Here is the anticipated eighteenth chapter of Book I Naruto the Guardian. So about my poll, the official winner and now Nqruto's new second Waifu is...NOBOD-*gets slapped by Zabuza* *gets sent flying back into a wall* *slouching in a wall*

Zabuza: Haku won by two or three votes, fair and square! If you don't announce her as the winner so help me Kami you will learn today why I'm called the Demon of the Mist.

*weakly* Haku won, she in folks, not until Shippuden. Discl...discla...dsiawl

Zabuza: oh I think I might have over done it slightly...ummm Author doesn't own any person or place or whatever in Naruto's world. HAKU GET IN HERE I THINK HE NEEDS HELP.

Haku: what did you do Zabuza-sama?

Chapter 18 - Unexpecred heritage

War was all around him, it consumed his entire field of vision, battle, bloodshed, and death was all around him. 'Where am I' he thought to himself. There was ninja everywhere, fighting strange white creatures. There were some ninja fighting other ninja but some of them looked like their skin was held by paper maché and their eyes had no white in them just black emptiness.

He had no idea where he was or how he got there, but Lee had just stumbled into the biggest battle of his life. But the strangest thing was nobody was attacking him. Hell, no fighters on either side were acknowledging his presence. He thought he recognized some people, like Tenten and Neji but they looked older.

A roar from somewhere else got his attention and he turned and saw some huge looking tree demon monster thing. It launched several spikes of wood at the fighting ninja. In fact, one was heading straight for an orange cloaked ninja! "NEJI!" Lee shouted as he saw the older form of his best friend jump in front of the Unaware Blonde before falling to the ground, impaled in several places.

He ran over, was that Naruto Uzumaki? He looked older but what was that orange chakra covering him? And now that he was closer, that Hyuga looked a lot like Neji's cousin.

"NEJI!"

Lee turned around, and saw...himself? It was an older looking Rock Lee that had run over. What was going on?

"Lee...Lee!"

Lee looked around someone was calling his name it sounded like Guy-sensei. "LEE!"

Lee's eyes snapped open to the small clearing his team had camped in for the night, Guy over him having shaken him awake, a concerned look on his face. Lee woke up in a cold sweat, and he was out of breath. "Lee, are you ok?" He could see the sun in the middle of the sky. It was afternoon, he had been asleep that long?

"What happened Guy-sensei?"

"We've been trying to wake up for hours Lee. You've been muttering to yourself the whole time and kept saying something about Neji?"

"Neji! Is he alright?" Lee shot up to his feet looking around.

"I'm right here Lee, and I'm fine." Neji frowned, this mission they were on was simple, take out some bandits making trouble for caravans moving through the area. His team had done this mission in his past and did it effortlessly. This hadn't happened before.

"Sorry about that Guy-sensei, I was having a horrible dream, we were all in some sort of huge fight and there were Ninja everywhere and these strange white creatures and a huge tree! I saw Neji die taking an attack aimed at a strange blonde-haired ninja. I think? But everyone looked older and it was weird."

Neji paled, Lee had just described the Fourth Ninja War. But how? He hadn't come back, had he? Neji knelt down and helped Lee get to his feet. "Sounds like a pretty intense dream Lee, but we have a mission to complete."

Lee nodded and turned "I am sorry for sleeping so late, go ahead to the bandits camp, I'll pack up and meet you there!"

A few days later

"Ah, another D-rank mission complete Kurenai, good job." Hiruzen smiled happily, things were looking up for him and Konoha, in the past two months since Naruto and his team graduated they had been doing at least three D-rank missions a day, on top of training. There were obvious improvements.

"Thank you Hokage-sama" Kurenai bowed, her team was rather unorthodox indeed. "What are the remaining missions for the day? I would like to do one more before sending my students home."

"Well, Kurenai I have a special mission for your team." He pulled out a scroll from under his desk, and Kurenai was quick to notice the official stamp of the Mizukage on it. "The Mizukage would like us to escort a bridge builder from Wave. She specifically asked for your team."

Naruto's voice crawled up his throat, they actually got it! Good, maybe this time around he could save Haku and Zabuza. "Really Hokage-sama?"

"Yes indeed, I have a ninja bringing him here now, you see a man by the name of Gato used the civil war of Kiri to get control of Wave's naval imports and exports, Wave's only source of income. It would seem he is hesitant to lose his wealth and status, according to the Mizukae he's hired his own band of thugs and mercenaries."

"With all due respect Hokage-sama, shouldn't Kiri handle this mission?"

"The Mizukage is still busy with rebuilding Kiri and snuffing out any remaining Purist so she sent this mission our way after all the bridge being built is to connect the Island of Wave to the Land of Fire."

A commotion at the door caught everyone's attention "he can't go in there like that!"

"Sorry Hokage's orders."

"Ugh, why am I even here?"

The door opened and Naruto saw a drunk Tazuna stumble in. He took one look at the team and gagged. "This is the team you're assigning to protect my life Hokage-sama? The skinny blond looks like she'll topple over in the strong wind, and can the blue haired one even see me? Although the tall one looks nice enough."

Naruto sweatdropped as he felt the ire of the ladies rise. "Now Tazuna-san, I trust this team, and their sensei Kurenai is a very accomplished ninja."

Kurenai blushed at the praise but stood her ground "and I trust my team. We won't let any mere bandits beat us."

"Fine" he huffed slouching off of the shoulder of his escort "I'm leaving tomorrow"

Naruto opened his mouth to say something when Hiruzen spoke up "oh Kurenai, Mei said she was going to send a team to investigate Gato as well. That's all she can spare so your first objective into Wave should be to link up with them and work together."

"Right Hokage-sama."

Naruto heaved a sigh of relief, he didn't know much about Kurenai and her fighting abilities, but he didn't think she'd be able to stand up to Zabuza. Hell, he didn't know if he could handle Haku with as strong as he was right now. But with this back up maybe they stood a chance.

"Alright you three, pack and prepare for tomorrow, we leave at Eight."

"Hai, Kurenai-sensei."

Naruto and Hinata said goodbye to Ino, she was heading back to her shop and Naruto was walking Hinata back to her compound. "Naruto-Kun didn't you tell me that Sasuke unlocked his Sharingan in this mission?"

"Yeah, after he almost dies fighting off Zabuza Momoichi's apprentice, a guy named Haku. He has a gekke genkai that allows him to use Ice style ninjutsu. He was easily a chunin ranked fighter. I only beat him because I accessed Kurama's chakra at the time and caught him by surprise. The reinforcements from Kiri are new though."

"Will they be enough? Kurenai is a recently promoted Jonin, and from what you told me about Zabuza he's no joke."

Naruto shrugged "honestly I don't know. Back then Kakashi fought Zabuza head-on, which suited both of them fine. But in this case, Kurenai will want to trap him in a genjutsu and I never saw how he reacted to one, but if we find these shinobi from Kiri then it won't just be Kurenai versus Zabuza."

"Yeah I guess so, but still I have a bad feeling about this."

"Naruto-san, Hinata-sama."

Both turned to see Nejj walking up to them, a serious look on his face. "Hey Neji what's shaking?"

"I am sorry Naruto, but now is not the time for jokes, I have a serious matter I need to discuss with the both of you."

"Is everything alright Neji-niisan?"

Neji held up a hand and led the two to the compound, and through it to what was, they assumed his room. Which looked like every other branch clan member room save for a picture of Neji and his team. He closed the door and activated his Byakugan. "Good we have some privacy for now" he didn't turn his Byakugan off.

"Alright, Neji what happened?"

"While I was out on a mission with my team something strange happened. In the past, all we had to do was take out a bandit leader named Guz. We did that easily and his little band of misfits gave up after that."

Naruto folded his arms "I'm guessing something went different with Guz this time?"

Neji shook his head "not Guz, but Lee. The day we were meant to fight him, we couldn't wake Lee up. He was having some form of nightmare. When we finally managed to wake him, he described his nightmare as a large group of ninja fighting a larger group of white creatures, a giant demonic-looking tree and us but older."

Naruto paled "wait was he describing.."

"The Fourth war? Yes, he saw me die taking a blow for you Naruto."

"Wait, Neji-nii does he have his memories?"

"I don't believe so, after the battle with the bandits I asked him questions about missions we did leading up to the chunin exams and he didn't seem to know anything. I think it's safe to assume that this is the past Lee, but somehow he saw a vision of a future war."

Naruto grabbed his chin, what did that mean though? Was it bad? Or just a side effect of being brought back in time? "So what? Do you think Lee will continue having visions of the war?"

"I can't tell, I asked him when we got back to the Leaf if he had any more weird dreams but he said no."

"What I want to know, Naruto-Kun, has anybody else had visions too, or is Lee the first? Or will he be the only one?"

"Well we need to ask the rest of our class if they've had any strange dreams, but I think Team Ten is out right now." Naruto shook his head, too much to think about and not enough time to think. "We can investigate this later, right now Hina-chan and I need to focus on preparing for our mission to Wave tomorrow. Keep an eye on Lee, Kami only knows how this is going to affect him."

Neji nodded and grabbed a basket of clothes "you two be safe in Wave ok?"

He walked out of the door.

"What do you think of it all Naruto-Kun?"

"I think Hina-chan, that things just became a lot more complicated. But we can worry about it later, I need to pack." He leaned down to kiss Hinata on her forehead, but Hinata, with an out of nowhere burst of courage, stood up a little straighter, and Naruto met Hinata's lips. He didn't though, and Hinata blushed. That was the first time they actually kissed since the hospital.

Naruto raised an eyebrow "what you're my boyfriend, I'm allowed too."

He laughed "that's fine with me Hina-chan, kiss me as much as you want. Have a good night." He leaned in and kissed her again, and though he walked away with all the confidence and bravado he could muster, Naruto was having a hard time getting his heart to slow down, and his face from lighting up like a Christmas tree.

"Jeez Kit, you'd think she invited you to her bedroom or something."

'Ah shut it you, I'm still new to this.'

"Yeah, yeah whatever helps you sleep at night. But going back a few steps, that news about Lee is definitely troubling. You should go talk to Kami as soon as you get home. Only she could guess what would happen if everybody started getting memories of the future."

'You're right, I thought about that. If people suddenly getting vision's like Lee there could be chaos.'

"All the more reason to figure out what's going so you can find a way to stop it."

Naruto nodded and sped off to his house, he had a goddess to talk to.

Hinata walked the maze of houses until she was back in front of hers. Nobody failed to notice the extra spring in her steps, nor the smile on her face that shows just a little bit brighter than normal. Things were finally looking up for her and her relationship with Naruto. She understood that he wasn't very public with his displays of affection because he was trying to protect her. But, to her, it didn't matter. She was a ninja now, considered an adult despite her young age.

"You seem to be in a good mood Hinata."

Hinata froze midstep, her father looming over her having come from out of nowhere. She slowly turned around "oh hello father, how are you?"

"I am fine Hinata, and might I say you are positively glowing right now."

Hinata looked away and blushed "thank you, father."

"I can only assume it's because of that boy of yours," Hiashi also turned his head away from Hinata. However, unlike her, who was smiling, she saw he was trying to hide the pain.

"Is everything alright Father?"

Hiashi sighed and grabbed Hinata's hands, to Hinata he looked sad. "Hinata comes with me for a minute there is something I would like to discuss with you."

"Ok?" She said confused, her father was acting awfully strange. "What's going on?"

Her confusion only furthered as Hiashi led her to his private chambers. He sat Hinata down on a couch on the side before pouring a glass of Sake. "You're an adult now Hinata, would you care to have a drink?"

He was offering her some? This just kept getting weirder and weirder, but she had never had sake before...and well she was curious to give it a try. She nodded "I would like to try a small bit Father."

"Very well" he poured her a shot glass worths of sake and handed it to her, smiling as her face contorted and gagged when she downed it. "Sake and alcohol aren't for everybody."

Hinata coughed into her hand, man that burned in her throat was deceptively hot. "Yes father, it is. If I may ask why am I here."

Hiashi sighed and went to his bookcase before pulling out a plain white binder, the only thing written on it was a single name. Hitoma. 'Kaachan?' The weirdness just reached its peak, this had never happened before. Hiashi had never opened up to her about her mother. He pulled a stool out and placed the binder in front of Hinata.

"I don't often talk about Hitoma-chan, maybe because I never fully healed after losing her. But after much thought it didn't seem right keeping this from you, here take a look."

Hinata flipped the binder open and gasped, inside where photos. Maybe twenty or thirty, but all of them had one thing in common, Hitoma was seen in all of them. Bluish hair with might pink eyes, an angled face, and thin lips. She was beautiful, Hinata felt her hands shaking, tears were starting to form.

The very first photo she saw? An exhausted looking Hitoma holding a baby girl, and on the bottom was written "Hinata Hyuga". Hiashi quietly wat beside Hinata, and stared at it as well. "Your mother was in labor for almost twenty hours before you were born. I'll never forget when she was finally able to hold you she smiled so brightly..." Hiashi put on a small smile himself "you reminded me of her when you came into the house."

Hinata was trembling "father, I am grateful for you showing me this, but what brought this on?"

"Right" Hiashi nodded to himself before walking over to his cup and downing all of the sake. "Might need another cup before this is over" he said quietly to himself before turning back to Hinata.

"Do you love Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze?" Hinata was taken aback by the sudden question "it's obvious you care deeply for him, you almost died fighting for him. But do you truly love him? Or if you're not at that stage yet, can you see yourself loving him in the future?"

"Wha...I...Father!" She cried out indignantly, not at all prepared for this.

"I am serious Hinata, and I would like to preface this by saying, I don't mind you being in a relationship with him. I quite like the boy and how he's changed you, but one day in the future can you see yourself loving him."

Hinata took a deep breath and steeled herself if she was going to be his girlfriend in front of the village she would do so in front of her family as well. "Yes father, in fact, I think I already have strong feelings for Naruto, and I like to think he does for me as well."

Hiashi nodded "good, Hinata. Good, now for the next question" he paused and looked at his cup before taking a long swig from the bottle itself "even harder to answer, can you see yourself marrying him?"

Caught off guard again, Hinata answered quicker than last time. "I would like to father, one day, why are you asking me all of these questions all of a sudden?"

Hiashi sighed deeply before his shoulders slouched, "let me tell you a story Hinata, about your mother and me. I will say beforehand you will learn something that almost nobody knows, and of those who do only three people are allowed to talk about it. Me, the Hokage and Tsume Inuzuka."

"Tsume Inuzuka, Kiba's mom?"

"Yes Hinata, you see before she was Hitoma Hyuga, she was Hitoma Inuzuka." Hinata gasped, she had never learned that in her past "Hitoma was Tsume-san's older sister, which would make you and that Inuzuka in your class cousins. At the time we were deeply in love with each other. But we were both clan heirs at the time. One of us would have to leave our clan and join the others, and this may surprise you but I offered to join the Inuzuka clan."

Hinata gasped again "but that would have meant.."

"Yes, taking on the cage bird seal. And I didn't mind one bit, if I joined the Inuzuka clan then Hizashi would have been made clan leader. I wanted to do it that way because Hitoma-chan was a gentle spirit but still an Inuzuka. She was a capable ninja and an even stronger person. If she joined the Hyuga clan she would have been made a simple housewife, expected to take care of familial matters, and give me offspring. I didn't want that for her."

"I have a feeling something happened."

"Indeed, the clan elders were against the idea of me, the prestigious Hiashi joining what they considered a lesser clan. They said some things and insulted the Inuzuka clan. They were outraged and demanded an apology, it looked like a clan war was about to start. To quell any fighting Hitoma joined the Hyuga clan. For siding with what the Inuzuka clan considered to be an enemy, they branded her as a traitor and banished her from the clan, but let the matter drop."

"So I'm part Inuzuka?" Hinata was staring at her hands, she had never understood Akamaru before as Kiba did.

"Only by bloodline, the clan elders at the time created a special seal for Hitoma when she was pregnant with you, it would give you her genetics but would kill anything that belonged to the Inuzuka clan. I don't know how they created it, and I've stopped asking. But they made sure you were born as close to only being a Hyuga as they could, and..." Hiashi took another swig "it is what led to her death after the birth of Hanbi."

He took a deep breath and held out a hand to stop Hinata's many questions. "I tell you this so you can understand something Hinata. Naruto comes from the prestigious Uzumaki clan and is the son of Minato Namikaze. If you two were to get married it would be expected of him to keep his family name and for you to take them as well so the rebirth of both clans could begin."

"And if I did that I would have the cage bird seal put on me too."

"Exactly, now I won't claim to know or even understand the young boy, but I just don't see him letting that seal get placed without a fight. But I do see the side branch members siding with you and Naruto. What I mean to say is, unless Naruto takes on the Hyuga name, there could be an interclan war."

Hinata stared at Hiashi in shock, but she could understand where he was coming from. "It won't be a problem for a while though, but I want you to think about it. Whatever decision you make I will back it one hundred percent. And I am sorry for putting such a heavy burden on your shoulders so soon, but I want you to have as much time to think about it as possible."

Hiashi stood up and kissed the top of Hinata's head "you may keep the binder Hinata, it is yours."

Naruto yawned as he walked into his house, today's training had been rough. Kurenai was nothing at all like Kakashi, she worked them to the bone every day. Hell they had already learned how to water walk, now she mostly focused on training them to work as a scouting party. Ahich was easier said than done. Half the day was spent on conditioning and the other half survival strategies.

But he wasn't going to complain, in fact he very much enjoyed Kurenai's training, it was a far cry from Kakashi and his teamwork exercises.

"Ya know, I don't know whose idea it was to put marshmallows in cereal, but i hope they got a raise."

Naruto whipped around, throwing a kunai which flew and landed dead center into the chest of En-En, who was sitting at Naruto's table chowing down on a bowl of cereal. Seemingly unaffected by the kunai buried in his chest, En-En pointed his spoon at the end of the table where a bowl, his cereal and milk where.

"Care for some?"

Naruto, as calmly as he could walked over and grabbed his milk placing it back in the fridge. "Keep it out to long and it'll go bad." What was he doing, turning his back on the most dangerous being in existence?

"Actually" En-En said out of nowhere "it's the most dangerous being ever created."

"Wait, you can-?"

"Yes, yes" he waved his hand "Kami all mighty, how many times am I going to have to explain it, I can read minds."

"Right" Naruto said slowly "so why are you here?"

"Well I noticed you met my brother Obaron, and that he gave you a spirit sigil to talk to Kami" it unerved Naruto how nonchallant he said it.

"So I take it then you've already killed Obaron then?"

"Eh" he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Its really hard to kill an angle while they're in a human host, because at any point they can just up and leave. I don't know where he is now, but he's not around."

Naruto sat down at the table "that still doesn't answer my first question though, why are you here?"

"Right, right... you talked to Kami, and it's simply been ages since we last spoke. I'm curious as to what she had to say about me."

"I'll answer that if you answer a question of my own."

"Technically kid I've already answered two of your questions. But for the sake of conversation, I'll humor you, ask away" he finished by nonchallantly picking at his ear.(His mask only covers the front part of his face. Kinda stupid if you ask me.)

"Hey who are you calling stupid?" Naruto stared at En-En's random outburst, he looked back at Naruto "sorry about that, had to remind someone of their place in the pecking order."

"Ok...? Anyways, the civil war in Kiri, what happened?"

"Which part? What Jezebel and Alistair did to disrupt it, what I did to disrupt it? Or why it came to a sudden abrupt end?"

"Umm...yes?"

"Well for the most part I didn't have a hand in it, except at the end but that really doesn't matter because my little bit of fun was ruined by Jezebel, who sided with rebels after her memory got locked away for about a...week I want to say? I ended up unlocking them but she still sided witht he rebels. Real confusin if you ask me."

"And Alistair? What about him?"

"Ahh he didn't do anything important. Now on to my question, what did Kami tell you? Did she talk about me?"

"Yeah" Naruto grabbed an apple off fruit bowl in the middle of the table "she told me how you were an angle she created, that you betrayed her and stole her power, led humans at the time in a war against her"

En-En started laughing, as in grabbing his sides maniacal laughter. "I betrayed her? I BETRAYED HER?! HAHAHA! THAT'S THE FUNNIES SHIT I'VE EVER HEARD." Wiping one of the eye holes of hisbmask, like he would an actual tear En-En sat up straight. "No Naruto you have it all wrong, I didn't betray her, well I did in a way but she betrayed me and all of my brothers first, I was the only one who wasn't going to have it."

"What do you mean she betrayed you?"

"Kami did something, to all angles, that nobody liked. But because she's our mother no one bothered going agaisnt her, telling her how unfair it is. I was the only one. Because of that she had one of my brothers try and stop me." En-En went quiet as he seemed to be staring at the table, it was hard to tell with his mask. "I had to kill him."

"Not to sound rude, but you don't seem to mind kling people."

En-En chuckled "now sure, but back then it was the first time I ever killed someone."

"Kami said after you stole her power you left. Where did you go?"

"Oh here and there. Places she couldn't go. There are entire universes out there with their own unique places and people and abilities. I traveled through some of them and learned their ways. Not that that's supposed to mean something to you kid, but Kami knows everywhere I went. Next question, do you know who you are?"

"Who I am?" That confused Naruto "what is that supposed to mean? I'm me."

En-En sighed before standing up, he slowly pulled the kunai out and walked up to Naruto, who got in a defensive stance. He held the kunai out towards Naruto and shook his head "my mother is keeping secrets from you Naruto. And I mean that but if she hasn't told you yet then who am I to spoil the fun? Oh by the way" he tossed some money on the table "for the food."

"What do you mean?" But in the literal blink of an eye En-En was gone, the kunai he was holding clattering to the ground. What did he mean by that? "Hey! EN-En come back!" But he got no response, Naruto decided the best thing to do was talk to Kami. Maybe if he confronted her about it she would tell him.

So gathering his thoughts he sat down in a meditative stance before pushing chakra into his spirit sigil. This time he didn't keep his eyes closed and watched as his soul left his body and flew up and towards the sky. He was slightly alarmed by the high rate of speed, but he survived once. Again he found himself in the same spot as last time was alone for a few seconds before Kami materialized out of then air.

She smiled a bright smile "ah hello there dear child, what can I do for you?"

"well I just got visited by En-En."

Kami's smile immediately turned into a frown. "are you ok? Did he hurt you?"

"Nah I'm fine but he did say you were keeping things from me."

"What does that mean Naruto-Kun?" And so Naruto spent the next five or ten minutes explaining to Kami what transpired with En-En "I will admit there are a few things about En-En I did not inform you of. Those things are not important to your mission Naruto, which has not changed. How are things coming?"

Naruto sighed at the obvious change in topics, but he was talking to freakin Kami, what was he supposed to do? "Well in the eight months since returning, the only big thing I've taken is the stone tablet from the Uchiha compound. I really can't do much until I get stronger and the Akatsuki becomes a problem."

"And have you come up with a definitive course of action?"

"well" he said crossing his arms "the only plan I have right now is to kill Black Zetsu. Once he's dead there will be no one left to revive Kaguya. The only downside is I don't know where Black zetus going to be until the war, unless you want to tell me Kami-sama?"

"That is a simple matter Naruto-Kun, give me one moment." Kami lowered her head and closed her eyes in concentration for just a second before looking back up. "He is in Ami at the moment with Obito and Pain."

Naruto bit his lip, thinking. "Ok, ok. Can't do anything for now. Would you mind doing that later when I'm strong enough to face them?"

Kami nodded "of course my child, if it is in my power to assist you and your mission then please do not hesitate to ask."

"Right, thank you Kami-sama, I have another question to ask."

"Then ask away Naruto-Kun."

"My friend, Lee, told Neji he had a dream about the Fourth Shinobi War. Has he been sent back from the future as well?"

Kami's shoulders dropped "ah I see, how to explain this to someone whose never heard of Quantum Mechanics...the best way I can explain like this." She reached out her hand and made to lines of orange energy "these are two timelines, you are from this one" a small chibi like Naruto head popped on one.

"When I sent you back in time you moved from that timeline to this one" the Naruto head hopped over to the other line "because I sent you back, and therefore you changed the future, your original timeline should have erased itself, but I preserved it in case of emergencies, like the one with Hinata. However I do not Lord over time, I am not its master. Since I stopped it itself it has tried to merge with the alternate timeline."

Naruto was lost "I'm sorry, what do you mean by merge? And what exactly does erase mean?"

"Simply put Naruto-Kun, there can be only one timeline, the old one has to go so it is becoming one timeline. There shouldn't be any major effects, but what happened with Lee. I have been trying to make the merge happen as seamless as possible, but some accidents seep through the crack." That didn't help Naruto at all. He was so lost and confused, making Kami sigh in frustration, or as close as she could get. "I can't explain this to you right now Naruto-Kun, it is far to complex to understand. Basically do not worry about it, there may be other instances where people have visions of time no longer, but they will be few and far in between, and won't affect your mission."

Naruto nodded "thanks I guess?"

"No problem Naruto-Kun, stay safe on your trip to Wave." She made a motion with her hand and Naruto disappeared, and so to did Kami.

Naruto opened his eyes, more annoyed than anything else. He had wanted to talk to Kami about En-En, not give her a report. He had a strange feeling there was something about En-En she didn't want him to know. And, looking around, He couldn't see En-En or feel his presence, so he couldn't ask him. And all that stuff about timelines merging and erasing was just one giant headache he didn't feel like having.

He went over to his fridge to make himself a snack, after all, he couldn't do any deep thinking on an empty stomach. "Ah hell, that bastard used the rest of my milk. That would explain the three hundred ryu he left and did he...son of a bitch took my ribs!" Naruto growled, so not only did this strange man come into his house he also took Naruto's food. How the hell was three hundred ryu going to buy an entire rack of ribs?

Naruto closed his fridge with a heavy breath, he would need to go grocery shopping. Well right now he had to get supplies for his mission to Wave. Proper camping gear and rations were at the top of the list. Now the question was, where could he go without ruining Gamma-chan? He pulled put said frog wallet, it was stuffed at the moment.

But he was saving up so he could do something big for Hinata's birthday. Well, it was the middle of May and her birthday was in December. He had time. He could go to Tenten's shop, but if she wasn't there then he'd be overcharged for sure. Not that her dad had anything against him, but he didn't want to be targeted by the Leaf for being a "demon supporter."

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

Someone was at his door, peeping through the hole he was quick to open it. "Hey, Sasuke what's up?" The Raven haired kid quickly walked in, sometime during his conversation with Kami it had started raining lightly.

"I came to drop these off." He placed a scroll on Naruto's coffee table in the living room. ""It's got what few wind techniques my family bothered writing down. As well as the beginning katas for the Uchiha sword style. Now hold up your end of the bargain."

"Right" Naruto sweatdropped, so much for small talk. "This way" he lead Sasuke to Minato's personal study...well now it was his(Naruto's) personal study. "My father didn't have much in the way of Fire style ninjutsu, but he did have a bunch on Lightning style."

"How do you know my secondary typing is lightning?"

Naruto froze for just a split second. 'Shit didn't mean to let it slip out like that.'

"Um your fangirls like to talk...?" Naruto said, but Sasuke could hear the cringe in his voice.

"Hnn...fine, and I was wondering, would you show me the flying Raijin? I don't want to copy it or anything, but would like to see it."

Naruto stared at Sasuke before grinning, "fine Sasuke, I'll let you see my dad's notes on the flying Raijin technique, in return you've got to do me a favor."

Sauske didn't like Naruto's grin "what kind of favor Naruto?"

"Oh just a little shopping is all, you don't have to buy anything. Just come with me."

Sasuke was silent before he nodded "that's alright with me, but why do you want me to go with you?

Naruto shrugged "if I go by myself I'll be overcharged for anything I buy. But if you come with me then no one will try that with the legendary last Uchiha." He finished by giving Sasuke a shallow bow, which honestly annoyed him more than anything else.

"Ok Naruto let me so those notes first" he(Naruto) flipped open Minato's journal and spun it around so Sasuke could see it. Of course Sasuke had no idea what he was reading.

"So Sasuke, a question for you, of all the things you could have asked for, why this?"

"Simple Naruto, I want to use this jutsu in the future and figured I could use this to fight Itachi in the future."

"How bold of you Sasuke to assume I'll just hand over my father's strongest technique."

"I don't mind trading over Uchiha techniques of equal value."

Naruto couldn't help the snort that came out of him. "I'm sorry Sasuke, but do the Uchiha even have something as strong as the Flying Raijin?"

"Later I'll show you the vaults and I'll let you decide that for yourself Naruto."

"Fair enough but" Naruto took the journal and closed it "you've seen as much as I'm willing to show you, so on to that shopping trip."

A couple minutes later

Haku: Zabuza-sama you knocked him unconscious!

Zabuza: ok and? Why are you making such a big deal out of this? He'll live.

Haku: and whose supposed to do the end authors note? Neither of us know what big surprise he planned to tell the audience about the next chapter!

Zabuza: what do you mean? What big surprise?

Haku: he was going to hint and tease about some big confrontation between you and his team!

Zabuza: that seems auspicious for someone who doesn't know.

Haku: right...i need to go check on Author-sama.