Reader Info: Hello everyone! And welcome to another chapter. There's actually a drawing of Hikan if you're interested, so if you are, just follow the instructions below. If not, just skip them lol. In any case, thanks for reading.

To see my sketch of Hikan, you'll have to go to my Deviant Art page. Fanfic won't let me post any links to any other websites, so just follow the short instructions below.

Instructions:

1) Search DeviantArt through Google and click on their main page.

2) After you're on their website, add /emr-one7 to the end of the website link.

3) You should be at my page! (Be sure to read the description below the drawing!)

Be sure to leave a review letting me know if you liked the new outfit!

Ch. 34

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Naruto turned and looked at his alarm clock as he turned it off. 7:00 AM. Today was the day… He was glad he didn't have to arrive too early. The meeting time was set for 10 AM so he had a good amount of time to get ready.

He threw the covers off of his bed, then headed to the bathroom. After he had finished getting ready, he stepped out into his living room. Nothing really looked out of place. As usual, Sasuke was meditating in the middle of the floor, but everything looked normal enough. The only outlier was a hot bowl of ramen on the table. He thought he had smelled some from the bathroom, but he thought he had just been imagining it.

He turned to Sasuke and said, "You made ramen?..."

Sasuke kept his eyes closed and said, "Yeah. You need to be ready to go for this mission."

Naruto looked at him and said under his breath, "The wonders never cease..." He shot Sasuke another glance and said, "I assume you already ate?…"

Sasuke gave a small nod and said, "Yeah, I did." Naruto gave a small shrug then walked over to the table and sat down as he got ready to eat.

He slowly looked into the bowl and said in an unsure voice, "I hope you let it cook long enough…"

Sasuke shook his head and remained silent.

Naruto squinted his eyes and started eating cautiously. After taking a few bites, he concluded that the ramen tasted good and began eating regularly.

While he was halfway done with his ramen, Sasuke left his meditating position and rose to his feet. He said in a curious voice, "You nervous about today?..."

Naruto looked into his bowl of ramen and said, "No… I'm just a little jittery…"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and said, "That's better than being straight up nervous…"

Naruto gave a small shrug and said, "Yeah, I guess it is…"

Sasuke noticed that Naruto looked not only jittery, but a little wound up as well. As much as he didn't want to admit it, this mission had to be making him at least a little nervous. Sasuke decided to try to keep the mood light to help him relax a little. He said to him in an inquisitive voice, "Why'd you cut your hair?"

Naruto looked up at it and said, "Kakashi said that Tsunade wanted me to trim it because it would make me look more mature… It's actually growing on me."

Sasuke examined him for a bit then said, "It does make you look more mature…"

After a short pause, Sasuke said, "So Kakashi stopped by last night?"

Naruto finished a mouthful of ramen, then said, "Yeah. We actually went to the barber, then to Ichiraku's…"

Sasuke dropped his eyes then said, "If I knew you had ramen last night, I might not have made it again…"

Naruto smiled and said, "I'm glad you didn't know…"

Sasuke wore a small smirk and said, "You're pathetic…"

After a few moments had passed, Naruto finally finished his ramen then stood up and said, "Let's go."

The two walked out the door and started heading towards the Hokage Monument. Naruto was set to leave from there around 8 AM. He would have around two hours to get to the Rain, so he wouldn't have to push himself like he did a few days ago.

As Naruto and Sasuke climbed the steps of the monument, Sasuke said, "You're a lot more quiet than you usually are…"

Naruto wore a small smile and said, "I'm just trying to make sure I'm mentally ready for whatever happens…"

Sasuke shook his head and said, "I know, but just try to relax some..."

After a short pause, Naruto gave a small smile and said, "If Sasuke Uchiha is telling me to relax, I must be doing something really wrong."

Sasuke wore a small smile and said, "At least your sense of humor is back…"

As the two neared the top of the monument, Sasuke said, "Whatever happens, just know…I've got your back…" Naruto smiled and gave a firm nod. He felt like he was finally able to relax a bit after Sasuke's little pep talk. Hopefully, that would be enough to help him relax for the mission.

Tsunade, Kakashi, Konohamaru, Sai and the Konoha 11 were standing at the top of the monument. They had planned to see Naruto off as a small surprise before he left. Tsunade was hoping that it would put him in a better head space for the mission he was about to go on. As quickly as he had accepted the mission, Tsunade knew it couldn't be easy for him to have to meet Hikan alone. Hopefully, this little surprise would boost his resolve.

Ino turned to Sakura and said, "Tsunade was really smart planning this. Even if Naruto doesn't show it, he'll be happy." Sakura smiled and said, "Yeah, this is his type of thing."

As Sakura looked out over Konoha, Ino noticed that she had a more calm look about her. There was a sense of peace in her gaze. Ino asked in a cautious voice, "Are you ok?"

Sakura slowly nodded and said, "Yeah. Just thinking about things…"

Ino gave a small smile and said, "I'm guessing I already know what you're thinking about…"

Sakura smiled and said, "Yeah, probably…but I think it's different now…" Ino tilted her head then said, "How so?"

Sakura replied, "I'm not sure yet…but I feel like it is…" Ino examined her for a second, then shrugged and said, "Ok."

A little while after, they heard a pair of footsteps coming up the steps. Sakura said in a low voice, "Here they come…"

As Naruto and Sasuke reached the top of the steps, Naruto froze and stood there in silence.

Ino turned and whispered to Sakura, "He got a haircut."

Sakura wore a small blush and said, "Yeah…he did…"

Ino examined him for a second, then whispered, "It makes him look a little older…He's definitely not a kid anymore…" to which Sakura slowly nodded in agreement.

Hinata hid a blush as she turned to Kiba and said, "When did he get that haircut?...and that jumpsuit?..." Kiba looked at him and whispered, "Beats me... This is the first time I've seen either of them…"

As Naruto looked around, his eyes slightly widened as he realized that every member of the Konoha 11 was there along with Tsunade, Kakashi, Konohamaru and Sai. He looked in the direction of the 11 and said in a silent voice, "What are you guys doing here?..."

Ino said in an indignant voice, "We came to see you off! Duh!"

Naruto stood there in stunned silence. He thought it would just be Tsunade and Team 7 to see him off. He didn't really think anyone else would care that much to be honest. He wasn't as close to Konohamaru as he had been in the past and he wasn't all that close to the Konoha 11 anymore either. Sure he'd talk to some of the members now and then if they ran into each other, but the conversations had been short and direct for the most part. The only members he talked to frequently were those on his ANBU team.

He slightly dropped his head as he thought about his meeting with Kakashi. It was then that he had realized how much his attitude had affected everyone around him. He was sure that his closed off attitude had also affected everyone there, but they were still willing to show up to support him. Despite everything, they still had his back.

He wore a small, sad smile and said in a low voice, "You guys didn't have to do this…"

Kiba was sitting on top of Akamaru and energetically replied, "Of course we did! That's what friends are for."

After a moment of silence, Naruto looked up and wore one of his trademark, eye-closed smiles, then said, "Thanks everyone!"

After that, Shikamaru smiled and walked up to him. He looked at his jumpsuit, then at his hair. He paused for a second, then smirked and said, "Nice."

Naruto smiled and said, "Thanks."

After everyone had exchanged greetings, Sakura looked at Naruto and said, "I see you're rocking shorter hair."

Naruto looked up at his hair, then said, "Yeah, it was Tsunade's idea…"

After he said that, the two stood there with an awkward silence between them. Sakura quickly decided to try to say anything to keep the conversation going. She raised an eyebrow and said, "It was a good idea…" Naruto gave a suspicious eye squint then said, "What, it didn't look good before?..." Sakura smiled and said, "It just looks more clean now, that's all…" Naruto paused then gave a small smile and said, "Thanks..."

Sakura wore a more worried expression and said in a silent voice, "Be careful out there today…" Naruto gave a small smile and nodded.

The two were interrupted by Ino nudging them with her elbows. She whispered in an excited voice, "Look! Sai's about to talk to Sasuke… This is gonna be good…"

Naruto immediately turned to look. He remembered when he had to deal with Sai's antics. Sai had toned it down over the years, but he could still be annoying. Naruto found himself hoping that Sai would find some way to get under Sasuke's skin. Sasuke had wanted him to relax, and what better way to relax than by watching him get annoyed out of his skin.

Sasuke was currently looking in the direction Naruto would be leaving in. He slightly turned his head as Sai walked up behind him. Sai closed his eyes and gave one of his usual friendly smiles then said, "Good Morning."

Sasuke looked away, then said in a voice that showed he didn't want to start a conversation, "Morning."

Sai continued smiling and said, "Congratulations on your reinstatement as an official shinobi."

Sasuke looked at him for a second then said in a monotone voice, "Thanks."

After a short pause, Sai said, "It was a very honorable thing you did… Trying to save all of those people…"

Sasuke let out a small sigh then looked over to Naruto who was now watching them and wearing a small smile. He noticed that everyone else was paying attention as well. A small sweatdrop formed behind his ear as Sai continued. "It came at a price though…"

Sasuke let out a small sigh of exasperation, then looked up to his gray hair and said, "Yeah…it did…"

Sasuke heard Naruto let out a stifled laugh while the others started giggling.

A small vein formed at his temple, but before he could say anything, Sai said, "If you want, I can ink it black. I would probably have to reapply the ink regularly, but-"

Sasuke cut him off and said in a low grunt, "That won't be necessary…"

As the giggles started getting louder, Sai said, "There's also a product I saw in a store yesterday. It's called Just For Shinobi. From what I understand, it's some type of hair dye. I think it would-"

As a large vein formed on Sasuke's temple, he interrupted Sai again with a noticeable growl in his voice. "Just drop it, before I drop you..."

A small sweatdrop formed on Sai's forehead, then he wore one of his usual smiles and said, "Ok."

Naruto and everyone else just stood there laughing. Ino turned to Naruto and Sakura and said, "He didn't disappoint…" Sakura nodded while Naruto smiled and said, "Nope. Still weird, awkward and funny…"

Kakashi wore a small smile then turned to Tsunade and said, "This was a good idea. I can tell he's relaxing a bit… He'll be more ready for the mission now."

Tsunade gave a small nod then said, "Yeah, he's winding down a bit." She looked at a watch she was wearing. 7:57 AM. She turned to Kakashi and said, "I think it's actually about time he get going…"

After a few moments had passed, Kakashi walked towards Naruto and said, "It's time for you to go."

Naruto nodded then started following Kakashi. As he walked past everybody, he heard a voice from behind him. "Get this done, bro." He turned around and noticed it was Konohamaru who was now wearing a small smirk. He was 15 now and significantly taller than he was 3 years ago. They didn't really talk all that often anymore, so his statement took Naruto by surprise.

Naruto stopped, then knelt down and put a hand on Konohamaru's shoulder. He wore a sad smile then whispered, "I will. And I'm sorry… I know I haven't been the same since the war, but if you want, we can train some when I get back. Maybe talk about some things…"

Konohamaru blinked a few times as he processed what Naruto had said, then replied, "Yeah, I'd like that…" Naruto gave a wide smile and nodded, then stood up and kept following Kakashi.

As they reached where Tsunade was, she said, "Be careful. A little while after you left, Hikan responded to my email." She dropped her eyebrows and said, "He said he was honored that he'd be getting to meet the hero of the 4th Great Ninja War. Blah blah blah blah…"

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. He looked out into the distance then said, "In other words, he's ready for this..." Tsunade nodded and said, "Yeah..."

After a short pause, she said, "You know your mission. Be smart. Be calm. And most of all…be safe…"

Naruto smiled and gave a short nod. He walked onto an open space on the monument, then whispered, "You ready, Kurama?..."

Kurama smiled and said, "Let's do this…"

Naruto smiled, then his whole body started flashing orange and glowing yellow. His face turned a full yellow, then his jumpsuit started transforming as well.

After the transformation was complete, he turned to everyone at the monument. He wore a small smile and said in a soft voice, "Thanks for this…"

He gave a small wave and said, "I'll be back in one piece. Promise." As everyone waved him off, he folded his hands then gave everyone one last glance before launching in the direction of the Hidden Rain.

As he vanished out of sight, everyone looked on, hoping that everything would be ok.

As Naruto neared the Hidden Rain Village, Kurama said, "You ready for this?"

Naruto thought to himself for a second, then said, "I think so…"

Kurama gave a slight chuckle and asked, "What happened to 'Born that way.'?" clearly imitating Naruto's cocky attitude.

Naruto smiled and said, "Can't be as confident when you don't know what to expect…"

Kurama paused, then smiled and said, "Ok…I'll give you that."

After a few moments of silence between the two, Naruto said, "I'm sorry if I disappointed you…"

"How so?" said Kurama in a semi-confused voice.

Naruto said, "Well things aren't like how they used to be with Sakura. I thought that was what you wanted…"

Kurama said, "Wrong. I said I wanted you to try your hardest. You did, and now you're healing…"

Naruto thought about it and said, "Yeah, I guess I am…" He let out a wide grin and said, "Thanks Kurama." Kurama said in a friendly voice, "Don't mention it."

As Naruto neared the village, he almost flew right by it. He stood over the jungle and looked out to the sharp, jagged edges of the towers in the distance. He tilted his head and said in a slightly confused voice, "Where's the rain?..."

He looked around and saw that there wasn't a cloud in sight. The normally ominous look that Amegakure had was gone. The industrial look of the village shone through even more. The sun highlighted every skyscraper and small building in sight. The shadows of the buildings looked like they were sharp enough to cut you if that were possible.

Naruto looked around and said in a slightly off-put voice, "This is weird…"

"Don't let it distract you kid. Stay focused." Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah. Got it."

He proceeded to fly towards the village. As he got closer, he felt a familiar dark chakra. Hikan. He looked down in his direction and saw that he was standing on one of the docks that extended over the lake. He had a sizable welcoming party around him along with a group of people holding a sign.

It read: Welcome Naruto Uzumaki, Hero of the 4th Great Ninja War!

Naruto noted Hikan's smug grin, then examined what he was wearing. He said in a sarcastic voice, "Look who decided to add some color to their wardrobe…" Kurama replied, "Yeah… I think he likes combat armor as much as you like jumpsuits…" Naruto let out a small chuckle then grew serious and said, "Let's get this done…"

Naruto wore a disgusted look and started to descend. As he got closer, Kurama said, "Remember to smile kid. You're supposed to be happy that Amegakure has a new leader." Naruto scrunched his lips and said, "Yeah, you're right…" He put on the best fake smile he could muster as he landed onto the dock. As he landed, he found himself swarmed by joyful villagers. Hikan held out a hand for them to stop and said, "Mr. Uzumaki will be joining you all soon. Just give us a moment."

As the people calmed down, Hikan stepped forward and said, "Good morning, Mr. Uzumaki. I was overjoyed when I heard that the hero of the 4th Great Ninja War would be visiting to congratulate me on my election." He waved his hand in the direction of the welcoming committee and said, "I guarantee you that the people are pleased as well."

Naruto wore a fake smile and said, "It's my pleasure, and congratulations." as he extended a hand to Hikan. Hikan smiled then shook his hand and said, "Thank you. I appreciate it… Nice outift by the way." Naruto replied with a forced smile and said, "Same to you."

After a short pause, he asked in a slightly curious voice, "No rain today?"

Hikan smiled then said, "No, not today." He quickly changed the subject by turning to a camera. He put his arm around Naruto's shoulders and said, "I hope you're not picture shy…"

Naruto gave a small chuckle then put his arm around Hikan's shoulders and replied, "No way. Pictures are just a way of saving good memories."

Hikan gave a small smile and said, "That they are…"

As the two took pictures, Naruto found himself a little disturbed at Hikan's expression. His smile was so well crafted, but Naruto knew better. On the inside, he was a killer…

After they had finished taking pictures, Hikan said, "I promised the people you'd spend some time with them. I hope you don't mind." He wore a small smile and said, "They'd probably remove me from power if you visited and I didn't give them a chance to take pictures and get autographs."

Naruto thought to himself, 'Maybe I shouldn't let them take pictures or get autographs then…' He wore a small smile as he mentally chuckled to himself before regaining his composure and saying, "It's cool. I'm used to it by now."

Hikan smiled and said, "Excellent." He pointed to Tashisu who was standing next to him and said, "This is Tashisu. He's my most trusted assistant. He'll assist you with the people, then we'll both give you a tour of the city. After that, we'll grab something to eat, then I'll let you go. I know you must be a busy man." Naruto wore a small smile and nodded.

Tashisu turned to Naruto and said, "Follow me." The two walked a little distance to a place where the villagers were waiting to meet Naruto.

They asked him for pictures, autographs, autographed pictures, and everything in between. Naruto was used to the attention, so he handled it with relative ease.

After they were done, the people tried to linger, but Hikan said in a exasperated voice, "Ok. Ok. We still have to show off our village." The people reluctantly started to leave, then Hikan turned to Naruto and said, "I never thought having to deal with the people would be one of the hardest things to do when I started leading this village." Naruto inwardly rolled his eyes, then said in as serious of a voice as he could muster, "At least you're good at it…"

Hikan gave a slight head tilt and said, "Thanks."

After all of the villagers had left, he clapped his hands and said, "Well, in any case. I think we can take that tour now." He turned to Tashisu and said, "Lead the way." Tashisu nodded and started walking in the direction of the village.

As the three walked through the village, Naruto turned to Hikan and said, "I know Pain used to be a more private person, but you don't seem to mind walking among the people…"

Hikan said, "I was one of the people once. We saw Pain as a god, and although I respected him, that's one of the areas where I disagreed with his approach. Me and the people, we're all the same…"

Naruto thought to himself for a second, then nodded and said, "That's cool."

As Hikan continued to show Naruto around, he found himself relaxing more. The village's industrial atmosphere gave it a refreshing vibe. This wasn't nearly as stressful as he thought it'd be. It was actually turning out to be a pretty chill day.

After Hikan had finished showing him around the village, he said, "The only place left to visit is Pain's Tower. It's the highest tower in the city and my current base of operations. We'll grab something to eat there, then I'll let you go." Naruto wore a small smile and gave a short nod as they started heading towards the tower.

As the two stepped into the tower, Hikan and Tashisu greeted the attendant at the front desk. Naruto did the same then followed them into an elevator.

As the elevator went up, Naruto felt his ears slightly pop. He was used to it when he was flying, but it kinda took him by surprise that elevators had a similar effect. Hikan was watching his reaction and said in a chuckle, "I wouldn't think the change in air pressure would bother you, especially with all the flying you do..."

Naruto smiled and said, "I just didn't expect it that's all…" Hikan gave a suspicious smile and said, "Expect the unexpected…" Naruto gave a small smile although that statement gave him an uneasy feeling.

After a few more moments, the elevator finally stopped and the three stepped out. They made their way through a series of hallways, then Hikan opened a door and said, "We'll be dining in here..."

As Naruto looked into the room, he pinched his lips and slowly shook his head. His face took on the form of a small scowl as he thought to himself, 'That jerk…'

It was the exact room they had stolen the false intel from. It still looked the same as when they first came. The only addition was an elegant looking, well-made wooden table that was in the middle of the room. It had two chairs opposite each other, so it had to be the table where they would be eating. The office desk was still there with the sword resting against it and the computer on top.

Hikan turned to Naruto and said, "I know you came here to congratulate me on my election, but I just want to offer my condolences. I heard of what happened at the Leaf. You guys had a terrible thing happen, but at least Sasuke was able to bring some of them back…"

Naruto face started changing into a disapproving frown. If Hikan really cared, he would've offered his condolences when Naruto first arrived. He had purposefully waited until they were in that specific room so that he could remind Naruto that he had outsmarted them.

As Naruto's angry frown became more apparent, Kurama said, "Fix your face. Don't let him get to you."

Naruto thought for a second, then knocked himself out of it and said, "Sorry for my reaction. It's still a sensitive subject, so it hurts to think about it." Hikan nodded and said, "No need to apologize. It's understandable…"

Naruto just wanted to punch him in that smug face of his, but he calmed himself down and said, "Yeah. Thanks for your condolences, but we're here to celebrate your election. No need to kill the mood."

Hikan smiled and said, "I appreciate that."

Hikan walked over to the table they would be eating at then motioned to one of the chairs and said, "Please, have a seat…" Naruto walked over to the chair, then sat down and said, "Thanks."

Hikan sat down, then smiled and said, "No problem. You're our guest. Make yourself comfortable." Naruto gave another fake smile and said, "I will." There was no way he could be comfortable now. Hikan was throwing their failure in his face. Hopefully he could get some information that would make this day worth it.

The two hadn't been sitting down for a minute when the door flew open and two waitresses walked in. The first had two glasses of water. She placed one on Naruto's side of the table, then the other on Hikan's.

Hikan motioned to a small bar at one end of the room and said, "If you have a preferred drink, let her know and she'll get it for you." Naruto smiled and said, "Water is fine."

The other waitress had two bowls on a large tray. She set one of them down in front of Naruto and then set the other one down in front of Hikan. Naruto looked down and saw that it was a huge bowl of ramen. As his eyes widened at the realization, Hikan said, "It's no secret that ramen is your favorite dish. For another visitor, I may have prepared an elaborate meal, but this just felt more fitting…"

Naruto forced a smile and said, "Thanks." This was one of the few times in his life where he wasn't happy to see ramen. The ramen looked great, his real problem was with the source…

As the two got ready to eat, Naruto picked up his chopsticks with a hint of apprehension. Hikan wouldn't do anything to the war hero…right?... His heart started beating a little faster as his anxiety rose. Kurama let out a small sigh and said, "There are currently two waitresses in the room along with that Tashisu guy. If Hikan were planning to do something like poison you, do you really think he'd do it with so many eyes watching?" He let out a small sigh and said, "You're just not cut out for these missions…"

Naruto slightly squinted his eyes then went into Kurama's chamber. "Just know if something weird or bad happens to me, it's your fault!" Kurama slowly shook his head as Naruto left.

Hikan had already started eating, so Naruto slowly picked up some ramen with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth. He wore a suspicious expression as he slowly started chewing. After he saw that he was still alive, he started to eat more like he normally did.

As the two ate in silence, Naruto decided to start fishing for information. He decided to start off with something light.

He said in an appreciative voice, "The ramen is good…" Hikan smiled and said, "I'll let the cooks know that you liked it. They'll be very happy to hear that the hero of the war liked their ramen."

Naruto gave a small smile and said in a carefree voice, "So, anything interesting been happening since your election?"

Hikan smiled and said, "No. Nothing that interesting. Mostly paperwork…"

Naruto slowly nodded as he absorbed Hikan's reply. That answer wasn't what he was hoping for. He needed some clues regarding any future plans. He decided to try to press a little harder.

He ate some more ramen, then said, "So I heard that there may be some shinobi from the Sound headed here. That's gotta be a little unnerving…"

Hikan shook his head and said, "It's not a big problem. I've assured the people that we'll be able to take care of it...and we will…"

Naruto took another bite of ramen as he tried to hide his semi-annoyed expression. Hikan couldn't shut up earlier, but now he wasn't willing to talk much at all. That jerk knew what he was doing.

Hikan watched from his side of the table with an amused grin. He knew the game that was being played and he was prepared. He finished up his ramen, then waited for Naruto to finish his.

After Naruto had finished, Hikan waved for Tashisu to come over. He whispered into his ear, "Give us the room…and start the clock…" Tashisu gave a respectful nod then motioned for the waitresses to leave with him.

Naruto looked around in slight confusion. Hikan said in a soft voice, "Don't worry… I just want to talk."

Author's Note

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite because I will be updating this story consistently. This story will be completed. Believe it!