Naruto's friendship with his teammates Gaara and Haku is put to the test as they prepare to deal with the threat of the Akatsuki. The secrets Jiraiya has kept come to a head, and Naruto must shoulder the responsibility of protecting much more than the Leaf Village. Continuation of Forlorn. AU NaruHina, GaaSaku, NejiTen, ObiRin, OCs *Taoism, Self-Indulgent World Building, longfic
Rated: M - English - Adventure/Romance - Chapters: 61 - Words: 1,420,508 - Reviews: 677 - Favs: 671 - Follows: 616 - Updated: 12/27/2020 - Published: 1/11/2008 - Naruto U., Hinata H., Gaara, Haku