DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Naruto universe but I do have an imagination of my own. I will end up using it, I promise! BTW, I'd love to hear what you think of this so far, as well as any other pairings or situations you'd like to see!

Thinking

Emphasis

Biju, etc. speaking

Biju, etc. thinking

"Alright, that's enough out of you," Jiraiya snarked as he plastered a silencing seal right on the offensive ROOT nin's face that had taken Sakura's place on the trip to Wave. They were in Tazuna's root cellar.

"I didn't think you could put one of those things on a person," Naruto said, rather in awe at her godfather's ingenuity, perhaps stupidly. "I woulda stuck one on this nasty woman days ago! I won't even go into what else she's been saying and calling me before you walked in."

"Well, I wasn't going to put up with that. ESPECIALLY not from one of Danzo's mindless drones. This one has some spunk, though, I'll give her that." Jiraiya finished tying her legs and arms up with ninja wire as Tenzo removed the Mokuton that was wound around her first. "Why isn't she wearing more clothes?" Naruto was glad that he didn't stop to "appreciate" the ROOT kunoichi's body; she probably would've smacked him, otherwise. "Let me guess. Has Tenzo-kun finally found the light? Stripping women and..."

"Jiraiya-sama!" Tenzo exclaimed, sounding aghast at such a thing.

"You're never any fun, Squirrel Boy." Jiraiya did something by putting his palm on the back of the neon-pink-haired kunoichi's neck and she went even limper, her face slumped into the floor. "Let's see what we have here. What do you think these seals are, Naruto?"

"Well, this one," she began, pointing at the seal at the bottom of the woman's left shoulder blade, "is for something about chakra. It's got matrices for internalizing it, I guess?" Jiraiya nodded at her proudly and she could see that he wanted her to go on. "This other one: hmm. I'm not sure. It's like a jutsu or something? Why does it say 'hold?' Oh gods - are you serious? It's just to hold a jutsu?!"

"Probably a henge - to last while she sleeps or if she's incapacitated. That way she stays undercover. What's this part of it?" He stroked his finger along an almost star-shaped part of a series of lines that Naruto could only shake her head at.

"I can only guess, and I don't have any reason to really think this, but is it like a reflection of something? I have only seen seals before this that are generally circular or curving, or maybe swirling, ya know? I also don't understand what the word says... is it in a different language?"

"Hai," Tenzo bent down to take another, closer look. "I've seen this before, although not since I was a boy. It says 'block' but there's more here that I don't think is written out."

"You're right. And you were on the right track with thinking this was - what did you call it? A 'reflection?' You see it's the partner to this seal." Jiraiya pointed to the one on the left. "The left seal has internalized a chakra signature to cloak this bootlicker's own, while the right plays along for the ride, hiding her chakra to a sensor like you. But someone added some dumb shit to it: all the other crap has just been sloppily added. The left seal's pretty good, though," he mumbled as an afterthought. "Coulda combined the two chakra seals, though. Woulda made more sense."

"So that's why I believed she was Sakura-chan? Her chakra signature was just like my teammate's, ya know. And wait, part of her didn't look like Sakura when I broke her jaw."

"Thatta girl, Naru-chan," Jiraiya patted her on the back. Tenzo only shook his head and snorted derisively at the older man. "That seal's shitty, it probably lost some of its power."

"Yeah, I don't know about that." She vaguely remembered the imposter looking just like Sakura, but having noticeably bigger boobs before she may have thrown the woman out the window, but didn't want to mention it. "And how did she get Sakura-chan's chakra signature?" Naruto was even more worried about her teammate now that she thought of that!

"Relax, it's easy. Hell, a copy of all ANBU's chakra signatures are on file in the Hokage's office. Shut it, Tenzo, I can trust my goddaughter." Tenzo made a little squeak that sounded like he swallowed wrong. "It's not like you're going to use or abuse that information, right kid?"

"Of course not!" She wouldn't use it to prank anyone: seriously! And she certainly wouldn't use it against her comrades. "But how do they record a chakra signature? Is Sakura-chan alright? Did it hurt her?"

Jiraiya blew out a bunch of air, which sounded like it whistled in sadness at the end. "I don't know about your friend's current status, but there's a very simple device that records chakra signatures. Actually," Jiraiya scratched the top of his head really hard, "whenever a shinobi or anyone who's from a clan or has even been enrolled in the Academy or other part of the forces gives blood or has a procedure, the signature is taken or verified. So we've all had it taken, you just didn't know! Easy peasy! The hospital's the only other place where that stuff is held outside the ANBU, Naruto."

"I'm not letting anyone have my blood. No way," Naruto said, crossing her arms and trying not to think of what Orochimaru might be able to do with it.

"A little late for that after what happened back when I saw you last, kid." Naruto shuddered at Jiraiya's words. He didn't seem to like the reminder either.

Naruto couldn't help feel sick about that. Kabuto's still out there somewhere, probably sitting in the Konoha hospital doing something shitty...

Back in the village, a certain gray-haired, glasses-wearing, long-term Genin sneezed while looking through the computer records at various shinobi's records he'd been ordered to investigate by his master. He didn't even sense the henged kunoichi who butted in and was now holding him up with one hand high against a wall he'd been literally smashed into.

"Mind telling me what you're doing here, brat?" She moved her hand down slightly to allow the possible traitor to both breathe and talk.

"Kunoichi-san! I was tasked with pulling Hatake-senpai's record. You may have heard that..."

"Hai, hai. Everyone who's anyone has heard about Team 7's tomfoolery in Wave." She dropped the kid to the floor. "Hatake's records are blacked out to everyone but the higher-ups, Genin. Who ordered you to pull these?"

Kabuto rubbed his throat, internally all but freaking out at how incredibly strong and stealthy this unknown dark-haired kunoichi seemed. "Shinomi-sensei, Kunoichi-san." (Shinomi-san reported to Danzo and knew all about his true affiliations. She'd have his back.)

"We'll see about that, kid."

"May I ask your name, Kunoichi-san, so that I may more properly address you in the future?" Kabuto asked with a polite bow before pushing his glasses up in a small gesture that made people underestimate him.

"Tch. How about you go fuck yourself instead," she said sharply. Her eyes brightened as she turned back to look at him before dragging him out the door, a different thought in mind. "I got a better idea, kid. Atomi-san in room 514 shit the bed. You be a good little mouse and go clean him and his room up. Then you can work on all the bedpans downstairs. Make sure to make 'em so shiny I can see my gorgeous face in them. That's an order you little shit. GO!"

Kabuto ran away from the awful Jonin before slowly heading upstairs to deal with the elderly retired shinobi well-known to defecate on things when he didn't get the exact food or juice he wanted. Orochimaru-sama, I hope this proves how dedicated I am to you. "Atomi-san, I'm here to..." He was cut off by an incredibly long and wet-sounding shart.

"I don' like yo face, boy." Atomi waddled over to the nearest vinyl chair and hopped up on top of it, then slid down a bit, not wearing pants or underwear underneath his gown. He very nearly snorted and gave himself up at seeing the horrified look on the kid's face. Yes, what he was doing was totally disgusting and hilarious, but he'd do anything even at his extreme age that he could for the Hokages who had all been his friends. And he'd especially do the same for their cute female descendants, too!

The bet that he wouldn't go all out and pull something like this at just the right moment was just too easy for him to win from the henged Legendary Sucker.

Jiraiya didn't want to disable the seals they were discussing because he eventually hoped to send the ROOT nin back to spy on Danzo for him. That was partially Naruto's idea after mentioning that she had previously been successful in nullifying the curse seal that had been placed on the ROOT nins' tongues. Jiraiya had the great idea to try out altering the cursed tongue seal on Tenzo before doing the same on their prisoner, but Tenzo was being a wuss about it. "One thing I still don't understand is how we didn't sniff her out," Naruto pouted as she stared down at the unconscious woman.

"One, her perfume," Kakashi stated, making Naruto jump as he came walking down the stairs. Jiraiya rolled his eyes at her, probably thinking that she wasn't as keen a sensor as she'd told him. "Two, she's most likely a member of Sakura-chan's family. The citrus-based perfume she was using was enough to throw us off her individual smell and really irritated my nose." Naruto nodded her head in agreement. "Clan or family members have a base scent even if they don't live together."

"Good enough! Let's let her rot down here," Jiraiya added as he slapped another seal on the middle of the woman's back to keep her knocked out. "The three of us can come up with something to use on our guinea pig, here," he swatted Tenzo on the back, nearly knocking him over.

"Senpai!"

"Maa, excellent idea, Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi ignored Naruto's snort and Tenzo's little whine. "We can take the effects of your seal off of him after, ne?"

"Maybe," Jiraiya said playfully. "Just wait you brat: he'll be declaring his undying love for me rather than you before this is all over, I can tell you that."

Naruto patted Tenzo's back, really feeling for the humiliation these men seemed determined to put him through as they climbed one by one back upstairs. Considering how both Sai and the ROOT kunoichi started spilling secrets they didn't intend to, Naru was a little concerned that Tenzo really would start waxing nostalgic about his supposed love and maybe even attraction for her husband. That would be so awful for him. The possessive and evil side of her really wanted to hear it, though.

They entered the living area to see something Naruto had to admit surprised her. Sasuke and Sai were sitting in the living room, and Inari, whom she had barely seen this go around, was telling off both of her teammates. I can't believe he's acting like this even now! He's gotta be at least nine or ten, if not older this time! Over the past couple of days, she had heard Sai refer to the kid as "Ass-san" while Sasuke didn't negate that description, but what he was going on about really pissed her off.

"...and you don't know what it's like to lose your family and you're just gonna die! I keep telling you stupid shinobi..."

"That's enough, Inari-kun," Naruto said sharply. She remembered being really awful to the little kid when she was here a lifetime ago, but she wasn't that little 12 or 13-year-old girl anymore. "What you've just said to my teammates is really awful, young man, and I don't think you have any room to talk to the people that are going so far out of their way to save you, your family, and your country like this."

"What the hell do you know?!"

"Language, young man!" She purposely avoided Sasuke's gaze who she knew was looking at her like she was the biggest hypocrite in the world at that and bent down to the brat's eye level. "Do you have any idea how lucky you are to have your mother and grandfather, Inari-kun? Cause let me tell ya, none of us have that like you do." Inari looked like he didn't understand. "My parents died within minutes after I was born, Inari. Sasuke's whole family - well, he lost them all," Naruto said gently. "I don't think it's my business to tell you anyone else's story, and I'm sorry, Sasuke if I said too much. We're all the same though." An entire team of orphans... She looked back to him then, but Sasuke only looked away from her and shrugged his shoulders.

"Your grandpa's a hero, Inari! He's trying to set Wave free from..."

"Yeah: Gato, I know! He's just going to kill you! Then he's just going to kill us cause grandpa hired you!"

"You're afraid," Naruto said softly. She dragged her hand through the boy's soft hair and couldn't help but smile when he flinched away from her with a big pout on his face. "It's alright to be afraid, Inari-kun. We wouldn't be human if we weren't sometimes, and we certainly wouldn't stay alive very long if we couldn't feel fear. Your grandpa, though? He's driving through that fear, so that he can SAVE Wave and your family, Inari," she continued.

"You act like you're some kind of hero," the boy spat at her, although he had calmed down a little.

"Hmm. There are lots of heroes, Inari-kun. I even think I see a little hero in you, ya know?" The boy's eyes grew large as he directed his gaze back to her. "Yep, a hero is definitely in there, just waiting to get out. You want to take after your grandpa, ne?"

"And my dad, Kaiza, but he's gone now," Inari said bitterly, but by now his fists weren't clenched as tightly as they were.

"Those who love us are never truly lost," Naruto replied after swallowing a large lump in her throat, giving the boy a sad smile. "They're just in here," she patted his chest over his heart. "We can still make them proud, ne?"

Inari stood staring at her for the longest time before his eyes teared up and he said, "I'm sorry."

"That's okay, Inari-kun. Right, guys? SASUKE?!" Naruto stood up all the way and scowled at her former (and maybe still) rival.

Even Sasuke finally gave him a "Hn," although he did roll his eyes at Naruto's scolding for not responding at first.

"Oh, and Inari-kun? You don't have to go it alone. If you find the need to be a hero one day, try to have comrades and friends help you. They only make us better." He gave her a big nod and ran upstairs to the bedrooms where his mother and grandfather were.

"You got a gift, brat!" Jiraiya patted her on the back, but Kakashi walked straight past her in long strides, following Inari up to the bedrooms.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Kakashi closed the door to the spare bedroom and sat on his futon, totally shaken. When had this happened?!

Watching as his little wife spoke to the kid made him easily see - actually SEE IT, goddamn it! He could see her doing the same disciplining that she did to Inari, but instead to a little silver-haired, blue-eyed boy and girl. Dear Kami, this is a nightmare.

His heartbeat was racing. When did it happen? When the hell did I fall in love with my wife?!

Naruto wasn't sure what was wrong with Kakashi, but he was acting weird even for him. She'd made him an eggplant trio, hoping to cheer him up: miso soup with a little eggplant, grilled saury from her storage scroll with eggplant and rice, and eggplant chocolate ganache mini cakes. She'd stored a ton of food, after all, including deserts and extra tomatoes for you-know-who. Normally she wouldn't give Kakashi so much eggplant as it's a nightshade and high in histamines, but she couldn't help herself. She just wanted to make him feel better! He'd thanked her, but wouldn't even look her in the eye - although she could swear the man was blushing underneath that damn mask of his. She checked him for a fever and thought he'd jump out of his skin with the way he reacted.

She eventually made it back to go to sleep in Tsunami's room. The woman had nearly pile-drived her earlier when she attacked Naruto with a giant hug and almost made Naru cry; Tsunami had been so happy at her son's supposed new attitude. Sasuke and Sai had extremely reluctantly agreed to have a sleepover in Inari's room, and Jiraiya, Tenzo, and Kakashi were piled into the guest room.

Naruto pitied her captain and sensei for having to deal with Ero-sennin's horrible snoring, although between him and Tazuna, it wasn't like anyone was going to have a great night's sleep.

Before she knew it, though, she was dreaming of the dry deserts of Suna, and laughing at Temari for having a crush on her friend along with Kankuro. Gaara was smiling at all of them fondly but looked a little shaken when one of his new fangirls came up and gave him a small flowering cactus. Just before her occasionally recurrent dream turned dark and nasty, (she often had nightmares of her friends being skewered by wooden stakes,) she woke up with a start at receiving one of her patrolling clone's memories.

Stealthily, she got up and walked outside to possibly meet Zabuza. She sent clones to handle the man first, however.

"You didn't have to slice through a clone, ya know," one of her clones scolded the swordsman harshly in a little over a whisper.

"What's this about the rebel alliance being taken out in Kiri?" Zabuza asked, not really lowering his voice.

"What?! I didn't say that! Haku," the clone looked over into the trees, but couldn't see the ice-wielder. She could feel him, though. "Whatever. No, the rebels WON, man. I was just tellin' Haku-kun the other day about it."

Zabuza stared at her for the longest time, although she did see him frown a bit disparagingly as he looked down at her "Toads Forever" pajamas, but only for a second or less. He let loose some Killing Intent which Naruto easily matched before he stopped. Naruto's clone only raised an eyebrow at him.

"If you know so much, who led the Rebels to victory?" Zabuza asked in his deep scratchy voice.

"Do you mean any harm to them?"

"What?! No! If what you're saying is true, I need to... Just shut up and tell me."

From reading his chakra, Naruto could tell that the man was all kinds of jumpy - and honest, though. Curious, too, and worried. "Alright then, I guess I'll trust ya. She's a kunoichi by the name of Terumi Mei." Zabuza's hand had shot out so fast that the clone didn't have a chance to move. She didn't think she'd have to!

"LIAR," he sneered, trying to strangle the true words out of the woman. She popped. "Shadow clone," he sneered.

"Zabuza-sama, she looked surprised, and I don't think we," Haku began in order to soothe his master.

"What the hell was that about?! You asshole, I told you the truth!" Another one of Naruto's clones stalked towards him, all pissed-off and ready to rumble, for a clone anyway. "The fuck's your problem, man?!"

"She's dead," the swordsman spat at the same time Haku began to talk, "Terumi Mei was Zabuza-sama's fiance."

"HAKU!"

"Quiet down you idiot! Ya wanna wake everyone up?!" Little did Naruto know that Jiraiya and Kakashi had woken when Naruto's second clone unknowingly walked right over a hidden seal the Toad Sage had set up and were now checking to make sure everyone was in the house. One person obviously wasn't there. "Geesh! Look man, Terumi Mei is totally alive and is being inaugurated around now. Seriously. Fuck, man, I got this information from the TOP, if you catch my drift."

"If you're lying, Namikaze," Zabuza began.

"If I'm lying, I'm dying. And by the way, it's Uzumaki. Uzumaki Naruto, ya know. What? Why the hell are you staring at me like that?!"

Zabuza was more than a little shocked. She's the Red Death's daughter or sister?! Oh, dear gods... There's no more left, so she has to be related to that nightmare! He should really kill her right now before she goes off terrorizing the world as any Uzumaki would, but hope had bloomed in his seemingly dead cold heart. "You swear this is true, Uzumaki? Terumi Mei's alive?"

"Hell yes! You should give her a present," she added cheekily. "My clones are looting Gato's place behind his back right now. Wanna help? Bet you can find something pretty there," she said smiling broadly. Other clones had nearly cleaned out the little greasy megalomaniac's main safe, but the supposed businessman had nice shit all over his fortress.

"We'll see, brat." Zabuza grabbed Haku and they sunshinned away. Naruto's clone felt them go off, then turned to meet her doom.

"Uzumaki Naruto. What are you doing out here past midnight with missing-nin again?!"

"Umm," the clone was really scared at the matching glares of all three of her seniors who were out in their pajamas, which were boxers and light undershirts for all three men. "I'm a clone, 'ttebayo! The real me's over there!" She pointed at the house and dispelled.

Naruto squeaked and sunshinned upstairs, diving under her covers in Tsunami's room. Kakashi nearly caught her, but just as she'd hoped, was respectful, so didn't barge into the lady of the house's bedroom.

Twenty minutes later, Naru walked into the men's room after knocking at the open door in the dark. They all looked up, each one of them totally pissed off at her. "I'm here to report," she began while rubbing the back of her neck. "Gato's dead, ya know. His mercenaries and stuff, too. The hostages are out, and... Yeah."

She was trying not to shake, but after what she saw through her clone's memories, she gave herself a break for trembling. Her clones had witnessed an absolute slaughter at Gato's manor by Zabuza and even Haku.