"Man oh man, I'm so excited to see home again!" Tenten crowed as she threw her hands in the air.

Shion giggled. "Look at you, shouldn't a teacher set a better example for her students?"

"Don't worry about us, we're already too far gone!" Mitsugi interjected from behind them.

They must've looked like an odd precession. The High Priestess of the land in the company of a bunch of young children, armed guards, and ninja. They'd started off for the Hidden Leaf Village yesterday and were making good time, even with Shion's retinue meaning they had to move a bit slower. The forests were calm and the land was at peace after the destruction of the cult of Thozotl. Her advisor's had "subtly" insinuated that a trip might be good for her health. Health, in this context, meaning safety. After Mizuno's apparent treason the powers that be were starting to clear house and weed out any other prospective moles.

Naruto couldn't complain all that much, though. He was looking forward to showing off his most prized creations for all his friends to fawn over. He'd promised Tenten to snap some pictures of hard boiled shinobi cooing over little babies. After all, there might never be an opportunity again! He felt a smile worm its way onto his face as he walked beside his prospective fiancee. Taruho and Iruka were currently being held on Shion's back and chest, respectively. The young couple had worked out a system where they would switch who carried the kids so as to avoid either of them getting worn out.

Of course he was in no danger of becoming exhausted. It was more a matter of being free in case someone attacked them. He doubted it would happen, however. Despite the recent upset, the Land of Demons was still a quiet nation.

"So, Naruto-sensei, how far is the Hidden Leaf Village?" Kaoru asked, his nose buried in a book of regional maps.

"About two days from here if we keep at this pace. The Land of Fire is a pretty big place, and my village is close to the centre of it," he replied back, watching his students mess about in the brush. "I think you all will like it. It will be a good chance for you all to train alongside other prospective shinobi and get to know your allies."

"Ugh, we still have to train? I thought this was for a wedding!" Wakita bemoaned dramatically.

He could hear the eye roll in Shion's voice as she spoke. "It doesn't hurt to train, ya know. Besides, just think of this as a foreign exchange program. You're already getting a free trip out of this."

"Believe it! You all won't be disappointed with the excitement that awaits us in my village! You can meet all my comrades and even check out the academy I graduated from. I'm sure you can even meet some of the current students."

He sensed that they weren't as jazzed about the prospect as he was, but that was fine. The only person in his class who wasn't throwing a fit about having to work was Momoi, who'd really turned around after her ordeal. The young girl seemed a bit more open about her opinions, if still a little naive. Still, it was good to see his protege coming out of her shell. He would continue to use his shadow clones to keep up with the training regimens he'd prescribed, but by now all of them had finished the D course with flying colors!

With more time and training, he was sure they could go beyond that faster than he would have at their age. This field trip was a good excuse for them to broaden their horizons and make friendly ties with his home. Grandma Tsunade had been open to the idea of future diplomatic relations and that meant he had to take this seriously. He stepped closer to Shion and threw an arm around her shoulder.

"How're the goblins doing?" He looked at her.

She smiled. "Just fine, your heroicness. Iruka seems to switch between being utterly overwhelmed by all the new sights and just turning his brain off while Taruho…"

Naruto glanced at the blonde infant to find him fast asleep as usual. If the kid didn't have such a sharp wit about him when he was awake he'd almost be worried with how often he slept. Then again, Shikamaru was probably the same way as a baby and now that guy technically outranked him!

"Is Taruho, yeah I get it. Just checking in to make sure my angel and her precious little blessings were okay," he said with an overly sappy tone. Shion snorted and shoved him away. "You know, I'm not sure if it's fitting for such a noble lady to have to walk alongside us peasants."

"Hmph, you're absolutely correct, serf. Carry me all the way to the Hidden Leaf Village!"

Despite the fact he knew she was just playing with him, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to mess with his fiancee. With a flourish and a bow he swept her off her feet and cradled her in his arms. The precocious young man was careful to make sure his kids were safely tucked in their mother's arms all the while. Shion made a startled sound which quickly devolved into a cheery laugh as he easily held her. Thank the divine for chakra-enhanced strength.

"Oh, that's so cute!" Momoi cooed from somewhere behind them.

"Yeah, makes me wanna throw up," Orino added gruffly.

Naruto tried to ignore the sudden argument that bloomed into being as his wife settled down enough to snuggle closer to his chest. The contact brought a wave of heat to his face that he hoped was mostly hidden by his lopsided grin. From the victorious look Shion shot him, it wasn't enough. She arched her neck upwards to plant a kiss on his lips before laying back down and closing her eyes.

"I spoil her, don't I boys?" he asked his sons.

Iruka made a small sound that almost sounded like a scoff. Geez, tough crowd. Taruho woke up and quickly made note of his father lording above him. He blinked twice before adjusting himself and just as quickly closing his eyes. Well, it was better than them crying. Come to think of it, they were pretty well-managed babies. That was probably Shion's side of the family more than his.

The troupe continued onward, basking in the afternoon sun. The climate of the region was often pleasant, with mild summers and manageable winters. But on a day like this, there was no better way to spend it than outside. The path they walked was one that was well-paved and used by many of the caravans and traders. While it harbored the possibility of bandits, no one was quite stupid enough to try their luck against such a heavily armed retinue.

After nearly two hours of walking, Naruto realized Shion had fallen asleep. Meaning he couldn't set her down. Meaning she had gotten the last laugh. Damn his inner miscreant. Tenten sidled up alongside the young man and the two walked in comfortable silence as their charges spent their time either talking or running around like kids their age usually would. He could see the Bruise brothers spending more time with their teammates and Momoi actually being able to talk to them in kind. The only one who wasn't engaging in the camaraderie was, of course, Noya.

The girl, now sporting more hair than when he had first come to know her, sulked behind them. Occasionally he could hear her mutter some sly barb or sarcastic quip when someone asked her a question. Prickly, but not hostile at the very least. In truth, she was coming along just fine, but there was something stuck in her graw that he couldn't figure out. She seemed to be a very closed off person.

Was it the fact that they were travelling to a foreign land? Or that she thought this was all a waste of time? Or maybe she was just jealous that Momoi and Kaoru had gotten in on some of the serious action. Noya was always going on about strength and training, and, to her credit, she was one of the hardest workers in his class. The number of times he'd seen her whaling away at the training dummies instead of asking him for help reminded him of his own time spent alone.

He needed to help her more, but that was going to be hard if she didn't open up at least a little bit.

Maybe he could ask Iruka-sensei or Kakashi-sensei about it. No doubt they had dealt with their fair share of troublesome students. In fact, he was sure to talk to them about all sorts of things when it came to training students. He still hadn't quite gotten the hang of assigning homework or doing quizzes. He was more of a practical guy.

"Are you excited to see home again?" Tenten questioned him softly. "Been awhile, huh?"

"You're telling me. I can't wait to eat some Ichiraku's again. I've been craving that stuff since I left."

And he could finally prove to Shion that it was the best ramen in the world. She had her doubts, but they all did before they tasted the divine splendor of the premium ramen bowl. Pops knew his way around a kitchen, and so did Ayame. Maybe he could even convince her to make it a seasonal trip so he could get his fix every now and then.

"Classic Naruto, I shouldn't be surprised. I bet the others will be impressed by your new look as well."

New look? He eyed her funnily until she rolled her eyes and tugged at a strand of hair on his head. Sure, it was a bit longer than he was used to, but that was because Shion liked guys with long hair. Then again, that was a bit longer than he realized. Carefully, he bent his head down to run a hand through his mane of blonde locks only to find it touching down near his shoulders. Criminy, he'd only foregone a haircut for a few months! He'd done that before surely enough?

The young man thought, and thought, and thought. Now that he tried to remember… he usually got one every two weeks. Or at least trimmed himself enough so that it wouldn't go out of control.

"That and those whiskers you have, pops," Tenten quipped.

"They've seen my whiskers before!" he replied huffily. As odd of birthmarks as they were, he was sure they hadn't forgot them.

"No, stupid, your beard."

Oh, she had a point there. He'd decided to grow out all of his hair to try it out. The stubble on his face had quickly become an encroaching tide of full hair. It wasn't insane, but compared to how clean-shaven he was normally it would probably surprise them. He hadn't really noticed except for the times when his fiancee would compliment its growth or help him style it.

Man… she really had him whipped, didn't she?

"Whatever, I'm still the same old Naruto! A little bit of hair isn't going to change that," he exclaimed confidently. "Buuuuut I should probably get a haircut while I'm in the village."

"Nooooo," Shion mewled tiredly.

"Or not."

"Pfft, house husband."

He stuck his tongue out at her and the kunoichi stretched her arms with languid satisfaction. Bah, she was just jealous that she didn't have a boyfriend. A few more hours of walking led them to a small summit in the shadow of a larger cliff. A mountain stream provided clean water for them and it was spacious enough to hold their entire caravan comfortably. Naruto was quick to sort out the guard rotations for both the soldiers and his students. Even something as simple as this could be good training for what they'd need to do on missions.

Shion, invigorated from her nap, took to feeding the boys and making sure they were clean. He and Tenten scouted the surrounding area in the meanwhile to make sure nothing was amiss. When they found no signs of foul play, they returned to the camp and began to prepare for dinner. He could admit that the change of pace was most welcome. Naruto felt that some time without hair-raising, death-defying situations might be good for his health.

He sat on a rock overlooking the forests below the cliff face, admiring the view. He felt Tenten come up alongside him as his comrade handed him a rice ball. He took it gratefully and quickly began to devour it.

"Seems like something might be bothering you, Naruto."

He sighed. "No, not really. Just some stuff I'll need to take care of when I'm back in the village. I managed to snag a tome from that cult's weird laboratory place. I can't make heads or tails of it, but maybe Granny Tsunade can."

"What was it, do you know?"

"Some kind of medical journal, I think. Like I said, it was all foreign to me but it looked like something she might know about."

She hummed and munched on her snack. They weren't the scientist types, so this was better left to the professionals. He didn't want to accidentally muck something up and risk losing valuable information. Naruto glanced back as his students feverishly discussed the pros and cons of camping against going to the beach of all things. He was glad to see them talking at least. All of them except Noya who, of course, was sitting underneath a tree idly toying with a kunai.

His attention turned to a more pleasing figure as his fiancee crested the hill and joined them in looking over the countryside. The Priestess smiled softly as she surveyed the land before her. The Land of Demons had some breathtaking sights, more so than the Land of Fire did at least. If they could get people to ignore superstition, he imagined they could probably make a killing in tourism.

"The boys asleep?"

"Not quite, but Momoi offered to entertain them for a bit. That girl, I almost feel bad for taking advantage of her kindness," she sighed.

Tenten shrugged. "As someone who's had to babysit a lot of infants, take your blessings where you can. Trust me, she won't be there when they puke all over the place or crap themselves."

Despite himself, Naruto laughed earning a playful swat from his wife. Shion sat down next to him and quickly took her place in his arms, manually placing each one around her before leaning back on him. It seems he'd been promoted from restbed to chair. Shion sighed dreamily as he felt her warmth through his jacket. Well, this wasn't so bad he supposed.

"Eugh, PDAs are against school rules ya know."

"Jealous?" they both inquired in unison.

She stuck her tongue out at the both of them and huffed grumpily. Maybe if she wasn't always sharpening her knives or brandishing some big, fuckoff sword or club she'd get more offers from guys. Shion giggled and pressed her head up underneath his chin.

"You ready to meet my friends?" he mumbled.

"Mmm, I guess? I hope they aren't as weird as you are. One Naruto is enough for me thank you."

"Oh please, there is only one of me I can assure you!" he cried out in mock dramatism.

Shion smiled and kissed him. "Guess I really won the lottery then?"

Tenten made a disgusted sound and stood up, grumbling something about not wanting to be a voyeur before stomping down the hill. The two lovebirds chuckled to one another and watched the sun set high overhead. Their embrace was soothing, the world around them cozy enough to make all the pain he went through to get here worthwhile. Naruto felt at peace.

I wonder what you'd have to say about this Jiraiya-sensei, he thought a tad wistfully. I wish you could've been here for my wedding.

Well, he would be there in spirit. Naruto was sure that even death wouldn't be able to stop the Great Toad Sage from watching over his pupil's success. That was just the kind of guy his sensei was. He'd make him proud, he'd make all of his friends proud. And in a few years he'd be able to watch his boys grow into fine young men, ready to take on the world. To think that he would ever be so lucky, he couldn't have imagined it as a child…

As sundown turned to twilight, the stars twinkled overhead. Their mesmerizing lights only surpassed by the swirling throes of astral bodies that painted the sky above them. He and Shion watched the sight in comfortable, loving silence.

0-0-0-0

Another day of travel brought the group deep into the Land of Fire's territory. They had already given notice to the local Daimyo that they were coming, so Naruto didn't expect much resistance. The Leaf Village had always been good at patrolling their territories, and bandits weren't a common sight unless you got really far away. With being so close, he felt safe taking a small break to train his students. He led them to a nearby river pockmarked with massive rocks that, in turn, created shifting rapids for as far as the eye could see.

Some of the rocks were big enough to fit two people comfortably, while others barely had enough room for your foot. It would be good for training. He assembled them all into two teams, the Wakita, Kaoru, and Mitsugi on one and Momoi, Noya, and Orino on the other. The game would be simple. You had to push your opponent into the river without you yourself getting pushed in or jumping onto the bank. Once all three members of either team were out a victory would be declared.

It's a good way to test how they work outside of their comfort zones. The Bruises without the three of them and Momoi without Kaour, he thought to himself as he clapped his hands. "Take your positions around a hundred yards from each other. When I say begin, you can go!"

"Yes, sir!" most of them replied.

"S'gonna be a walk in the park, ain't it Wakita?" Mitsugi sneered, thumbing his suspenders. "Oy, Kaoru, yous can keep up, yeah?"

"I will try my best," he affixed his glasses. "Mostly I am worried about Orino. It would take a rampaging bull to knock him down let alone us."

Wakita just snorted as his other brother smiled. On the other end of the river, the team consisting of the top three students in the academy prepared themselves. Orino's massive frame was such that he needed to perch atop the largest rock in their zone. Noya quietly limbered up, staring forward with such intensity Momoi wondered if she was even listening as she explained the plan.

"Um, Orino, I think you're probably our best bet for knocking them down. If you can get your hands on them I'm sure you could overpower the other team," Momoi said.

"Damn skippy. However, my brothers are slippery little bastards. Especially Mitsugi. I wouldn't put it past them to try something to knock me down."

If anyone would know it, she supposed it would be the man's brothers. They seemed pretty cohesive. She faced down her temporary foes and tried to think of something. Was jutsu allowed? Were weapons allowed? She was fairly confident that Naruto-sensei didn't want any injuries, but it was really against the rules wouldn't he have mentioned it? Maybe this was one of his tests.

"Noya, can you get behind them?"

The girl gave a surly grunt. "Sure."

"Okay, then I would say take care of Kaoru. He might not be the strongest or the fastest but he's the smartest. If we can take him out, hopefully their strategy will fail."

"Don't tell me what to do, twerp. I can make my own calls," she replied, almost hostile.

Okay then, Momoi sighed and rolled her eyes.

"And begin!" Naruto-sensei suddenly called out.

The two teams went into action immediately. Team "Kaoru" made their move by taking the largest and most balanced rocks in the area between them, utilizing their superior speed to cut Team "Momoi" off. Orino wasn't discouraged, and instead gave a bellowing war cry as he punched his fist into a rock in front of him. It shattered before his mighty fist, sending shards of stone and dust in front of them and obscuring her team. Out of the corner of her, Momoi could see Noya slipping around the smokescreen to try and flank their opponents.

Good. At least she could follow some orders.

"Mitsugi, now!" she heard over the din of noise.

A shadow appeared above them as the boy in question threw a trio of small rocks at Orino. The larger boy threw up an arm to defend himself, but it left him nearly blind to the strike that came from below. Wakita was there in an instant, wielding a long stick he'd plucked from the water. Momoi realized their plan not a second later. They would use physics instead of brute strength to try and take out Team Momoi's ace!

"Not so fast!" she cried, tossing herself forward and sending out a whip of hair towards the assailant.

It scythed between the two and halted his momentum. If Wakita wanted to avoid getting tangled up, he would need to end his assault, and so he did. With speed that surprised her he kicked off a nearby rock and wrested his forward charge right as Orino swiped a hand out. As the dust settled she could see Kaoru kneeling down on a taller rock, overlooking the battlefield. Noya was trying to get in close but was stymied by Mitsugi and his throwing rocks.

"Orino, Kaoru!" she barked as she followed after Wakita. Her comrade seemed to discern her meaning and quickly bored forward like a charging rhinoceros.

He clambered over rocks, both small and large, relying on his forward momentum to not slow down and slip. Kaoru saw him coming and quickly dodged, rising up and over his grasping hands to precariously balance upon an outcropping of stone. There was no chance he could face Orino on his own, but he had an idea. Kugo bit into his thumb and, ignoring the sharp sting that accompanied it, performed a variety of handsigns before putting his palm down onto a nearby rock. In a puff of white smoke his fishing rod appeared in all its crabby glory.

"Eh, who's that? Oh man, it's, like, totally Kugo!" Kanijiro drawled as the young boy lifted the weapon. "Woah, is this some kind of, eh, battle?"

"Not quite, sir. Just a small training exercise. Do you see that large man over there? I need to knock him into the water," Kaoro pointed the tip of the rod at his comrade-turned-temporary enemy.

"Eh? That's a big dude. Like, alright little man let's do it."

"Bring it on!" Orino bellowed, leaping into the air higher than he'd seen any other student go. The sleeves of his collared shirts strained to the breaking point as he flexed the densely packed muscle contained within.

Uh oh, were the only thoughts running through Kaoru's head as his foe came down upon him like the hammer of God.

Momoi stumbled and nearly fell into the water as the river virtually exploded. Orino's overhead strike was strong enough to send waves of torrential white water in all directions. Her hair lashed out for a grip, and managed to steady itself on a number of points. Wakita, however, was not so lucky. A massive wave caught him from the back and he was cast into the rapids with an indignant cry of defeat. A moment later, Naruto-sensei was there to fish her friend out of the water and take him back to shore.

One down, two to go. She had no idea where Noya was, but without an opponent she was free to take out the other team's leader. The young girl leapt upwards, trying to get a better view of the battlefield. However, as she rose upwards, there was a distinct sound of someone casting a line. Momoi realized only too late that she'd been ambushed. Kaoru's fishing hook wrapped around her leg and she was suddenly jerked downwards with a shriek.

Orino was quick to see the attack and jumped to grab her before she could be tossed down. She reached out a hand to grab him, but felt her stomach lurch as the line snapped again. Like the tendril of some living beast it moved unbidden of any physics or reason. She was pulled just out of reach of Orino who overextended and fell uncontrollably to the ground.

His foot caught the edge of a now-slippery rock and he balanced precariously over a section of the river.

"Mitsugi, now!" she heard Kaoru yell.

A second later, a rock the size of a baseball flew forth and caught the largest Bruise brother in the section behind his knee. Orino's leg folded and it spelled his defeat. He fell into the water and was taken away by their teacher a moment later. It was down to two on two, but her opponent's line was still attached.

"Give it up, Momoi!" He adjusted his glasses smugly. "You're doomed!"

"Oh, you want to play it like that then? Well, I can do that trick a whole lot better."

Her hair roiled before exploding outward into dozens of thickened tendrils. She saw the surprise bloom across his face even as he threw himself to the side. More rocks courtesy of Mitsugi were blocked instinctively by the rest of her hair as she focused on taking out their leader. The line jerked and threatened to pull her off her perch, but a quick rebalance courtesy of her innate ability set her right again. Like this, Kaoru couldn't hope to knock her away. It seems he realized this as well, because he quickly retracted the line and hopped atop a large boulder.

Momoi could see the gears in her friend's head turn as he figured out a strategy. However, she had no reason to let him. She sent a tangled knot of hair his way, intent on smothering him and pushing him off. As she got close, the girl noticed something change. The "rod" part of his pole suddenly shifted. It became less of a fishing rod, and more of an actual sword. It's length reminiscent of a crab's claw.

He did that before, with Mizuno! She realized.

The "claw" opened and clamped down with lightning speed, slicing through the densest portion of her attack. With wild swings and a triumphant battle cry, the bespectacled boy cut through the wild locks and drew in closer. She tried to halt his charge by throwing more of her hair at him, but his sword was making quick work of the meager defense. She had to think of something quickly.

Right as he closed in, Momoi saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye. A rock flew forward right as one of her hair strands attacked from the same direction. Kaoru sliced apart the latter, but was unprepared for the hidden sneak attack that followed. The rock struck him right in the cheek, knocking his glasses away and sending him to the side.

"W-Woah, woah, woah!" he flung his arms out. "Uh oh!"

Momoi watched her friend tumble and fall into the water. She turned to see her saviour and found Noya currently facing off against a battered Mitsugi. Had she bided her time before striking? In any case, it was time to end this. Momoi approached the beleaguered boy who threw them an exhausted smile.

"Heh, mama always said I'd need to beat 'em off with a stick."

The exercise ended moments later.

0-0-0-0

"Excellent work, all of you!" their teacher praised them. "I was impressed by everyone's abilities and skills. I think you're all making incredible progress."

"Gee, thanks," Orino grumbled as he wrung out his shirt.

"I dunno what you're made for, bro. We're the ones that lost," Wakita grumbled even more. "Can't believe I was the first one out."

"Sucks to suck."

"Shaddap!"

Naruto watched his students mingle with a smile on his face. He turned to Tenten who just sighed with a hopeless smile.

They were going to fit in just fine in the Leaf Village.