None of them wanted to spend anymore time at the Akatsuki hideout. There was a chance that others of the criminal group would come to try and kidnap the Kazekage again. While they thought they could stand up to two or three Akatsuki, if the whole group came they would be hard pressed—and that was if the whole group had capabilities similar to those that they knew of. The fact that one of them had the Rinnegan was troubling.
It was too far from Suna for them to make it back there without traveling through the night, so they decided to camp for the night—especially since Gaara and Kakashi were still unconscious.
As she was getting ready to sleep, the Kyuubi said, Join me in the seal, Stepmother. There is something I must discuss with you.
Okay, Kyuubi-san, she replied.
When she lay down for the night, instead of going to sleep, she concentrated on her seal and the Kyuubi. She found herself on the seal's representation of the moon looking up at the Earth hanging in the sky. She turned around until she found the gate that marked the opening in the Kyuubi's cage and began to walk toward it.
"Hello, Stepmother," boomed the deep voice of the Kyuubi.
"Kyuubi-san," she replied politely. "Can you tell me anything more about the man who attacked the day I was born?"
"No," it replied stiffly. "I recognized the gaze of the match to your old teacher's implanted eye, but could tell little because he was a projection." The chakra monster paused before continuing grimly, "I did recognized the statue that Akatsuki were trying to bind the Ichibi into from talks with my father."
"Oh? What is it?" she asked.
"The body of the Juubi," it spat out.
"What!?" she exclaimed.
"When Father created us out of what your predecessor became, it left behind a physical body. Father sealed it into the moon."
"How did Akatsuki get it out of the moon and what are they trying to do with it?" she asked, troubled.
"The man with Father's eyes must have summoned it," the Kyuubi said.
"The Rinnegan?" Naruto asked. "Do you know how it differs from my third eye?"
"It's similar in that Father had the same abilities that your paths have, but Father never developed the Sharingan's copy abilities," it replied. "Your third eye is the same as Kaguya's, but I don't think she ever showed her complete abilities. For instance, she never showed the copy abilities either, but she hardly needed to, since all chakra originated with her."
"You mean she knew all ninjutsu techniques?" Naruto asked, surprised.
The Kyuubi shook its head. "Ninjutsu were developed after she became the Juubi and was sealed. She used raw chakra manipulation at a much more basic level than ninjutsu because chakra just did what she wanted it to. She mainly used her third eye for making what would later be known as genjutsu—including the one that she reflected off the moon to cast on everyone."
Naruto shuddered. She could use her third eye to cast genjutsu, but it was not her preferred method of fighting. She remembered how awful she had been at dispelling them before her doujutsu manifested. Mizuki had put her under some awful ones in the Academy under the pretense of training her. The helplessness she had felt then probably still colored her perception of them. Now she could break them easily even without her doujutsu due to her now-incredible chakra control and the fact that she could absorb foreign chakra inside of her relatively easily, but the distaste for them still lingered.
"So what does them having the body of the Juubi mean?" she asked.
"They were trying to put the Ichibi into it," the Kyuubi growled. "Whether they intend it or not, they are going to reform the Juubi once they put enough chakra from each of us into it."
"Wait!" Naruto exclaimed. "They don't need all of your chakra? The fact that we saved Gaara-san doesn't stop them?"
"Our minds developed after Father split us from the Juubi," it growled. "It doesn't need them. In fact, getting subsumed into the Juubi is probably the only way one of us can really die."
"How would that work anyway?" she asked. "Can they form the Juubi without me?"
"You aren't Kaguya reborn, Stepmother," the Kyuubi said. "You've inherited her chakra as her heir, but it would still be possible to revive her, even with you still here."
"What!?" she exclaimed.
"Father could revive people in certain circumstances," it stated. "And as much as I would like to, you also can't forget that snake Orochimaru and what he did to your former Hokages."
Naruto shuddered. "He couldn't do that to the Juubi if he got ahold of the statue, could he?"
The Kyuubi snorted. "No. Be thankful that the Juubi's body isn't real flesh and blood. That doesn't mean that there aren't other methods. However, all the ones I know of would require sacrificing all the Bijuu. . ." He squinted at her. ". . .or possibly you."
She grimaced. "Because all the Bijuu are a so much more tempting target than a sixteen-year-old girl. Am I going to have to worry about them coming after me?"
"The number of people that realize that you could short-cut the process are limited. That two-colored fool that you absorbed to come into your inheritance may have been one, but the only others would be my siblings and they would hardly want the return of Kaguya or the Juubi. You also have to realize that a Juubi summoned by sacrificing only you would be limited in its power without collecting the rest of its chakra from the other Bijuu and that they are already after you as my container, Stepmother."
Naruto chuckled ruefully. "I forgot in the excitement. The real question is why anyone would want to recreate the Juubi."
The Kyuubi laughed evilly. "Power, Stepmother. Power. Someone wants to make themselves the ultimate jinchuuriki."
Naruto grimaced. She, herself, would have given up being a jinchuuriki if she could have when she first found out about being one. Now she was used to the Kyuubi and knew that she would miss it, gruff nature and all, if it were released. While its power had been useful, occasionally, when she was a new genin due to the scrapes she had found herself in, she would miss her companion more than its power now. Thinking about what jinchuuriki had historically done and been used for, she did not want to think about what one with the power of the Juubi would do. Thinking about what someone willing to use the methods and people that Akatsuki did with the power of the Juubi was enough to make her never want to sleep again.
"We'll just have to stop them, won't we, Kyuubi?" she said more confidently than she felt. In some ways, she missed the ignorance she had had before becoming Tsunade's apprentice. It was harder to dismiss your problems when you knew the statistics behind them. Still, it was no use worrying about it. Her grin became more real. Somehow she would find a way. She always did.
"Kurama," it said.
"Huh?"
"My name is Kurama, Stepmother," it clarified.
She thrust her fist through the bars. "Call me Naruto, Kurama. Having a friend who shares my mind with me calling me Stepmother is weird, even if I were the right age for it."
"Okay, Naruto," Kurama said with an amused tone in his voice. He reached forward and bumped her fist with his paw. "I'll save that for special occasions."
Kakashi woke up the next morning not long after everyone else did.
"How long was I out?" he asked.
"Just overnight," Naruto answered him while scanning him with her chakra.
"What's the prognosis, Doc?" he asked.
"About two days to for your normal body to be back to normal," she responded.
"Hey, that's pretty good," he said. "Last time it took about a week."
"This isn't like last time," she said. "Since I'm trained in this now, I can cut down most of your recovery time. However. . ."
"Why do I think I'm not going to like this?" Kakashi grumbled.
"However," she repeated, "you'll need to refrain from using your Sharingan for two weeks, completely."
"Why so long?" he asked.
She sighed. "Your body really doesn't like it when you overuse your Sharingan and evidently overusing the Mangekyo is much worse than normal. You're in danger of it rejecting the eye."
He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "A two week vacation doesn't sound too bad."
Naruto sighed again. "I wish you would take this seriously, Sensei. If your body rejects the eye, we couldn't make it cooperate with you again without seriously hampering your capability as a shinobi."
"I am taking it seriously, Naruto-chan," he said with an eye smile. Turning serious, he added, "Deidara is currently a bad matchup for Sasuke-kun. I have some ideas on how to change that which I think will flip the tables on him nicely if we run into him again, but I really had no choice yesterday. I refuse to lose another comrade—especially not one of you three. If it means losing Obito-kun's gift, then so be it."
She smiled faintly and ruffled his hair, which caused him to pout adorably. "Let's just think about being proactive in coming up with contingencies so that you don't have to. Okay, Sensei?"
"Sure, Bunny-chan," he chirped.
She rolled her eyes. It was bad enough that her peers called her that, but it was no use trying to get Kakashi to act like an adult at all. Even though the so-called literature he devoured was labeled adult, it was more teenage fantasy than anything.
Examining and talking to Kakashi took long enough that Gaara also woke up. The Shadow Clone she had watching him quickly created and dispelled a clone so that she would know. She hurried over to examine him herself. When she arrived she sent the clone over to monitor Kakashi to make sure he did not overdue it or abuse his status as injured.
Gaara opened his eyes and noticed her hovering over him. "Naruto-san?" he murmured.
"Hey, Gaara-san," she replied. Once upon a time, she would have called him Gaara-kun or left off the honorific entirely, but Tsunade's diplomacy and manners lessons had sunk in, at least a little. She knew she should call him "Kazekage-dono," but he was her friend and she called her friends by their names if she did not have a nickname for them. Those same lessons told her it was better not to invent a fun nickname for Gaara.
"You had quite the little adventure there," she continued, smiling.
"You came," he murmured.
"Of course I came, silly," she answered, still smiling. "You're my friend."
She put on her "Serious Doctor" face. "As your attending physician, I can tell you that you have a mild case of chakra shock. However, while even a mild case of chakra shock is serious, the treatment I've given you should put you back on your feet and Kazekage-ing within a week." She smiled again.
"Akatsuki?" he asked.
"Chiyo-san killed Sasori with help from Hinata-chan and me," she said. "Sasuke-kun and one of my clones managed to cost Deidara his arm, but he got away. Kakashi-sensei is here too, but he overtaxed himself holding off Deidara with Sasuke-kun until I could spare some of my special Shadow Clones."
Gaara chuckled. "Shadow Clone is a really broken technique in your hands."
She gave him her best fox-like grin. "It's great to be me." She patted his hand. "I'm glad you're okay, Gaara-san. I need to go finish getting my things ready to go. We should make it back to Suna in a couple of hours. Let my clone know if you need anything." She made a Shadow Clone and walked off.
Not long after that, they restarted their journey toward Suna. To Kakashi's dismay, Gai quickly volunteered to carry him. Kakashi tried to get Naruto to detail a clone to do it, but Naruto begged off on being too short for his lanky frame. Gai grabbed him and started running toward Suna before anyone could point out that Naruto could easily adjust her height through her Disguise Technique. Not to be outdone by his sensei, Lee grabbed Gaara before anyone could object and took off following the older Green Beast. Left with no choice, the rest of them formed pursued them. Luckily, Gai had enough sense to let the others get into formation around them so that they were not exposed.
"See Bunny-chan," Sasuke teased her as they ran. "Being so short is not all bad."
"I'm still growing!" she protested.
It was true that most girls her age were at their maximum height, but she examined herself every month or so to make sure that her long bones had not fully calcified. The ends were still cartilaginous which meant that she could still get taller. Whether this was because she was a late bloomer or due to the changes she went through when she was twelve, she did not know.
Her excuse just caused Sasuke to laugh. On the other side of her, Hinata also started to giggle. This caused Naruto to pout. Hinata was just about the perfect height for a woman—not short enough to be confused for a child and not tall enough to be considered too manly. Naruto still could not figure out why her friend was still so self-effacing about the way she looked. Naruto had issues with being mistaken for a child. Her face looked doll-like—which was only emphasized by her odd coloring and abnormal features. It had stopped happening so much once her figure had started to come in, but it still bothered her.
When they were an hour out of Suna, they were met by Temari and a group of Suna nin. Lee set Gaara down and supported him so that the Kazekage could meet his forces with some dignity.
"Gaara!" Temari exclaimed, wrapping him in a hug.
"Temari-san," Gaara replied. The only break in his trademark stoicism was his eyes watering slightly.
Chiyo snorted. "Temari-chan, I thought Ebizou-kun convinced you to stay behind."
The blonde girl glared at the old woman. "Kankurou-kun has recovered enough that I am not needed as desperately and I judged that reinforcements would be appropriate, Chiyo-baasama."
Chiyo shook her head, but said nothing.
Lee reluctantly surrendered care of the Kazekage to a Suna nin, to the junior Green Beast's disappointment. Naruto thought Gaara looked slightly relieved, but it was hard to tell with him. To Kakashi's continued disappointment, he got no such reprieve.
Gaara's return to Suna was met by cheering from the crowds. This was bittersweet to Naruto. On the one hand, she was happy for her friend. His childhood treatment had been worse than hers in just about every way that mattered. For his former detractors to treat him like a hero made her happy. On the other hand, Konoha still treated her with kid gloves. Her help at the hospital and her apprenticeship under Tsunade had helped tremendously as had the fact that she was powerful, but not fox-like—other than her birthmarks. However, her unnatural appearance offset that. It felt like all of Konoha was holding its breath waiting to see if she was a monster or not.
She shook her head. Just because she was distantly related to the Uchiha was no excuse to brood. She smiled. She was going to be happy for her friend!
They stayed in Suna for two days. This allowed Kakashi enough time to recover. It also allowed Naruto to monitor Gaara's recovery. The Suna medic nin were grumpy at first about an outsider treating their Kage. When she did not lord her skill and power over them, they warmed up to her.
She spent a lot of time talking to Gaara. While she considered him her friend, she realized that they had not had a lot of actual time together. She found him to be serious and intelligent. These were things that anyone who spent more than a few minutes with him noticed. Underneath his surface of steel, she was pleased to find that he was considerate and gentle. This was a far cry from her first impression of him during the Chuunin Exams three years previous.
On their last evening in Suna, Gaara invited her to have dinner with him at his house. She was a little bit nervous because it sounded like a date. When she arrived, she was relieved to find that the atmosphere was casual. It was not that she did not think a date with Gaara would be unpleasant, but dating him would be beyond complicated.
They had a pleasant dinner and conversation. When they were finished, Gaara cleared his throat. He looked slightly unsure of himself, which was unusual for him.
"There's no easy way for me to say this with grace, Naruto-san," he said, "so I'll simply ask it. May I begin courting you?"
Naruto fought an impulse to sigh. "I would really like that, Gaara-san, under other circumstances."
She tried not to wince as she saw disappointment flicker in his eyes.
"Other circumstances?" he asked.
"If we were both Suna nin or both Konoha nin, I would date you in an instant," she said. "However, I don't think a long-distance relationship would work for me and if our relationship progressed what would we do? Konoha would never let me switch allegiance to Suna and the same is true of you leaving Suna to go to Konoha."
"Surely some deal could be worked out," Gaara said.
She grinned. "I don't like to toot my own horn." They both knew that was not really true. She had gotten better, but she was still a bit of a braggart. "But Suna can't afford me. Not only am I the apprentice of the Hokage and the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, but I also have at least three bloodline abilities; two of which Konoha guards jealously."
"I could resign as Kazekage. . ." Gaara offered.
She shook her head. "I couldn't let you do that for me, Gaara-san."
She noticed his stubborn look.
"Gaara. . ." she said, leaving off the honorific for emphasis. "I think we could be great together, but I don't know for sure. I don't want you to sacrifice your dreams for me only to find out later we work best as just friends. Besides, who would take your place as Kazekage?"
The unspoken truth was that if Suna had anyone else who could be Kazekage, Gaara would never have been elected. He had worked hard to overcome his previous reputation as a bloodthirsty monster, but it had still been there when he had been elected. Plus, there was the fact that he was only been fourteen when elected. No matter his power and potential, a fourteen year old only becomes Kage if there is no other choice.
"You're right, of course," Gaara said with a sigh. "I knew it even before I asked. I just. . ." He looked at her and cleared his throat again. "You've made a big impression on me, Naruto." She noted that he too had dropped the honorific.
She laughed cheerfully. "Of course I have. I'm the ever-awesome Uzumaki Naruto!" She struck a pose, then said soberly, "Seriously, Gaara, I'm very flattered that you asked, but I don't want you to waste your time on might-bes. I'm sure there's a nice Suna girl that would love to get to know you."
"None of them understand me the way you do," he said softly.
She gave him a crooked smile and then hugged him. "That doesn't mean they can't be good for you too. We leave early tomorrow, I should go make sure I'm ready to go."
"Very well," he replied, hugging her back. "Friends?"
"Definitely," she said giving him him trademark grin.
When she exited the door of his home she stopped and leaned against the wall. She let tears leak from her eyes for a few seconds before composing herself and heading to her apartment. Why did she have to be so responsible?
Author's Note: I see Gaara being too formal to call anyone other than a child "chan" or "kun." I have a Naruto with diplomacy beaten into her by Tsunade as part of her Hokage lessons reciprocate. A reminder: to omit a honorific in Japanese shows closeness (more than calling someone "chan" or "kun") when it is appropriate (or derision when it is not).
