Four individuals stood within the Hokage's office. This included the Hokage herself, her son Naruto as well as both his current mentor and his former mentor.

"Are you really telling me that Naruto almost single handedly wiped out the entire mercenary group as well as killed one of the most brutal mobsters that the Land of Waves have ever had?" Tsunade inquired in a voice threaded with disbelief.

If Naruto would have done those actions to gain recognition for it then he would have been highly upset about how his mother was acting when she learned of his deeds. Even though Naruto thought about demonstrating some of the techniques that he had learned over the years to enforce the thought that he wasn't the same Ninja who he was when he went missing three years ago; Naruto decided that it would be best if that information came from Kakashi.

"Yes Hokage. That is what I am saying. Naruto performed Jutsu that most Ninja his age wouldn't even be able to comprehend. Though its not only the Jutsu that was astounding, but he also moved in ways that were far beyond the skill level of some of our Jonin." Kakashi responded to Tsunade.

For a moment, Tsunade sat in silence as she digested the information that had just been given to her. When she was ready to speak once more, she quickly did so though when she did; her attention was fully on Naruto. "Even though you will always be one of our beloved Ninja to me, are you wanting to start taking missions again as a member of Team 7?" Tsunade inquired of the blond Assassin who happened to be her adoptive son.

Naruto knew that this was going to come up and had effectively prepared an answer to the question. "No. I have spent far too long training myself in ways that my old team wouldn't understand, and I do not wish to go backwards in my life. The only way that I will return as a Ninja for this village is if I receive Jonin status and get a team of Ninja of my own to train." Naruto responded.

From the way that silence descended on the office, Naruto knew that this wasn't the answer that his mother or former sensei had expected and though he loved both of them deeply as well as this village; Naruto had goals of his own that he had to focus on now. Goals that don't include being a Genin.

Once again, Tsunade turned her attention towards Kakashi. "As Naruto's former sensei, do you think that he is ready for the responsibilities of a Jonin?" Tsunade inquired of the silver haired Jonin.

Though Tsunade had asked Kakashi to answer, Hattori was the one who stepped forward and gave her the answer to this question. "I know that we don't know each other but when I came upon Naruto, he was already a Ninja of a high quality. He should have been made a Chunin by the time that he was on the mission as far as I could tell and right now for you to doubt his ability to operate as a Jonin is a risk I wouldn't take since you and your village have just had him returned to you." Hattori explained as he gave Tsunade a slight bow for her position within the village.

Once more, Naruto watched as his mother grew quiet. Seeing an opportunity to ensure that he gets what he wants, Naruto pounced on it. "Mother, you knew from the moment that you met me how much I cared for my duty to this village and from the moment I showed you with every mission that I could get the job that you needed done. Don't let your memories of that young boy cloud your vision of the man that I am now." Naruto spoke out with a confidence that Tsunade hasn't seen since he disappeared.

"Very well my son. I will grant your request to be a Jonin as well as lead a team of Genin. Though you will have to wait to receive your Genin until this year's class graduates." Tsunade explained as she stood from her desk. "Now can we get out of here. I have called in many favors to have this celebration thrown together on such short notice." Tsunade spoke out as she walked towards the exit of her office.

Though it Naruto wasn't a big fan of celebrations, he knew that it wasn't every day that he would appear before his mother back from the dead and as such; Naruto decided that he would suffer through the celebration she was throwing in his honor.

Naruto was sitting in the outskirts of the party nursing a glass of sake that Hattori had brought to him. As he was doing so, his mentor was speaking to him. "I was surprised when you told your mother that you wouldn't return as a member of your former team. You spent the better part of a year telling me how much you missed them." Hattori explained as he nursed his own glass of sake.

"It is true that I missed them but not the lack of teamwork that they showed me when performing missions. If our brotherhood is to have a chance at thriving in this village, I needed a way to train young Ninja to operate as we do." Naruto responded as he noticed the pink hair of his former teammate coming towards him.

Naruto wasn't the only one to notice Sakura's approach. "We will speak more of this later. For now, enjoy the reunion that you have been wishing for." Hattori muttered out before vanishing into the crowds.

"There you are Naruto. I have been looking everywhere for you." Sakura huffed as she sprinted towards the blond Assassin when she noticed him sitting alone.

Before responding, Naruto took another sip from his drink. "I have been sitting here…" Was the curt reply that Naruto gave his pink haired comrade.

This reply told Sakura that the individual sitting before her was not the same one that she remembered though the drink in Naruto's hands also helped reinforce this idea in her mind. Seeing that both she and Naruto were currently alone save for the few passersby that were enjoying the night's festivities; Sakura took this as a way for her to get something off her chest that has been eating at her for the last three years. "Naruto…there is something that I want to say to you. Three years ago, when we were on that mission, my attack on the bandits is what caused the ground to fall beneath you…I just wanted to say that I am sorry for this." Sakura explained in a voice that due to its smallness, told Naruto that she was quite serious in her apology.

For three years that possibility had floated around Naruto's mind since the only one who was with them on that mission that had the strength to do that would have been Sakura since she was trained by Tsunade. If Naruto had learned about this two years ago, he might have put a blade into Sakura though since overtime the wounds from the fall had healed; Naruto no longer wished her ill will.

"There is no need to apologize Sakura. I am alive and well, so in the future lets ensure that your attacks on our enemies don't bring down allies with it." Naruto replied as he finished the last gulp of his drink.

Placing the cup on the table he was occupying, Naruto melted into the crowd; leaving behind Sakura to gasp in shock at how quickly the blond Assassin could vanish.