Hey my guys, so this chapter isn't as long as most of them, it's really just some fluff and friendship and a getting from point A to point B, so to speak. That's why I'm publishing this one today, anyway the chapter after this is much more important and I know you guys will like having that one sooner than you would have.

Of course, once they did arrive home from the hospital Rin took Karin aside to explain that Naruto would be leaving on a training trip soon, leaving Naruto and Sasuke to explain to Sakura, sat in the blonde's bedroom.

"So, you said there was something you wanted to tell me?" Sakura tilted her head, a curious gleam in her green eyes. "Is everything okay you two."

"Yeah." Sasuke nodded, "Well... yeah I'm okay. Itachi was in the village but we'll explain that later."

"What?" Sakura's eyes widened, "You'll explain that later? What the hell could be more important than that Sasuke-kun."

"I'm leaving Konoha on a training trip with Ero Sennin soon." Naruto blurted the words out quickly, a determined look on her face. "To fix up Kurama's seal and get stronger so I can handle the Akatsuki."

"Oh." Sakura blinked, "That's not as much of a surprise as you seem to think it would be, I've known it was coming for ages."

"You-you have?"

"Yeah, it was pretty obvious it was gonna happen."

"You're okay with it."

"Of course I am." Sakura was suddenly lunging across the bed and hugging Naruto, "Don't get me wrong I'll miss you like hell but if you need to do it you need to do it right?" her voice was firm as she reached out and poked Naruto's shoulder, "And you'll come back home when you're ready and we'll be a team again."

"Right." Naruto's expression softened as she hugged Sakura back. "Sasuke-kun. Team hug time-"

"Oh hell no I don't do team hugs dumbass-"

"That's mean." Naruto pouted, "Sakura-chan, make him join the hug-"

"C'mon Sasuke-kun." Sakura released Naruto and together the girls lunged at Sasuke, knocking him onto the bed, both of them latching their arms around him, cackling madly as Sasuke let out a loud yell.

"What the hell you guys?"

"TEAM HUG!" Naruto screamed the words into Sasuke's ear, ignoring the boys pained yelp and the way he tried to squirm out of the two girls grip.

"Stop being assholes!"

"This coming from Sasuke-duckbutt the king of assholes?" Naruto asked mockingly.

"Oh don't start that again-"

"Well your hair is kinda Duckbuttish."

"I hate you so much-"

"You love me! I'm your baby sister!"

"And I'm like, literally one of your only friends." Sakura looked very smug, "You're not the most friendly person in Konoha Sasuke-kun."

"I don't need a load of friends." Sasuke's voice softened almost imperceptibly, "I have two friends. They're morons yeah but I don't need anyone else."

"That may be the sweetest thing you've ever said to us Sasuke-kun." Sakura pulled away from the hug, Naruto following her lead.

"Yeah Sasuke-kun." Naruto grinned softly, "For the record even if you are an asshole you're also one of the best friends ever."

"Besides." Sakura grinned, "You'll make new friends Sasuke-kun, for example Karin-chan and that Sai-san."

"Shove off." Sasuke shoved Sakura's shoulder, pulling a face, "Karin is somewhat bearable, I'm getting used to her now, but Sai is..." he pulled a face, "He's an asshole. Like, seriously the guy has no human emotions."

"To be fair he was one of the Root members." Sakura pointed out, "Didn't Danzo like, specifically train them so that they didn't feel emotion?"

"Yeah, he did. But still. He keeps calling me Duckbutt-and can I just say that whichever of you told Karin about then is evil and I will never forgive you." Sasuke pulled a face, glowering it slightly.

"Hah." Naruto grinned, "Sounds like I'd like him."

"He's an asshole."

"Yeah, well so are you." Sakura grinned, "Sounds like you'll make great friends."

"That or we'll murder each other before a week is out-"

"The best friendships start that way." Naruto grinned, "For example I recall the days when we first met and I punched you in the face for being mean to Sakura-chan."

"Ah yes, good times." Sakura giggled, shaking her head. "That was something else."

"I'm gonna miss this." Naruto piped up, "I really am."

"It won't be for too long." Sakura leaned into Naruto's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, squeezing gently. "You'll come back to us soon enough I know that you will."

"Of course." Naruto let out a soft breath.

"Yeah, before you know it you'll be back and you'll be wishing you could go on another trip-"

"Oh Baa-chan wouldn't allow that. When I get back from my training trip she wants to start training me to take over from her
as Hokage."

"Hah, she probably just wants to pass off all of the work onto you."

"Of course she does." Naruto grinned, "But I'm happy either way, I want that hat."

"And you'll get it. If anyone deserves it it'll be you." Sakura declared, "You bring out the best in people-I saw Neji the other day, he's still kinda stuffy and slightly stuck up at times. I think it's a Hyuga thing, but he smiled and nodded at me and he was polite enough, and he didn't go on about fate once-"

"Wow, now that is a victory."

"And clearly you were an amazing influence on Sasuke-kun-"

"Hn-"

"That's Uchiha for yes."

"I think you're right Sakura-chan." Naruto declared, "I also think it's Uchiha for 'Thank you for helping me pull the gigantic stick out of my ass."

"Nohara!" Sasuke lunged at the blonde, laughter filling the room as she rolled away from him and kicked him off the bed.
Of course that was the point at which he grabbed a pillow, and then Sakura grabbed one and of course Naruto had to grab another, for self defense purposes.

Within minutes the room was chaos and laughter as they fought with pillows.

The laughter reached new volumes when the pillow Naruto smashed over Sasuke's head split open, the feathers stuffed inside of it exploding outwards and filling the air.

Sasuke of course used this opportunity to smack Naruto around the face with his pillow when Naruto scrambled to grab the final pillow off the bed.

Sakura leapt in at that point-literally, she'd been stood on the bed while the other two were stood on the floor, and then she was on Sasuke's back, arms wrapping around him as her legs wrapped around him too, and Sasuke yelped, toppling backwards as Naruto leapt to her feet and jumped onto him, cackling with laughter as she did.

"Victory to the girls!"

"I'll never give in!" Sasuke was flailing as he tried to shove Naruto off of him and roll out of Sakura's grip.

It was at that point that the door swung open and Rin stood looking in with a raised eyebrow, Karin just behind her. "What exactly has been going on here you three?"

"He started it." the girls pointed at Sasuke and spoke in unison, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Traitors." he hissed the word, "And here I thought we were teammates."

"Sorry." Naruto's voice was not in fact remotely sorry and the grin was the exact opposite of sorry, "But my mom taught me better than to lie and honestly all is fair in love and pillow wars."

"You... did you guys have a pillow fight?" Karin pouted, "You should have called me to join in and I could have helped you kick some Uchiha ass-"

"You wish." Sasuke rolled his eyes, "You're more of an idiot than your cousin if you think you could have helped kick my ass-"

"Why you-"

"What, don't like the truth?"

"I am gonna pumme-"

"Children!" Rin's voice was filled with laughter as she held up her hands, "Please dear Kami just stop!" the bickering ceased quickly, though Sakura and Naruto were giggling as Sasuke and Karin glared at each other fiercely.

"There we go." Rin let out a breath, shaking her head, "Right. Karin-chan, downstairs I want you to help me with the cooking."

"Okay Rin-san." Karin poked her tongue out at Sasuke before turning and almost prance away and down the stairs.

"Now." Rin turned her gaze to the three members of team Seven "You three..." she surveyed the chaos of the bedroom, "Are going to tidy up the mess you've made. Now. No coming downstairs and no food until everything is spotless. And once it is tidy you three are going to go out and use your own money to buy some more pillows do I make myself clear."

"Yes mom."

"Yes Rin-san."

"Good." Rin nodded, "Only after you've done that will you be allowed to have dinner."

"But mo-"

"No buts young lady!" Rin cut over Naruto's protests, "You made the mess so you'll be clearing it up."

"Yes mom."

"And Naruto-chan?"

"Yes?"

"If you use shadow clones I will know and you will be grounded for the next ten years when you get home from your training trips."

"But-"

"What did I say about buts?"

"No buts."

"Good." Rin turned around and headed down the stairs quickly, "I'll send Rin-chan up with some bags for the feathers."

And so the trio spent the next two hours clearing up the mess of feathers-which seemed to have gotten everywhere, and then hunting down some new pillows and buying them.

It was penance enough in Rin's opinion, thankfully, and the trio were permitted to eat their dinner, albeit later than planned-and Kakashi joined them for it, the atmosphere light and warm.

And the last of Naruto's days in Konoha were spent with her family, laughing and packing in her free time, training and hanging out with her friends.

The day before Naruto and Jiraiya were due to leave they all ate out at Ichiraku ramen-Tsunade and Jiraiya joining them too-a fact that had drawn a fair few surprised looks from passer byes, especially when Naruto had very loudly proclaimed that her 'Baa-chan needed to keep the hat nice and warm for her and needed to keep her village all in one piece.

The younger of the blondes had received a firm slap upside the head for that one but the woman had been laughing at her antics so Naruto definitely considered that a win.

It was early in the morning that Naruto and Jiraiya left, with a crowd gathered around the gates of Konoha to wave them off as Jiraiya slung an arm over Naruto's shoulders and they headed through the village gates and onto the future. Onto whatever would come next..