Naruto as well as the others set out at first light and though Naruto worried that Hattori would want to stay behind to ensure that no other Templar remained in the Land of Waves; Naruto was happy to find out that his mentor wasn't yet ready to part ways with him. Since the only member of their group that they had to worry about the safety of was Inari, Naruto ensured that he was kept in the middle of them which would make it extremely difficult for any wannabe attacker to reach.

The journey back home would be a long one and since Naruto hadn't made this journey in quite some time, he had to rely on Kakashi and the other members of Team 7 to lead the way which is why Naruto put himself at the rear of the group.

Though Naruto wasn't the only one who was guarding their group from the rear of it. Hattori walked confidently beside him as both scanned their environment for any possible threat to their safety. While they were doing this, Hattori started to speak. "I wanted to thank you Naruto for stopping me from taking vengeance against Zabuza and though I still would like to plunge my blade into him; I was the one who taught you that the good of the brotherhood comes first which you reminded me during the battle." Hattori spoke out to the younger Assassin.

His mentor's words were enough to bring a smile to his face and as they continued to make their way forward, Naruto responded. "You are my mentor. I would do anything for you." Naruto answered back.

From this point, the two Assassins kept quiet which mimicked by every other individual in their group.

Leaf Village

One Month Later

"We are nearly home…" Naruto thought as they rounded a bend in the dirt path that split the forest beside them in half. Though Naruto hadn't been inside the village of his birth in over three years he still thought of it as home and was thankful that he would soon get to see the face of his adoptive mother once more.

Naruto spotted the gate to his village long before they reached it and once reaching the gate, they were met by many Ninja who were most likely threatened by the unknown chakra signatures that were coming towards the village.

None of these Ninja were ones that Naruto recognized which wasn't surprising since; three years of academy students have been put into the ranks of Konoha's Ninja. Wanting to ensure that a fight didn't break out among them, Kakashi stepped forwards and started to speak. "What is the meaning of this? Do you not recognize the members of Team 7?" Kakashi inquired as he glared at the armed Ninja in front of him.

"We know you and your team Kakashi…it's the other ones that we are having an issue with." An unknown male Ninja growled as he tightened his hold on the sword within his hands.

Sensing that the man was about to charge at them, Naruto started to push chakra to his feet and just as he finished two Ninja came charging at them. Naruto sprang through the air to land among the group the was still at the gate. Before anyone could react, Naruto had his blade pressed against the throat of the Ninja that had spoken to Kakashi.

"That was not very nice of you…what would the Hokage say when she learns that you just attacked her thought to be dead son?" Naruto snarled as he pressed his blade harder on the Ninja which started to draw blood.

When the Ninja within the group heard what Naruto said, a gasp broke out around them though this wasn't the only thing that Naruto heard. Mere seconds after the gasp, the sounds of metal smacking into the ground followed. Now that Naruto had ensured that they wouldn't be attacked while walking through the gate, he moved his blade away from the Ninja's throat. "If one of you could be so kind to let my mother know of our arrival, I would be extremely thankful." Naruto spoke out and once finishing this, two of the Ninja vanished in a puff of smoke.

Now that Naruto knew that there would no longer be any problem with the return of their group to the Leaf, Naruto continued past the still stunned guards in the direction of his mother's tower. Since Naruto wasn't the only one who needed to go to Tsunade's tower; the Ninja of Team 7 as well as the guests that they brought along with them followed Naruto.

When Naruto got halfway to the tower, he witnessed a desk get tossed through the door that would lead him into his mother's office. From the hole in the wall where the door once stood came the two Ninja that were sent to inform Tsunade of Naruto's return to the village though from how they were fleeing from their Hokage's office; the information they gave her must not have been taken very well.

Since Naruto was ahead of the group that he was travelling with he was the first one to make it to the tower and once there; Naruto was pushing himself up the stairs that would lead him to his mother's arms. It wasn't long before the blond Assassin was nearing the hole in the wall and as he reached it, he could hear what sounded like crying coming from within the office.

"How dare they…how dare they bring up Naruto to me after all…all I went through to since he had died?" Tsunade howled as the memories of burying the empty coffin became to much for her to bare.

Naruto waited by the door listening to the pain that was present within his mother's voice. "Oh mother…hearing you like this makes me wish I had returned sooner." Naruto moaned to himself as he decided that he had spent enough time away from the woman who cared enough about him to bring him into her family when he had no one else.

Naruto pushed himself through the opening where the door once was and as his feet collided with one of the pieces of the shattered door; Tsunade's head flung itself towards him. "Didn't you have enough already…" Tsunade cried out though when her eyes landed on Naruto, she cut her words off. "…how? You were dead…Kakashi told me he watched as the ground swallowed you whole." Tsunade stammered as she pushed herself from her desk.

Even though Naruto knew that it was not the time for humorous remarks, he somehow couldn't control himself. "It seems even Tailed-Beasts don't appreciate having their lives cut short." Naruto chuckled out as he made his way closer to his mother though as he was doing this, he was speaking once more. "Though after Kurama had healed my wounds, an Assassin found and nursed me back to health while also training me to become just like him." Naruto finished as he finally arrived in front of his mother.

What happened next wouldn't have been a shock to anyone. With a grip that could have ended the life of a full-grown bear, Tsunade snatched ahold of Naruto and brought him in for a tight embrace.

Though the embrace could have shattered his bones, Naruto allowed himself to meld into his mother's arms. "I missed you everyday for the last three years mother." Naruto whispered into Tsunade's ears as he heard approaching feet coming through the gaping hole in the wall. "Though I think we will need to cut our reunion short since the Ninja the returned me to the village have business to conclude with you." Naruto muttered once more as he broke himself free from his mother's embrace.

With Naruto now returned to the family that he had for only a month before his supposed death; he stepped back to allow his former team mates to conclude their mission report to their Hokage.