw the photo and shook her head, saying shyly, "That…that is Neji's father. My father…graduated…a year later than him. Hizashi-san always used to…to cover his forehead."

Naruto commented, "My mother is so much shorter than them. I guess that's where I got my late bloomer's genes." Tsunade shook her head gently and said, "No, that's because she graduated two years before the rest of them."

Naruto goggled at Tsunade and said, "My mother graduated at ten?" Tsunade replied, "She could have graduated at eight, with natural skills like hers. But she wanted to take more classes to improve her knowledge."

Naruto shook his head and kept the photo back into place. His attention drifted down to the dresser between the bed and the closet. He opened the first drawer, but it was empty, as were the rest in that column. The second column proved slightly more interesting.

The top drawer housed a number of plain-colored t-shirts and tank tops. The next drawer down held the same type of tops, but with floral or geometric patterns. The bottom compartment was also shirts, but these had characters or sayings on them. The top part of the last set of drawers held a number of carefully wrapped belts and hair accessories.

He opened the next drawer, but quickly closed it when he saw its contents. The last drawer also contained underwear, and he closed it just as fast. When he turned away, both Sakura and Tsunade chuckled at his red face. Ino managed to contain her mirth, and Hinata was blushing just as red as Naruto.

Ignoring them, the blonde stalked over to the closet. He flung open the doors recklessly, sending a ripple through the clothes. He ignored the apparel, instead looking on the upper shelf for any treasures. But all he found was blankets and a sewing kit. Masking his disappointment, he ruffled absently through the dresses, skirts, blouses, and pants.

Anko commented, "You know, even sixteen years old, this stuff is pretty awesome." By now, everyone but Iruka, and Kakashi, had entered the room. Naruto didn't acknowledge the statement, because he had reached the end of the closet, and found two matte black stealth shozokus.

He took the shozokus and kept them on the bed, along with some of the jewellery that he had found in one of the drawers. He turned around to the group and said, "I don't have a use for any of this stuff, so I would prefer if it had a good home. The shozokus on the bed and the jewellery is off limits, but any other clothes or accessories, you can have."

The looks on Anko's and Shizune's faces suggested that Christmas had come early, and Inner Sakura roared, 'JACKPOT!' Naruto looked worried at their expressions and said, "Just…just no fighting please. And try not to make a mess." They all nodded and Naruto slid out of the way. Ino looked forlornly at the clothes and then at Naruto, who was walking out into the living room. He smiled and said, "Don't worry about me. I'm just going to sit for a while outside. Go ahead, take your pick." Ino's face lit up in delight. She pecked him quickly and threw herself into the fray.

But before the Kunoichi could get ready to start shopping, Gaara entered the room and held up his hand. All of them froze. He withdrew a forest green dress, and then a pleated black skirt. He set them on the bed, and then went to the dresser. He claimed a tan t-shirt with a red shuriken pattern, and a white halter with the word 'Kunoichi' across the chest in black letters of a font meant to look like it was dripping.

All the Kunoichi stared at him and he elaborated, "These are for Matsuri and Temari." They women nodded and began to start shopping. Sakura paused in the process of pulling out a dresser drawer and said, "I wonder if we should call Tenten. She's the only one not here."

Anko said, "Neither are Yugao or Kurenai."

The four women looked at each other in guilt and said at once, "Nah." Giggling, they began to scrutinize the clothes again. Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief; after hearing Yugao's name, he had gotten tense.

After the ladies finished their shopping frenzy, the clock had struck one, so they decided to have lunch before opening the other bedroom and main bathroom. Iruka and Kakashi went to get some Ichiraku takeout, and Lee left on a beverage run. The others sat on the sofas, loveseats and pulled up chairs from the kitchen table as well.

Ino and Naruto were sitting on the same loveseat, and Sakura tried to ignore that, saying, "How are you doing, Naruto?" He replied, "It's a bit weird, although this could be anyone's home. There's almost no signs showing that this is my mom's house, except for the photo frames and the books. There's nothing loud enough that jumps in front of my face and shouts, 'YO! THIS IS YOUR MOM'S HOUSE, MATE.'"

Sakura laughed. Tsunade said knowingly, "There's another room to go." Everyone's eyes turned towards her, but just then, Iruka and Kakashi entered, with two bulging bags. Ino took one and together they removed the plastic containers, handing them out. Just then, Lee entered as well, and Shizune helped him set out the cans of soda on the coffee table.

After their meal as finished, and the garbage gathered in the plastic bags near the door, everyone gathered near the second bedroom. Naruto hesitated again, and Tsunade was exasperated. She said, "For crying out loud, there's no ghosts in there." Naruto cringed at the sound of that, but mustered the courage and opened the door.

Before the door opened fully, Naruto's eyes began to fill with tears. The room was painted light blue, with a border of orange Konoha symbols at the top. On the wall opposite the door was a table. Against the right wall, there was a white crib, with a diaroma of shuriken and kunai lookalike toys spinning gently. The real reason why Naruto was crying, however, was the large image on the wall, above the table.

The image was of Kushina, propped up on a bed, wearing a gown. Her red hair hung limp, and her face was drawn, sweating and tired. Despite that, the Kunoichi's face glowed with a joy no male could ever match, as she looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms. A tiny face poked out of the bundle, bright cerulean blue eyes meeting her green orbs with infant curiosity. A small fuzz of golden hair crowned his head, and his chubby cheeks were unmarked.

Tsunade said, "Is that loud enough for you?"

Naruto nodded and wiped his tears, before turning to leave the room. As he passed by the Kazekage, Gaara put his hand on Naruto's shoulder and said quietly, "Congratulations, Naruto." Naruto answered, "Thanks. And if you ever find anything, and need me, I'll be there. Believe it." The Kazekage nodded and Naruto returned to the living room.

"Alright, what have we got?"

After the initial tour, the shinobi had spread out throughout the house for a more detailed inspection.

Kakashi insisted, "You first."

Naruto shrugged, "Okay. The kitchen is fully stocked. Mom had more pots and pans and knives than I would know what to do with. And all the cutlery is in pretty good shape too. No rust or anything. But Hinata says she checked the appliances and…"

Hinata blushed at having to speak to everyone, as they stared at her. She mustered her courage and said, "I looked inside t…the appliances with the Byakugan. But it's…it's no good. They've all gone beyond repair. The refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher al…all need to be replaced."

Kakashi nodded and said, "That fits with what we saw in the main bathroom. The washer and the drier are deader than dead." Gaara said, "The furniture in the baby room is pretty good. There are also some infant clothes in a drawer in the room. You will need to decide what to do with those."

Shizune sighed with envy and said, "Everything is working in the master bathroom. Man, I'd love to try out that Jacuzzi."

Tsunade reported, "The bed and dressers are in good shape. The alarm clock isn't working, though." Anko broke in, "The furniture in the living room might as well be new. But the television in the media centre has come serious snow. I don't think it's even worth fixing." Iruka said, "So, what do you think, Naruto?"

After a moment's consideration, Naruto said, "I've made up my mind. I'm going to move in here. It's just too nice to give up, and mom would like me to have it." Ino smiled and held his hand. She said, "Congratulations, Naruto." Everyone else offered their congratulations as well, until he spoke again.

"Now, all I need to do is move…"

In less than a second, Naruto and Ino were the only ones left in the room.