I don't even feel remotely mean for how this chapter ends.

Naruto wasn't sure how long she and Itachi had been relaxing by the water when it happened, when she felt a familiar faint tug that meant that someone was pushing their chakra into one of her kunai.

She wasn't sure which one it was of course. She turned her head to look at Itachi, a very faint frown on her lips "Itachi-san someone's using one of my Kunai to call for me."

"Oh?" Itachi frowned, "Do you know who?"

"No, I just know that someone's doing it. I shouldn't be gone too long, can you go and tell everyone I got called away."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, it's probably nothing." and if it wasn't anything... Itachi was a lot healthier than he had been, and she knew he was strong, but she could remember how he'd looked when she'd rushed him to Sakura for medical attention.

No he'd be nice and safe in Konoha.

"Be careful." Itach's brows were furrowed slightly, "If you need back up then don't hesitate Naruto-san."

"I won't." Naruto nodded quickly before following the pull of the Hirashin kunai, instantly on guard when she found herself surrounded by sand, ignoring the tugging sensation when it happened a second time.

She heard a shocked yell, but her gaze focused on Gaara who was on his hands and knees, and she was moving lightning fast, seeing his eyes focused behind her. She had a Rasengan in her hand before she even turned, and the Akatsuki robe wearing figure behind her didn't have time to react before Naruto was smashing it into his gut and sending him flying backwards, hood falling to reveal long blond hair.

The second Akatsuki robed figure was moving, but even as he did she was reaching out, and as she reached out so did Kurama.

"Take my chakra, stop those bastards from getting my annoying brat of a little brother."

"With pleasure."

And just like that Naruto was cloaked in golden chakra and she saw the red haired Akatsuki members eyes widen in shock as she flew towards him.

Oh Sage mode would probably be plenty to deal with these bastards but she didn't have any clones collecting nature chakra right now.

She wasn't letting anyone hurt her friend.

It was almost funny how quickly Naruto took the two S-rank nin out, she literally ended up throwing red hair at blond hair when the blond one had staggered to his feet, and then she flashed through handsigns and a fireball roared towards them, and even as it did she was turning to look at Gaara, who's sand surged towards the two downed Akatsuki, wrapping thickly around their limbs, pinning their arms to their sides and their legs together.

"Are you okay?" Naruto bit her thumb and swiped it over her wrist seal, pulling out two pre-made chakra suppression seals and two paralysis seals and moving to the two bound Akatsuki as Gaara nodded, staggering to his feet.

"Yes." Gaara looked fairly beat up now that she was looking at him properly, there were burns over his body, his robes were seared and bloody, his face was bleeding.

"Geeze," Naruto slapped the seals on them both before pulling out a scroll and sealing the two barely conscious shinobi into it before tucking it away once more "they really got the jump on you huh?"

"They got into the village, one of them laid explosive traps all over the village-he even got his explosives into my sand, they wanted to force me to leave without fighting-I couldn't let them destroy my village." the young Kazekage looked furious as he said that. "He set the ones in my sand off when I made the mistake of using it to shield myself from Sasori."

"Ah." Naruto winced. "Close quarters explosion huh?" she eyed him carefully, noting how he swayed somewhat.

"Very much-" then Gaara was toppling forward and Naruto surged to catch him, gently pushing some of her own chakra into her fellow Jinchuriki, sharing it and letting it heal his wounds.

"Woah there." she held him carefully, sinking to her knees. "You look like shit Gaara-kun."

"Thank you Naruto-chan." his voice was quiet. "I do believe you saved my life."

"No need to thank me." Naruto's voice was soft, "Just take a moment Gaara-kun. Just breath. Do you know how far we are from Suna?"

"Perhaps an hours walk."

"Do you want to walk or Hirashin?"

"I think it would be best to Hirashin. They'll all be worried about me." Gaara grimaced, "Take me to Temari if you can."

"It might have been placed years ago but Temari undoubtedly still has my Hirashin seal on her so we should be okay."

"Just give me a moment please." Gaara looked a bit better than he had, the chakra infusion had perked him up somewhat, the worst of the burns were healing up-they looked days old rather than fresh, and he was able to push himself up so that he wasn't slumped in Naruto's arms.

"Of course." Naruto let out a breath, "I am so glad I gave you my kunai."

"As am I." Gaara gave a small smile before it faltered, "It seems that even our extra security to prepare for the Akatsuki wasn't enough."

"Gaara-kun they're not exactly soft touches." the blonde pointed out "We had Obito Uchiha in Konoha not too long ago."

"You did?" Gaara frowned, "That wasn't mentioned in the letter."

"That was more of a personal matter." Naruto frowned, "He was my moms friend and teammate. He wanted to see her-"

"They were friends?" Gaara's eyes narrowed, "But she's a Jinchuriki-"

"Oh believe me I can see the irony there." Naruto grimaced, "It's a long story but he didn't cause much harm before he left. Just a lot of upset, still the point is sometimes you can't keep 'em out. You don't have to feel bad because they got in."

"Thank you Naruto-chan." Gaara shook his head, "I admit, as much as I knew they would target me I didn't expect them to get so close."

"Well we fought them off for now." Naruto shook her head, "Y'know today's been a hell of a day."

"Oh?"

Naruto gave a slight smile at the tilt on Gaara's head and the question in his tone.

"Yeah, yeah it has. I spoke to Baa-chan earlier today, I'm getting a promotion."

"A promotion-" Gaara's eyes widened and his lips twitched into a slight smile. "Ah, I see, you'll at last be joining me as a Kage of our respective villages. It will be a pleasure working with you I'm sure."

"That'll make two villages with Kages who are under twenty and Jinchiriki." Naruto grinned lightly, "Wonder how the other Kage's will react."

"You have a friendship with Terumi-san already."

"I don't think the Raikage likes me very much." Naruto remarked thoughtfully, "Not that I really give a crap if he does or doesn't as long as we can work together-he doesn't have to like me to respect me after all."

"I do believe that it's the Tsuchikage who may be a problem." Gaara actually chuckled softly at that. "Did he not despise your father."

"Oh he did indeed." Naruto grinned playfully, "My father earned his reputation by wiping out pretty much an army of Iwa shinobi after all, he was the first Shinobi to earn a flee on sight order in a bingo book-"

"But not the last." Gaara chuckled, "I have no doubt you're likely to earn much the same-"

"Are you kidding I probably already have." Naruto laughed brightly, "I know for a fact that when I ran into a few Oto shinobi during my training with Ero Sennin they freaking bolted."

"It seemed that somehow there are some Otagakure shinobi who have at least a bit of intelligence." Gaara paused, "Have you any idea what Orochimaru is planning?"

"No. Last time we heard from him was when he sent Kabuto to abduct Sasuke-kun. I'm pretty sure we still have Kabuto locked up somewhere in T&I." Naruto said after a moment of thought, "But no, nothing since then but there's no doubt that he's up to something."

"When he is captured Suna wants to be involved."

"Of course, he killed your father, your Kage. Suna has a right to be involved almost as much as Konoha."

"Good." Gaara let out a breath, "I feel steadier now."

"Don't think you'll throw up when we Hirashin back to Suna?" Naruto asked teasingly, and Gaara shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"I do believe I'll be fine Naruto-chan."

"Grab my arm then." Naruto held her arm out so that he could grab on, which he did instantly.

Then Naruto Hirashined them to Temari, who was in a meeting room with several serious looking Shinobi and Kankuro-probably trying to figure out how to get their Kage back.

She cried out loudly, as did Kankuro when the two Jinchuriki were suddenly in the room, and then Temari was surging forward.

"Gaara!"

"Temari, Kankuro." Gaara let his sister pull him into a hug as Kankuro laid a hand on his brothers shoulder.

"You're okay." the blonde's voice was shaking, "What the hell happened?"

"Yeah Gaara-" Kankuro gave Naruto a small nod, "I assume you helped him get away Naruto-san?"

"Thank you." Temari pulled away from Gaara and pulled Naruto into a tight hug, "Thank you so much Naruto-san. Hod did you know?"

"I called her for help-" Gaara paused, "I may have dropped the kunai-"

"Doesn't matter I have loads of them." Naruto waved a hand, "I'll give you another one Gaara-kun. But yeah he called for me using my kunai."

"Thank Kami." Temari pulled back, "We owe you so much-"

"You owe me nothing." Naruto waved a hand dismissively, "You're my friends, of course I was going to do everything in my power to help."

"Thank you." the voice came from-

"Baki-san." Naruto gave a warm smile, "I thought I recognized you-"

"Despite your protests Suna owes you a debt Naruto-san. We will repay it."

Naruto resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Well if you insist then the only thing I ask for is that the alliance between our villages is cultivated even more."

"What happened to the Akatsuki members who attacked?" his gaze focused on Gaara, "Have they been killed Kazekage-sama?"

"Naruto-san." Gaara turned to look at Naruto, "You sealed them away did you not."

"Yeah." Naruto nodded, "Luckily they weren't expecting me."

"If you would unseal then Nohara-sama." that was another one of the shinobi, a woman with very short blonde hair, "We will deal with them."

"As you wish." Naruto pulled out the scroll, unsealing the two Akatsuki members, who were both still very much paralysed-and they did not look great, they were pretty burned.

"Sasori." Baki looked slightly pale, "We'll need to summon Chiyo-sama."

"Do so." Gaara nodded, glaring at the Akatsuki members on the ground-they both looked angry, but it was the blond who's words made Naruto's blood run cold.

"That little rat knew. He planned this." Sasori was silent but there was anger in his expression too.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto's brows furrowed-"

"He threw us to you for some fucked up scheme. He told us to let the Kazekage pull out some special kunai."

"Who?"

"Naruto-"

"Who gave you that order."

"The annoying little shit Tobi, he ordered us to let the Kazekage pull out the kunai. He was here, left when the Kunai was pulled out."

"What?" Naruto felt the world dropping out beneath her feet even as Gaara reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder and steady her. "I don't understand why he'd do that."

"Perhaps he wanted to watch you fight-"

"Then why did he leave after you got the kunai out." then Naruto felt herself go deathly pale.

She'd felt a second pull hadn't she, she hadn't focused on it much, she'd already been on her way but... "Gaara did you push your Chakra into the kunai once or twice?"

"Once why-"

"I have to go." Naruto's voice was shaking as she shook her head, "I'm sorry Gaara-kun but I have to go." she was closed her eyes tightly and focused, thinking of the tug she'd felt last, and then she flashed through the hand signs, and she was gone in a flash of yellow.