UZUSHIO

Sasuke was helping one of the Uzumakis lift a pile of stone when there was a call.

"THE HEIRESS IS BACK, EVERYONE!"

And, everything was stopped, including the food, as everything but the ramen was dropped and discarded.

A month. Sasuke had been quite mistrusted at first, but he'd saved the older Uzumaki man named Kikion, and he was now Sasuke's biggest fan.

He hurried to see Naruto standing there. And of course, she couldn't be normal and run up to them.

"OI, IS JENNY AROUND?! I'VE GOT SOMEONE TO GIVE TO HER!"

"I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T WANT A SLAVE, NARUTO!" Jenny yelled back with a slight smile.

"IT'S NOT A SLAVE, JENNY! IT'S SHISUI! YOUR GRANDSON! APPARENTLY THE SEAL DIDN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT HE WAS REVIVED A FEW MONTHS AGO, -TTEBAYO!"

Jenny beamed and raced down. "YOU REALLY DO LOOK LIKE YOUR GRANDFATHER! EXCEPT THE EYES!"

"HIS EYES WERE TRANSPLANTED INTO HIM BECAUSE WHEN HE DIED HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY!" Naruto yelled back to the woman right next to her.

Sasuke started running.

Lavender eyes met his, and he nearly stopped, but didn't. It really was Shisui, looking past the eyes.

He raced forward faster.

"Bakemono-chan!"

He ignored that and hugged the older Uchiha.

"Shisui!" he was grateful to have Shisui here. "Are you really half-Uzumaki?"

"I told you he was," Naruto grumped.

Sasuke ignored her.

"Apparently I am," Shisui said, wide-eyed.

"Naruto-sama."

Chiota appeared. There was a rolled up scroll, and Naruto instantly recognized it, by the light in her eyes.

"This did not work when my daughter used it, because you are the Uzukage-slash-queen of our people," the man rumbled. "Let us lead the Uzukage-slash-queen to the castle, and let her use the seals of our people to Call to those who have Uzumaki blood running through their veins!"

A cheer exploded.

"Let us all announce the rebirth of the Uzumaki people!"

Another resounding cheer exploded.

~:~

Naruto unrolled the scroll. In the center of the swirling, inky lines, the Uzumaki swirl stood out proudly.

Naruto sat in the middle of it, on the Uzu swirl. Outside the piece of paper, a matrix of seals shone as she sat down, gleaming briefly.

She cut her hand, and it soaked into the scroll. The Uzumakis assembled.

And Naruto pushed as much chakra into it as she could.

Light blazed out.

~:~

Tsunade jolted from what she was saying, feeling a tingling in her body, urging her to listen.

She was in a meeting with the Elders, but she completely ignored them for a moment.

Come home. Come to Uzushiogakure no Sato. I, Queen of the Uzumaki, request it.

COME HOME.

All of you lost, all of you broken -

Come. Come home.

It filled her mind, asking her to come, help rebuild the village.

And her window frosted over, cutting off the Elders' tirade. A single symbol etched itself on the window, and it was the Uzushio swirl.

We are alive.

And then the symbol melted away, and the silence of her own mind returned. Tsunade gasped and breathed heavily.

And then she scowled and calmed. She snapped her fingers.

The entire office was alive with seals. Tsunade was actually quite amazed. She'd never been that adept at them, but the whispers had made her... Aware. And she'd spilled blood for the sake of the village.

And she knew these elders had done the same. She'd read Nagato's submitted report - Sarutobi-sensei had been quite misguided as he'd tried to shove it down. Deep down.

Besides, these seals seemed to recognize her.

"Do not stop me."

All her ANBU and the three in front of her were instantly rigid. Her wording was vague, but her grandmother had been excellent in seals.

"Sarutobi-sensei was lenient. My great-uncle, Tobirama, instituted an Elders' Council and a Civilian Council." Tsunade turned to the retired shinobi, who were pale. Even Danzou. "I am Senju Tsunade, and I am your Kage now. I may have been elected by you, but I will not bend to you." She glared at them. "Now. ANBU. I order you to execute Shimura Danzuo. Release the loyal ANBU."

Three of four ANBU were released.

Tsunade faced Danzou.

"For the crime of stealing Sharingan eyes, continuing ROOT, and the pre-emptive deaths of every Uchiha aside from Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi, you are to be executed as a traitor." She scrolled these words out on a scroll and stamped the official document. "Also, the advisory and civilian council are hereby relegated to advisory positions. They will have no official say in the matters of the village." Tsunade glared at them, and they quailed, their eyes shifting to look at the burning remains of Danzou's body. "And as for you." Tsunade turned to the ROOT nin. "Let's have a little chat."

Her slightly crazy smile didn't ease anyone's nerves.

~:~

Naruto blinked. She was still in the seal, most likely having fainted because of chakra exhaustion.

Seeing everyone else unconscious, she wondered just what had happened.

And that's when she realized that it was the new year. Had been for almost a month now.

A sneaky grin played upon her mouth -

Get out of the seal first, you stupid idiot, Kurama sighed.

She sighed and got off carefully. Her body felt weighted.

Maybe it's not too good of an idea, she thought.

Your mind's not going to shatter like it did last time. Last time you tried poking into my mind. Any mind would be safer than mine. Ooh, you wanted to do Madara, right? How about, before him, you try someone else's?

Is it going to result in me screaming in agony?

I don't know. Possibly?

Before she could say anything back, the door creaked open.

"Do you have any more of that soup?" Sabaku no Gaara asked in a bland tone. "I'm hungry."

Naruto tripped over her feet, slamming onto the ground, too tired to hold her body up.

She burst out laughing for no reason. She just felt really lightheaded.

"Hey, Gaara!" she said chirpily. "How's life?"

Gaara only sighed and walked in. "Life is... Boring."

Naruto nodded sympathetically.

"I know."

Gaara eyed her necklace.

"Where did you get that?"

Naruto touched it. "It was a gift from the Hokage so that our nations could once again be allied." It really had been. "I'm going back every couple of months, just to see how Tsunade-baa-san is. What are you doing here?"

Gaara's teal eyes roamed around the hall.

"I don't have anywhere else to go."

Naruto stood up clumsily.

She walked across the seal, and she hugged him.

"Yes, you do."

~:~

Kakuzu of the Akatsuki ignored Kisame's whining. And everyone else. He was glaring at a recent photo of the Kyuubi jinchuuriki.

Going after the Nibi or no, there was a reason every person who had worn that green necklace had died.

The book tightened, and then he snapped it in half and stood up.

He ignored the sudden silence and stalked out, the page buried in his fist.