DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Naruto universe but I do have an imagination of my own.

A/N: I'm not super satisfied with this chapter, but it does build into the future of everyone on Team 7.

Thinking

Emphasis

Biju, etc. speaking

Biju, etc. thinking

Naruto woke up with a start, all of her prior numbness and tingling gone, now replaced with a fierce headache. As soon as she sat up to take in the too-sunny decor and sheer brightness coming in through the open window that had essentially been her and a young Gamakichi's room at Ma and Pa's place once upon a time, she felt like she'd taken one of Tsunade baa-chan's paperweights straight to the skull without dodging. Grabbing her poor head, the blonde heard the dulcet tones of her hosts as Ma cooked - gods help me - and finally managed to make her way off her futon, only to realize that her legs were bare. Great. She was in one of Jiraiya's giant shirts, out of her shorts, sandals, and bandages. No doubt Ma was being extra careful with her welfare since she was in such a pitiful state upon arriving yesterday.

"Crap! I popped all my shadow clones." Naruto stood staring blankly in front of her as she felt a migraine building more and more. "Was it yesterday?" she asked no one in particular in a whisper.

"It's been nearly 48 hours, Naruto-chan," Lord Fukasaku answered as he hopped into the room. "Glad to see that you're awake. Come out and have some lunch - and don't give me that face! Ma's worked extra hard to make your favorites!"

Did I actually have favorites here? "Ano, thank you for taking care of me, Ma, Pa," Naruto bowed a bit as her head immediately pounded even harder. "I've gotta get back to my team! We were up against Zabuza Momochi and this Haku guy, a Hyoton user: they were the ones that grabbed me - those assholes. That Zetsu guy from the Akatsuki was there in Wave, though, and…"

"Eat first, fight later," Lady Shima advised dismissively as she placed some very alive and thick-looking wormy things into the bowl in front of her. Naruto's stomach, unbelievably, decided to roar right at that moment like a lion that might have been raised in the Forest of Death or Lightning's Turtle Island. She couldn't help but cram an onigiri Lady Shima had prepared into her mouth. The half-dressed blonde had totally forgotten how Ma's onigiris were actually surprisingly good especially when she was starving, (although she had no desire to learn what in the world was inside of them.) Some of them were crunchy, while others were creamy. Naru was too incredibly hungry to allow herself to think that some little newt or tapeworm-looking critter like those in the bowls in front of her might be inside the rice balls as she nearly swallowed them whole.

"I see your manners haven't improved, Naru-chan," Ma scolded just before taking a big bite of bug soup.

"Gomen, gomen. I'm just so hungry - and I have some food I'd be more than happy to share in my scroll," Naruto looked back toward the room she had come from and paled. If Zabuza and Haku took my scrolls I'll make sure their heads roll! She didn't notice the way that Ma and Pa had looked at one another in horror at either eating her homemade dishes - or perhaps it was just a matter of eating human food in general - as their guest began fuming over the possibility of having had her scrolls stolen.

Pa jumped up to smack her head to get her attention, making the blue-eyed woman wince. "The scrolls in your obi are next to the futon, Naru-chan." Ma let out a little choked giggle at her husband's actions. "Better than I can say for Jiraiya-chan's." He jumped back into his seat and gestured toward the corner of the room and Naruto's eyes widened. "Right after we're finished, we'll get you to sign the summoning scroll again, then you can get ready to see the Great Lord Elder." He slurped his grub gumbo noisily.

"But! But! Is - is Ero-sennin HERE?!" Seeing Pa shake his head, Naruto further gaped. "But that's like, the sacred summoning scroll! That - that's the - oh no! That's the thing that found its way to me after, you know… After,"

"After Jiraiya-chan had been killed," Pa said solemnly. All conversation and eating in the room came to an abrupt halt.

"How did you know - that I came back dattebayo? I don't even know how it happened, and…"

"That's enough, Naru-chan. Eat your lunch: it's late," Ma said, but Naruto could tell that she was upset. So was Pa - hell, so was she! Talking about Jiraiya's death? That was a mistake. Lady Shima popped two onigiris into Naru's half-open mouth after a few grief-filled moments and held her flipper over Naruto's face, watching with a hint of amusement as the blonde tried to choke down the rice and give her hell for doing so at the same time.

"If Jiraiya-chan tries to summon us one more time, I just may take him off the contract," Pa said, looking exhausted. Naruto began coughing out rice at such an idea, while Ma pounded on her back as she chastised her for overfilling her mouth - as if it weren't the old toad lady's fault!

"WHAT IF HE'S IN TROUBLE?" Naru yelled after spitting the "food" out. Yeah: there were definitely worms in there.

"Relax, Naruto-chan. We have scouts in his area in case he gets into a situation unrelated to his 'research,' of course. Jiraiya-chan already saw one of the frogs: he chased him around for a good 10 minutes or more. I'm sure it was fun for both of them," Ma concluded.

Naruto looked at each of them with grave misgivings. "I sincerely doubt it's fun for the Pervert, especially with his scroll missing" she groused.

Pa finished chewing. "It may have not exactly been fun for him, but Gekomatsu reported that Tsunade-hime certainly seemed amused."

"Baa-chan's with him?!"

"Aa. Who's this again?" the Great Lord Elder asked from his giant lilypad-looking bathtub. Naruto would've facepalmed, something that Lord Fukasaku actually did do, but she'd been through this before. She squirmed a bit and felt her headache come back nearly full-force when the biggest and oldest toad in the room proceeded to fall asleep again and snore loudly.

"I've seriously got to get back," Naruto moaned quietly. "Can't you just tell me what he's had to say, or let me come see him when I'm here next?"

"Absolutely not. He'll forget," Pa informed her, wondering (as was everyone that remained awake in the sanctuary,) how things had come to this.

"You said the geezer toad has been talking about me for years!"

"Yes, but we didn't know it was you that he was speaking about," Lord Fukasaku informed her. Not wanting Naruto to speak again - she's always transparent, anyway, plus sometimes terribly loud - he continued. "Speaking on behalf of everyone here, I can assure you that we only knew that Ojiji-sama was prophesying about a future summoner. It wasn't until you summoned yourself here that we remembered you at all." Seeing her pout then open her mouth to speak, he looked behind him excitedly. "Until he awakens; Gerotora!" Snapping his fingers, Naruto's internally scolded herself for opening her big mouth because it was immediately filled with the ultra-long and horrible tasting toad her father had inscribed Kurama's seal on again.

Naruto felt Pa jumping up and down on her back and so couldn't spit Gerotora back out. She finally got the toad down her throat and wondered just where exactly he resided inside of her. Did I even need to swallow him again?

"Better safe than sorry."

"Where the hell have you been?!" No response: just great. Kurama was obviously still pissed. "I don't remember bringing us here, datte… Gosh darn it! Did you do it? Did you bring us here?!" Once again, there was no response. Coughing harshly and secretly cursing both him along with all animals that felt like making their way down her gullet, she wiped her mouth.

"Allies," it seemed the Great Lord Elder choked out as he woke up suddenly.

Kakashi woke up to an unknown room's ceiling and looked over to see Tenzo sitting on the floor and looking at him with trepidation. It was time to address the most important thing first. "Mask," he mumbled.

"Gomen, senpai, it was shredded and burned," Tenzo explained. Seeing Kakashi look at him menacingly with his dark gray eye before his cycloptic gaze moved over to his partially-burned Jonin vest, the younger man began speedily going through the pockets. Sure enough, he found several more masks. "Your neck and all, senpai: you shouldn't be wearing it."

"I'm not marrying you, Tenzo."

Tenzo squawked and threw one of Kakashi's masks at him, which his senior caught with the bottom of his face and teeth even as he winced. "Haruno's been healing both you and Uchiha, senpai…"

"You marry her, Tenzo: I'm not." Tenzo looked sufficiently horrified at Kakashi's soft-spoken joke, for now, even though the Hatake seemed to be in a lot of pain. "I'm going to train your ass into the ground," Kakashi muttered, just loud enough for his co-sensei to hear.

"It wasn't me, Kakashi-senpai!" Tenzo began whispering as he peeked out the window to make sure two of his students were outside and within view. "There's - I'm SURE there's another Mokuton user out there - one that can actually deplete chakra reserves - the way the Shodaime could!" Seeing Kakashi's silver eyebrow raise in what was probably disbelief, he activated privacy seals throughout the room. "Do you really think I attacked you and our students who were behind me, by the way?! I don't know about you but I was losing chakra awfully fast thanks to those vines," Kakashi nodded a bit in agreement. "Haruno stayed back to guard the bridge-builder, but the Uchiha and Sai were engaged against water and ice needles, as well as some of Momochi's attacks. Uzumaki was actively fighting the Hyoton user and leaking Kyuubi chakra. It wasn't as vicious as I remembered it being, until the end of the battle."

"Get her up here," Kakashi ordered, closing his eyes as he painfully laid flat back against the bedding. "She's a sensor; maybe she even noticed what this wood user looked like - or got a feel for his chakra if nothing else. And hand me the water, Tenzo," he said just above a whisper before taking a deep drink. "These burns came from an errant fire jutsu?" He didn't wait for his kohai to answer him. "Once I'm on my feet, I'm not going easy on either you or Uchiha-kun. Tenzo? Oi, Tenzo! What's with the face?!"

Tenzo grimaced and pushed the straw deeper in Kakashi's mouth before backing himself into the far corner. "It's Uzumaki, senpai." Oh, gods, what is their relationship anyway? This did not bode well for him at all. "She was taken by Momochi and his ice lackey. She was unconscious." Tenzo flinched as he watched Kakashi's paling face quickly go through several emotions, all laid bare as, for once, his mask fell down onto his chest. Disbelief, dismay, shock, and anger - no: it was rage along with a shocking Killing Intent that his senpai was unmistakably radiating heavily; it easily coated the room. It was only when Tenzo saw Kakashi's Sharingan spin into something different - something more - that he even realized that his senior had both eyes open, and would probably go after Momochi alone if he had to. "Senpai, wait!"

Kakashi made a strangulated sound of fury and pain and moved to grab his shirt just as one of Kakashi's summons reappeared in a plume of smoke.

"Boss!" Uhei yelled as he snuggled into Kakashi's chest, his tail wagging wildly. "We tracked Naru-chan north into the Land of Rivers. Shiba and Bisuke continued to follow her captors from a distance, but Naru-chan got away!"

Kakashi looked up at Tenzo in something akin to shock. "Where is she now?" Kakashi asked before rubbing Uhei under his ears on one side of his face.

"We couldn't sniff her out. Those Mist nin were searching for her, too, but they're headed back this way now, staying close to the Fire Border. Bisuke will report with Bull and Shiba…"

"Boss!" Pakkun poofed into existence, gasping in front of the two men and ninken as Tenzo moved his own water glass so that Pakkun's flat little face would fit into it so that he could gulp down some water. Kakashi had used Pakkun's reappearance to give his own water to Uhei. Pakkun shook his entire body from head to tail as well as straight down his short little legs after drinking. "Bleh: what a run. Never do that again, Boss. You look like hell… We've got a tracking team headed toward Naru's last known location, an ANBU squad to assist, and the Jonin Commander's team on the way. Bull and Akino are on the border awaiting instructions."

"That's a little overkill, isn't it?" Tenzo mistakenly said out loud. Now another squad member needed medical attention. He didn't move fast enough and once again was reminded of how badly ninken bites hurt!

Tenzo eventually made his way to find Sakura outside. She obviously had the leaf exercise down, while the Uchiha was limping a bit as he walked up a tree again. Tazuna was being guarded by Sai. "Sakura-san," Tenzo watched as the leaves fell from her forehead and hands. "Senpai isn't able to stand and is… angry."

"I can give him some pain medicine: morphine should help," the pink-haired teen answered.

Agreeing that it would help Kakashi get up and moving sooner - although he was determined to keep his ailing senpai here until reinforcements arrived - Tenzo agreed. He wondered, however, how in the world a Genin had been given access to any kind of pain relievers that would alleviate the extreme pain of burns. She must be doing extraordinarily well at the hospital.

Naruto was in an especially pleasant and respectful toad's mouth whom she'd never fought alongside before. He was a saltwater toad and promised to get her to Wave faster than anyone else, and "even give my life to protect Lady Naru." The blonde tried to make him promise that he'd do no such thing ever, but he just wouldn't listen.

Naru had never used toad mouths for transport, so it was especially sweet of him to remind her to expel chakra from her entire body so that she didn't come out of his mouth looking and smelling like toad slime and insect guts. What a nice guy. Smiling gently, she once again considered the Great Lord Elder's prophecy, cryptic as it was.

"One who calls upon the Oni must find allies to ensure it does not reappear… Hmm, twice more. You will be betrayed, sooner than one believes possible. Men with powerful eyes to see better may be fooled in a den of thieves where bets are placed and lost. It is always best to keep one eye looking forward so that the other cannot ensure the past repeats itself, ne?"

"What?!" Naruto nearly shrieked, although she thought that the way Ma and Pa looked at each other might mean that they understood far better what the super geezer was saying than she did. "What the hell does that even mean?!" Seeing Lord Fukasaku shrug, she felt like he was being purposely imperceptive! "And what happened to simple concepts like getting 'aided by an octopus and fighting a man with powerful eyes?!'"

"Oh! Gomen, gomen. What were we speaking of?" the Great Lord Elder asked. "Oh! Haha! Animals were playing games, from Shogi and Go, to poker and even marbles. Blue marbles! What was once half will be made whole. Alrighty. Heed my words well, young summoner!"

"Did you get all that?!" Naruto asked her furry counterpart.

Kurama sighed, deeply irritated. "I did. Soothsaying fossil or not, this is another reason I dislike toads."

"Last time the prophecy was relatively simple…"

"Indeed. In the past timeline, I knew immediately that anile simpleton was speaking of my brother and his host: that rhyming boob you were so fond of."

"And of course you didn't bother to tell me," Naruto grumbled.

Ignoring her complaints, Kurama continued. "The senile fool spoke of powerful eyes more than once."

"Yeah, he had dreamed about 'powerful eyes' last time, too. And I really didn't fight Sasuke - well, I don't remember fighting him after the prophecy, other than charging into his stupid Chidori that time while I held Kakashi back - when Sakura accidentally poisoned me, ya know?"

"Most likely further battles between you did not take place because you died, idiot."

"Nice reminder, you damn furball," Naruto muttered sarcastically out loud. She looked around the toad's mouth she was sitting in and sighed heavily. "But isn't a prophecy like, supposed to happen no matter what?"

"I don't care for prophecies. But we must consider his arcane words."

"Hai, hai. Powerful eyes: I mean, that could be Nagato, the masked guy, or Itachi or Sasuke. Ooo! Or even Kakashi, ne?" Naruto paid no attention to the way Kurama rolled his eyes at her building excitement. "'One eye looking forward, the other back?' Ne, Kakashi's got one 'powerful' eye? Do you think that's it? Oh, and there's maybe Shisui who has one, too!"

"I think we should be concerned with the betrayal you'll experience. 'Soon,' he said." Stupid old toad: if he saw that, he certainly could've fully explained what he dreamt! Kurama contemplated his kit's words more as she was thankfully silent. Naruto could be surprisingly perceptive, even when she didn't realize it.

If the one to betray her is her mate, however, I'll devour his bones slowly: I don't care how disgusting humans taste.

Tazuna gaped as he saw what to him was an unbelievably giant toad materializing from under the water next to the bridge he was building. He and his men quickly backed away and were shocked when the toad literally spit out the blonde ninja that had been kidnapped days ago. "Girlie!"

"Yo," Naruto greeted absentmindedly. She pulled her face and body up from the bridge she'd been spit onto and grimaced: she'd hit the bridge's wooden planks hard! Along with everything else that had happened, some weird stuff had come up when she went through all the memories of her shadow clones that had dispelled in and around Konoha, too. There was some kind of foreign sealing matrix on the forest floor that she barely detected before her clone dispelled when she was captured. It was way too close to the village for her liking. "Uhh, I'm, ano, not exactly at my best right now? Can you point me to the rest of the team, Inky?"

Sai stared at her blankly from behind his orange book, then smiled creepily at the toad that bounced from the water next to the blonde. Naruto climbed up on top of the summons awkwardly and looked dazed, he thought. Interesting: so this is how she got away. Tenzo-sensei had only informed him of his teammate's status close to an hour ago after Kakashi-taicho's ninken had returned with intelligence on his blonde teammate and her former captors.

"Sai!"

"Gomen, Blondie. Tazuna-san's house is only a click away, southeast."

Tenzo got the shock of his life when a toad summons jumped down beside him as he watched the Uchiha try to water-walk on the pond in front of Tazuna-san's house. Seeing his blonde student astride it, he offered her help in getting down from its massive head. "Naruto! Are you alright?!"

"Uhh, yeah. I guess. Is - is everyone okay? Where's Kakashi-taicho and Sakura-chan?" Naruto nearly fell over. Pay attention, idiot, she told herself.

"Haruno-san's with taicho. Why don't you go up and speak to him? Ask Sakura-san to come down, please. I'll be up to join you soon." Gods, senpai had been so distraught at knowing that she'd been taken! Surely seeing her now will calm him down! What in the world could be taking Haruno so long anyway?

After greeting the sweet and motherly Tsunami, Naruto quickly made her way to where the woman said her teammates were. Tsunami had mentioned that her team's captain had been badly hurt, so Naruto rushed upstairs to check on him. Her eyes locked onto her husband's sleeping form - burned, with no mask or shirt on - before her vision turned red then black.

Naruto didn't notice that "Sakura's" hair wasn't the same pink when she looked up at her. She didn't notice that "Sakura's" figure was quite different - more "enhanced," say - than her normally slender form. She only saw a woman that was barely even half-dressed about to slip under the sheet that was barely covering her poor, burned husband, and reacted violently… instinctively.

The ROOT agent thought she'd set this up beautifully. She was a sensor and noticed one of her target's bright and seemingly unrestrained chakra signatures approaching, so she moved quickly, using strategies that Danzo-sama had suggested. She had already knocked out the fierce and genius former ANBU captain with a high dose of morphine mixed with a mild hallucinogen. That part had been too easy. The Jonin must have been in too much pain as a result of the burns she failed to heal to notice that he was essentially being poisoned. Her only concern was that Danzo-sama might be displeased at the loss of the asset Hatake-san had previously been to the village, should he actually die.

The jinchuuriki supposedly had the beast well-restrained, perhaps even too-restrained to be a proper weapon for Konoha. There was also the fact that she was in a farce of a marriage, according to Danzo-sama, and could be used more advantageously by the village when her marriage to Hatake-san was annulled. Or when he dies. The jinchuuriki was an important piece on Danzo-sama's chessboard; she was merely a pawn.

She did not expect the vicious Killing Intent to bring her to her knees. She did not expect to look into the eyes of a killer, of a BEAST. Uzumaki Naruto's elongated teeth, red slitted eyes, and lengthening nails aside from the Killing Intent was terrifying. The blonde moved so fast, the ROOT agent didn't even see the blur that was Uzumaki Naruto come for her. She tried to scream as long nails - no CLAWS - grabbed her scalp and buttocks as the jinchuuriki viciously threw her out the open window.