Before I continue, I would like to say that this chapter is unfinished. I am posting this because I am going to join the army tomorrow, the 2nd April. It will take six months and I don't know what I will be able to do there so figured 'might as well add it after the notice'. I will remove this and possibly make changes when I can. Again, no editing or beta reading have been done so you can skip and wait for a proper chapter if you like.

XXXXX

'They have grown.' Jiraiya couldn't help but think, eyeing the adolescents across them. One with his rogue teammate and his assistant, the other with the Uchiha Itachi and a man he never saw before.

"Naruto and Itachi. So, it is true…" Sasuke said the last part quietly and jumped down, pretty much ignoring the Konoha ninja and standing under the other group. Naruto stayed silent, allowing the brothers to have their moment.

"Sasuke, you have grown." Itachi said softly, stating what was in Jiraiya's mind. The younger Uchiha narrowed his eyes at the elder as the duo had a silent conversation, both carefully stoic. Sasuke blinked after a while, glancing down briefly then his eyes returned to the elder Uchiha.

"I did. And you look… less pale." Sasuke was right, like all Uchihas Itachi has a natural pale complexion but he was deathly so while he was ill. The dark circles around his eyes and the perpetual exhaustion in them were also… well, reduced but that much was expectable considering Itachi's life.

"Yes, I suppose." Itachi replied and they had another silent conversation.

"Perhaps you should go somewhere more private." Because no matter how stoic they were, Naruto knew them and enough uchiha-ese to see right through them. Sasuke was burning, in anger, frustration, confusion... but not hatred and most importantly, hope.

Sasuke wanted answers, wanted to make peace with his brother. Only Itachi was too guilt ridden and feared that conversation. More than he feared Nagato, more than he feared Obito, more than he feared anything.

"You will never be ready, Itachi. Might as well do it while you have the opportunity." He whispered. Itachi didn't give a reaction for a second, then nodded curtly and walked away. Sasuke followed after a glance at the blond.

"I think you have something I want, Orochimaru, a horn." Eight tails' to be more specific. He knew the sannin understood what he wanted as Orochimaru weighed pros and cons for a moment before leaving with Kabuto without a word. He turned to the Konoha ninja finally and sat down at the edge of the hole Sasuke made.

"I see that you have heeded my words." He said casually, eyeing the chunin vests and jonin flak jackets over various clothing they wore.

Until his eyes stopped at Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru is a jonin…" He said in confusion.

"Shikamaru is a jonin." He looked at Choji and repeated.

"You are a jonin." The Nara couldn't help but snicker.

"Yes Naruto, I am. So are Hinata, Neji and Sakura." He glanced at them once again.

"I knew they could do it. Neji had always been driven, Hinata just needed a nudge and Sakura needed someone to believe in her but you… I half expected you to retire as a genin…" Shikamaru stared at him dryly even when Choji snickered at him.

"He is right, you know." The stare turned to the Akimichi… but then caught Hinata walking forward with her fist clenched on her chest.

"Naruto-kun…" She wanted to say many things, ask him to come back to konoha for starters… but she didn't. Because he was right… about pretty much everything. Ichiraku's got more customers than ever after he went rogue, some people even celebrated.

"...you have changed." was all she could manage in the end. He grinned a little and jumped down with grace, making his way to her.

"I suppose I did." He said after he got beside her.

"So you did." He added after making a circle around her. His eyes trailed to others.

"So you did." He repeated, meaning them all this time.

"Except you Jiraiya, you look the same… well, older that is." He said with an eye-grin. Hinata had to bite inside of her lip to not grin and Kiba coughed a little to mask his snickers. Jiraiya wasn't amused.

"Shut up, brat." The blond hummed in amusement.

"Fine, but only if someone else does the talking instead…" He said and sat on a chunk of rock Sasuke broke away from the hideout. The others shared a confused glance between themselves and stared back at the blond silently after that. He waved a finger up and down at Shikamaru.

"... start with what hit Shikamaru's head because I can't think any other way about how this happened." Chouji chuckled.

"Temari's war fan." Shikamaru slapped his head upside down.

"Temari? Gaara's sister Temari? They hit it off?... yeah, pun intended." Some chuckled, including Chouji. Shikamaru covered his eyes with a hand.

"Troublesome blonds… why did I even come here?..."

XXXXX

Crossing the borders to the Land of Wind was a weird experience, Deidara knew that place was a desert but didn't know that the chance was so… sudden. He looked at the trees behind them and the sea of sand starting from their next step.

"You done?" He asked as he saw Sasori coming with a scroll in Hiruko's hand. Sasori just grunted an affirmative and proceeded to wade through the sand. Deidara followed by his side.

"You didn't get rid of it." He said after a while, Sasori caught him eyeing the dried rose on his straw hat.

"No." He said shortly. Deidara expected an elaboration but knew his teammate wasn't going to give one.

"Hmph." He was going to say something suggestive but he was pretty sure Sasori would attack him with his tail so he just grinned ahead instead.

"Do you think he took over the Akatsuki?" He asked after he straightened his expression.

"Doesn't matter." Sasori replied after a while, using his own way of saying 'I don't know'. "We have been told what to do." Deidara stared at him briefly before turning ahead again.

"Hmph."

They reached the village in silence after that.

"So, how do we do this?" Deidara asked, eyeing the great walls and the village beyond on a dune of sand. Sasori closed his eyes.

"Danna?"

"Be quiet, I am trying to concentrate." Deidara blinked and watched Sasori do that while chewing some clay with his hand-mouths.

"I have ordered one of my sleeper agents to make an opening in the city defenses. You fly above and blast them with your 'art', it will get the jinchuriki out." Deidara grunted for an agreement.

"Well, you know I won't say no to…" He dropped the finished sculpture and enlarged it with a hand seal. "... let more people know my art, hmph!" He jumped at the clay bird's back and took flight in a gust of wind, whipping around sand and their robes alike. Sasori watched with unimpressed eyes.

"Idiot." He shook his head. "I hope he won't make me wait." He muttered as he moved to a place he could watch from afar. He removed the flower from his hat, rubbing the petals gently between two fingers.

"Art." He muttered quietly. Explosions could be heard a few seconds later as he placed the flower on his hat and hat on his head. He watched coolly as the jinchuuriki came out as he expected and fought with Deidara on air.