What is up everyone? I hope the last few months have been well. I recently was cleared to start working again after intense physical therapy for my hands and knee. Been painful and stressful and I have a bit of a way to go, but I can at least start writing and playing basketball (in increments) again. As always, the story belongs to the Goat, Kishimoto-Sama, and I wouldn't have it any other way at this point.

Previously in A Cruel Fate: Naruto and Hinata managed to finally catch up to Sasuke, Sakura, and Pakkun, who were in the middle of being attacked by a wild eyed Gaara looking to snuff out their lives for the fun of it. Luckily, Naruto was able to lend a helping hand, knocking Gaara back long enough to use his duo sealing technique where he blew up the forest in spectacular fashion. Now the two are ready to face off as the others watch in fear, each of them rooted in place by the threat of Gaara and the threat that Naruto issued for them to stay out of his way.

And now:


Chapter 17: I want to be less like you…

"N-Naruto…" Sasuke was being helped up by Sakura and Hinata but whatever it was he wanted to say fell on deaf ears as Naruto either didn't hear him or didn't care that he was trying to get his attention.

"Can Naruto really beat that monster?" Sakura wasn't really asking anyone specifically, but Sasuke's annoyed grunt was followed by a loud crash as Gaara leaped into the air to charge at Naruto. The latter had no choice but to flip off his perch and land on another before the rampaging Gaara tore through the thick branch that previously held the blond.

"You should all get out of here" Naruto shouted at them, and he could already tell that of the three of them, and Kakashi's dog, that Hinata would argue it and demand he let her stay.

"You won't be able stop him by yourself Naruto" Sakura replied, which annoyed him. Did she really think that he was going to lose to this red-haired weirdo?

"None of you are leaving this place alive" Gaara maniacally yelled, launching a giant claw at the three of them as Naruto was about to argue. Hinata managed to push Sakura out of the way but Sasuke being unable to move just yet, took the hit with her. The claw that struck them pinned Hinata to a massive trunk across from them, while Sasuke yelled out in pain as the sound of his leg being broken sounded like an explosion going off.

"Hinata!" Naruto screamed, but the look of anguish on her face said everything he needed to know.

"If you want to save your friend, you'll have to defeat me. Otherwise, the sand will just keep squeezing until there's nothing left" Gaara explained, his voice dripping with murderous glee.

"Sasuke-kun" Sakura, who after recovering from being pushed off their resting place, grabbed Pakkun and made her way back up to the Uchiha clutching his leg at the knee.

"I-I think he shattered it" Sasuke groaned, unable to even touch his leg without flinching and crying out in pain.

"You're going to regret hurting Hinata" Naruto barely said, but Gaara seemed to have heard him, and enjoyed the idea of someone thinking they could win against him.

The red-haired, sand cloaked boy snarled as he charged towards his prey, but Naruto didn't so much as move. Once Gaara was a few feet from him, the blond jumped directly at him and, as soon as he was close enough, planted his foot on the back of Gaara's head, using him as a stepping stone. But he wasn't done there, for the moment that Gaara started to fall downward, the sound of the leaf ninja's hand slapping Gaara on the back made a loud enough impact that it drew Sakura's attention away from Sasuke for a moment.

"Sealing technique: Glyph of Paralysis" Naruto called out. He pushed off the sand shinobi and landed across from Sakura. "This fight is over. That seal is designed to paralyze anyone, no matter how strong they may be, with a single seal. You won't—" Naruto's words fell short, as he watched Gaara push himself to stand.

"Did you really think you could stop me with such a waste of a technique?" Gaara all but laughed as he more sand started to wrap around him.

"That's…not possible. No one should be able to get back up with that seal on them" Naruto was in disbelief. Sakura as well, but the notion that Naruto couldn't understand that the impossible seemed to be happening a lot more than normal today was a little ironic.

"You're going to die, no matter how much you struggle" Gaara's voice now sounded like a roar with every word he spoke, and no matter how Naruto looked at him, all he could see was a wild animal. Something resonated within himself, and he couldn't help but feel that this was familiar to him.

"Listen kid, that red haired boy looks like he's losing control of himself. You best hurry and put him down before he transforms into something worse" Pakkun, was sitting next to Sakura, and though Naruto wasn't sure why the dog was talking to him as if he was the leader, he knew that the pug was right.

"I don't know what else I can use on him. Kakashi-Sensei told me not to kill him and the list of techniques I have that are non-lethal are running out" Naruto explained, and Sakura wanted to yell at him considering he just dropped hundreds of paper bombs on Gaara.

"Your best bet then is to hit him so hard he can't defend himself or get back up" Pakkun instructed, but Naruto just shrugged.

"You make it sound like I wasn't already trying to do that" he replied, but none the less the blond jumped down to face Gaara yet again. Sakura could only watch as her teammate attacked, jumped over, slid under, threw weapons with bombs, or shadow clones with weapons at the monstrous Gaara, but nothing seemed to be slowing him down.

"He can't win, can he?" Sakura hadn't meant to ask it aloud but when Sasuke's pained groaned got her attention, she realized that Sasuke was watching intently despite the state that he was in.

Another explosion rocked the area as both Naruto and Gaara went flying in opposite directions. Naruto vanished into a puff of smoke before the real Naruto reappeared.

"He used substitution on a clone, that was pretty smart of him" Pakkun commented, and for a moment they watched in awe as clone after clone rushed in to punish Gaara with a barrage of punches that sent the sand covered boy crashing into the ground.

"Way to go Naruto" Sakura cheered as she watched the mass of blonds sailing through the air downward towards his opponent.

"Hey, ninja dog, how was that? It took two thousand hits but I think I finally put him down" the words were barely out of Naruto's mouth as a giant sand spike eviscerated his clones and sent him slamming into the trunk of a tree; knocking the wind out of him.

"I refuse to lose to a guy like you" Gaara screamed. As the dust and smoke began to settle, a giant towered over them.

"What the hell is that thing?" Sasuke was in disbelief at what he was seeing. "How could he have gotten this powerful?"

"I didn't think you would bring this out of me" the booming voice of Gaara rang out. "But now it's time to die." The giant sand monster looked down upon them and Naruto was only able to look on in awe at how Gaara just kept getting back up.

"I guess now that it's come to this" Naruto wiped the blood from his chin and weaved a few hands signs; "I have no choice…Summoning Jutsu" he called out.

"Summoning…"

"Jutsu?" Sakura and Sasuke watched in suspense as the smoke cleared. They were completely floored to see Naruto now standing atop a giant toad smoking a pipe.

"Naruto Uzumaki, you sure are going to be fun to kill" Gaara called out as both Naruto and Gamabunta stood across from him.

"Naruto, did you summon me again? I told you last time you better summon me for something important" Gamabunta was busy yelling at the boy and hadn't even realized yet that there was a giant across from them.

"Sorry Chief toad, but I could really use your help" Naruto replied, he bowed his head to the toad and hoped that Gamabunta wouldn't blow him off.

"My help? With what?" the chief demanded, and when Naruto pointed out towards the sand giant Gamabunta heaved a sigh. "Why the hell are you fighting Shukaku the sand spirit?"

"Shukaku?" Naruto looked back at the thing that used to be Gaara. "What's this sand spirit thing?"

"The Shukaku is a demon that possess a medium. When it does the medium is plagued by the spirit causing insomnia. This insomnia is caused by the fear of Shukaku eating away at the medium's psyche. If the host ever falls asleep, then the sand spirit's full power will be unleashed"

"Sand shuriken" Gaara's voice rang out, and from the arm of the Shukaku a couple dozen shuriken made of sand went spinning towards the toad and his rider. Gamabunta had barely finished his explanation before having to jump out of the way. Naruto managed to barely hang on, as Gamabunta drew his sword and cut the Shukaku's arm off, he slid to a stop but lost his sword in the process. It buried itself deep into the earth, causing Sasuke and Sakura to tremble at the mini earthquake it caused.

"It looks like we're in luck for the moment. The medium hasn't unleased Shukaku's true power yet. We'll have to…" whatever it was they needed to do went unexplained as the upper half of Gaara emerged from the head of the sand giant.

"The circles under that kid's eyes, he must be the medium" Gamabunta examined the red-haired boy.

"That's Gaara of the sand village" Naruto confirmed the toad's suspicions, Gaara was the medium who he was talking about.

"Play possum Jutsu" Gaara's voice carried on the wind with an eerie chill. It was as if the wind itself was trying to warn them.

"At last, I'm free!" out from the Shukaku's mouth came a gleeful voice that Naruto didn't recognize.

"That's not Gaara anymore, is it?" he asked, and the toad nodded.

"It seems the boy has willingly given over control. This battle is about to be a lot tougher"

"Gale Bullet" Gamabunta was about to say something else but again was forced to jump out of the way. This time to avoid a ball of wind that looked as if it had explosive capabilities.

"Water Bullet" Gamabunta countered, but the Sand spirit launched another gale bullet to cancel out the attack.

"Yes, struggle more. I can't wait to kill you" the area was overcome with high winds and rain after the two attacks collided and the booming sound of Shukaku's laugh made Naruto angry.

"How do we beat this guy?" he demanded, but Gamabunta shook his head.

"It won't be easy. You're going to have to wake up that red-haired kid"

"That sounds pretty easy to me" Naruto commented, just as Gamabunta and Shukaku exchanged another blast of attacks.

"Getting close is going to be the problem. Shukaku isn't just going to let you waltz right up and wake up his medium"

"How am I supposed to wake him up anyway?" Naruto asked, as Gamabunta jumped to avoid another Gale bullet.

"A good smack should do the trick. I'll try to get you closer, then you just let him have it" Gamabunta explained. He charged forward, dodging balls of wind as he did so until he managed to grab hold of Shukaku. However, before Naruto could attempt to attack, Shukaku jumped away, causing Gamabunta to fall forward.

"You're going to have to hold on to him if you want me to get a shot in" Naruto complained, but for as annoyed as he was that he almost fell off, it was nothing compared to the chief toad's annoyance that the kid didn't notice the obvious.

"It's not exactly easy to grab hold of him, you brat. I don't have claws or fangs to latch on with" the toad complained, which made Naruto shake his head.

"I can try using spellbinding chains on him, but I haven't worked out the issues with it, so I won't be able to hold him long" Naruto offered, and the longer he spoke the more he realized that they would just end up in the same situation.

"I'll have to use the transformation technique…" Gamabunta paused and when Naruto was going to ask what the problem was, the chief toad let out an embarrassed sigh; "I'm going to need your help…I can't use the transformation all that well by myself"

"You've got to be kidding me. How am I supposed to help?" Naruto yelled, grilling the toad with fury.

"We're gonna use the combination transformation. You just focus on something with fangs and claws and I'll do the rest." Naruto barely had a moment to think before Gamabunta started running.

"Fangs and claws, fangs and claws, fangs and claws" Naruto was trying to think but he was drawing a blank.

"Get ready kid" "Wha—hold on" "Now, transform" a massive cloud of smoke erupted in the area, blocking any noticeable view from those watching below, but Sasuke was quick to notice nine distinct shadows dancing on the smoke.

"What…just happened?" Sakura was busy shielding her face from the debris flying around, and by the time she was able to actually see anything Sasuke was already gritting his teeth in what she could only assume was anger. When she followed his line of sight, her jaw dropped. There clutching onto the giant sand raccoon was none other than the nine tailed demon fox that she'd only ever heard about.

"This can't be happening. We can't defeat Gaara the way he is now let alone the nine tails" Sakura was in disbelief; they were truly doomed now.

"You've got it wrong Sakura, that isn't the real fox. It's a transformation" Pakun hopped onto Sasuke's shoulder who neither moved to push him off or even made a motion that he noticed him there.

"A transformation?"

Pakkun nodded, turning his attention back to the two behemoths. The sand spirit was busy trying to shake off the giant fox, to no avail as the fox sank its fangs into the sand spirit's neck.

"Awright kurd, noaw's yer chaunce" nine tailed Gamabunta ordered. Naruto was already jumping towards the sleeping Gaara before the chief toad even finished and was already cocking back his fist.

"Take. This!" Naruto shouted as he went barreling towards Gaara. "Come on!" he yelled as the sand tried to stop him from landing his hit.

"Hurway id up" Gamabunta demanded, but it was too late, the demon raccoon managed to send the fox flying, dispersing the transformation as Gamabunta hit the ground with an earthquaking thud. "It's up to you now kid" the chief toad said, a puff of smoke taking his place as his energy ran dry causing him to return to his home.

"I win, I win, I win. Ha-ha, I showed that stupid toad whose boss" Shukaku bragged, his high-pitched laugh making Naruto's ears ring, annoying him to no end.

"Would. You. Shut. UP!" Naruto put as much force into the only move he could and slammed his head into Gaara's. The sickening sound it made would have made the most hardened shinobi wince in pain as both boy's foreheads began to bleed profusely.

"No, no, no. How could I lose to a weakling like you?!" Shukaku began to fall apart. The sand that was holding him together began to hit the earth in cascades dust as the forest was shaken from the force. Gaara and Naruto both crashed hard into the ground below and had it not been for all the sand, Naruto was sure he would have broken something.

"Hinata" Sakura jumped to catch Hinata before she could fall from where she was being pinned and Sasuke crawled over to the end of his perch in order to see what was going on with his other teammate.

"Why? Why are you so strong?" Gaara's voice sounded annoyed and desperate. To him, he just couldn't understand how someone who fought for other's could be stronger than himself, stronger than someone who loved only himself and lived only for himself. "Why won't you stop? WHY WON'T YOU STAY DOWN?!" Gaara screamed. The pain in his voice had nothing to do with his injuries. For, in Gaara's eyes, the boy pushing himself to stand now represented everything he believed to be against him. Why was this boy willing to go to such lengths to stop him, and what would it take to put him down?

"I…won't stay down. I won't give up" Sakura and Sasuke watched on baited breath as Naruto was pushing himself up. The image of Hinata standing defiantly against Neji made Sakura, and on some level Sasuke as well, realize what it was that drove Hinata, and now their teammate.

"You and I…are a lot alike, Gaara" Naruto was stumbling towards the red-head, but all Gaara could see was death coming towards him. This was it, the moment he knew one day would come. "My whole life…I was told I was a weapon…I hadn't seen the sun until I was already able to walk…until I was already able to kill. You know what that's like too, don't you? I can tell because you and I are the same."

"Stay away from me" Gaara ordered, but Naruto kept approaching. This blond boy was different than the others. Gaara could feel it in his very being that Naruto was telling the truth. That this boy was just like him. Used and treated like a monster. Treated like they were nothing more than trash.

"It's almost unbearable…isn't it? That feeling of being alone in that dark place, I know that place all too well. But now…I have people that need me. I have someone that I want to protect. I want to protect her more than I care about my own life, and I won't let anyone hurt her. That's why I won't ever stay down. Naruto finally managed to stand straight, but it was a shaky stance.

"Why…why would you do this for anyone else?" Gaara asked, the desperation for an answer was greater than his need to kill his enemy.

"Because…she saved me from that dark and lonely place, it's because of her I want to be less like you. She was the first person to accept me for who I am. I wasn't always kind to her, but she was my first friend, and I'll do anything to protect her, even if it means having to kill you" Naruto explained, taking another step forward. However, the moment Naruto took that step, he stumbled forward. He would have hit the ground face first, but Sasuke managed to catch him as he fell forward. It was an awkward catch as Sasuke was standing mostly on one leg.

"That's enough Naruto. It's over. Hinata's okay, she's with Sakura. You saved her" Sasuke said, kneeling so that Naruto could sit on the ground. Temari and Kankuro appeared in front of Gaara in a protective stance.

"No…that's enough" Gaara ordered. Both his siblings looked back at him like they misheard him and after a second, Kankuro lifted his little brother up to his feet.

"Okay, whatever you say" he said, Temari nodding in agreement. Gaara and Naruto locked eyes one last time before the sand trio jumped into the trees above, retreating from a battle that they never thought Gaara would lose.

"What a relief" Naruto smiled, and though Sasuke had seen him do so before, it was different this time. This smile looked real, and it made the Uchiha wonder what exactly was said between his teammate and Gaara before he jumped down that made Gaara give up. "Release" Naruto mumbled, before falling onto his back—unconscious.

Sasuke looked around as talisman after talisman began to burn up; "What are those?" Sakura asked, as she, carrying Hinata, and Pakun joined the other two.

"I can't be sure, but it looks like a barrier seal" Pakun guessed. He looked down at the smiling Naruto; "To think he had time to place these all around us while fighting off that monster alone" Pakun could see why Kakashi was willing to send the boy out to help his teammates, his potential was astounding.

"I never would have thought Naruto was capable of such a thing if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes" Sakura admitted, and though she didn't say it out loud, she felt guilty for looking down on him.

"You did good kid."

It didn't matter that the voice came from within Naruto's own mind, as he was already taking a nap that he didn't want to wake from.


"Say Pervy Sage, where are we going?" Naruto asked. While he was glad to be getting out of the village, he didn't like the idea that it was to tag along with the perverted Sannin. Especially with everything that happened after he woke up in the hospital. Everyone came to see him to check on him, everyone except Hinata. Who, for some reason, was banned from seeing him by her father. Or so that's what Kiba told him when he visited. Sakura came to see him first, telling him how Sasuke would come by too, which he only did on the day Naruto was being released.

That first day there was the loneliest because that's when Naruto found out that the third Hokage died in his battle against Orochimaru the snake Sannin. Naruto felt nothing but anger at both the old man and the snake. Thinking about how if the third had just let Naruto undo the barrier, then maybe he would still be alive. 'I live to serve' those were the last words he had spoken to the third, and now they were the only words running through his mind. Naruto had spent that first night in the hospital battling with his own anger, and for once he was glad to be in a dark room all alone. He was no stranger to death, having seen and dealt his fair share of it, but the idea that people he wanted to see again leaving him in this world alone left an ache in his chest that he couldn't explain. And that aching feeling slowly turned to bitterness, and that bitterness ate away at him each night he was there until he no longer could tell the difference between the ache he felt, and the anger that boiled within him.

When he had attended the third's funeral, he wanted to speak to Hinata, but she was kept close to her father, Neji at his side, as well as a younger girl that Naruto remembered Hinata saying was her younger sister. The look that Hinata's father gave him fueled that bitterness causing the blond to feel more anger. So much so that when it came time to place his tribute on the third's casket, he tossed it on the ground and stormed off. To angry to even say goodbye to one of the only other people in his life that truly cared for him.

Sakura had tried to talk to him afterwards but whatever it was she had said meant nothing to him at the moment. 'I live to serve' 'You and I are the same' 'You should run from me' 'I live to serve' all the thoughts began to pile up and before Naruto knew it, he was sitting at the training field, craters smoking around him, trees uprooted, and boulders split in half. Yet, he didn't feel better. He felt even more empty, angrier, and even more alone. That's when Jiraiya had come to see him. Telling him that they were going on a mission but didn't say what kind. Told him to pack and they were off. No goodbyes, no paperwork, no nothing. They were just off.

Even now as they were walking, the Sannin hadn't told Naruto where they were going and instead opted for silence. Something that was getting on the boy's nerve. "I could have sat silently in my room, you know" Naruto finally blurted out, his frustration getting to him.

"Yeah, yeah. I know" Jiraiya sighed; "Alright fine. We're on a mission to find my teammate. It'll take some time to track her down and I wanted some company. Is that so wrong?" he explained, but Naruto's lack of interest in what he was saying made Jiraiya chuckle. "Yeah, I didn't think you would buy that last part. Look kid, I know what you're growing through, the old man was my sensei you know, but he was more than that to the people of the leaf."

"What do you mean?"

"Lord Third wasn't just the Hokage to people. He was someone that people could count on, he inspired and gave people hope and peace of mind. Because of him so many young ninjas will grow up and be able to pass along what it was he represented. The seed will blossom and grow strong with you lot and it's all because of Lord Third and his predecessors. That's the will of fire" Jiraiya finished explaining. Naruto felt that ache in his chest again, the one that he felt days earlier in the hospital and he could feel that ball of anger in his throat again.

"The old man was a fool. I could have helped him. I could have done more. He didn't have to die!" he yelled, and Jiraiya stopped in his tracks. Though the boy's face was twisted in anger and bitterness, there was no mistaking the sadness behind those blue eyes. Even as they began to swim with tears that the blond unconsciously willed away. "Why did he go and leave me too?" Jiraiya could tell that this was the question that kept the boy awake at night. The third had told Jiraiya about the Anbu ops that gave her life to save Naruto, how it changed him. And how Iruka was willing to do the same. How Naruto had only just barely managed to save Iruka. It was clear now that what Naruto was suffering from wasn't anger, it wasn't bitterness, it was helplessness.

"Naruto, what happened to the third wasn't your fault. There was nothing anyone could have done to change his mind once he set it to something. Had you stayed to help him, your teammates might not be alive today. Had you stayed to help him there's no guarantee you would have succeeded, and if you did…there's no way you could have beaten Orochimaru. Not at your current level. It wasn't your fault" Jiraiya reassured, but it didn't seem to hit home just yet.

"I would have used every ounce of my power to stop that snake bastard. I will stop him" Naruto declared. And though he could or not, Jiraiya was certain that the boy would most definitely die trying.

"Well, it's a good thing I brought you with me then, isn't it? With my training, you'll be up to the task, but first…we have to find Tsunade."

"I just don't get it Hinata, why's your father forbidding you from seeing Naruto? Doesn't he know Naruto saved your life? Our lives?" Sakura was busy venting her frustrations to the Hyuga heiress. The two of them and Ino were busy delivering supplies that would be used to help rebuild the parts of the village that were destroyed.

"F-Father believes that…he believes t-that my relationship with N-Naruto-Kun is the r-reason I w-was in d-danger to begin with" Hinata reluctantly revealed, which did not go over well with the pinkette.

"What the f—" "Sakura, it's not Hinata's fault. Yelling at her won't change anything" Ino intervened. While she wasn't as invested as Sakura was in the topic, she also didn't think it would do any good to berate Hinata when it wasn't her fault.

"I know, I know. It's just frustrating" Sakura grumbled, resuming her stride, albeit at a quicker pace. The fight between Naruto and Gaara had left her thinking about Naruto in a different way. In classes he was always so quiet and to himself, and even on missions he never seemed capable of such destructive power. Not even when he saved her in the forest against the sound ninja. That made her think of Sasuke as well and the thought of both of them with those chilling looks in their eyes made her shiver. She had told Ino about the fight between Naruto and Gaara, but no matter how she said it, Ino just wouldn't believe that Naruto Uzumaki was capable of such force. Something that she knew Hinata would understand better, but she had been unconscious for some of that fight and she wasn't sure she should say anything to her after what Hinata had confessed happened in the arena hallway.

The look on her teammate's face in the Hyuga's eyes seemed to have left the heiress with a bitter aftertaste. Sakura wanted to talk to Kakashi-sensei about it, but she wasn't sure he would understand either. And so, she was left alone with her thoughts about her teammates. She did her best to bottle it up, but she could still see the look on Naruto's face when he fought Gaara. It was like looking at someone who was far more experienced in dealing death, which didn't sit right with her since Naruto was her age. How could he be so okay with it? Why was he okay with it?

"I agree" Hinata mumbled, breaking Sakura from her thoughts.

"You should argue against it then" Ino suggested, but little did they know that Hinata had protested her father's demands at first, but because she always felt small under her father's gaze, she quickly caved and agreed that she would not see Naruto for the time being. Something that not only made her sad, but angered her to the point of wanting to lash out. It was only because of Neji, to her surprise, that she was able to keep her cool as the two of them had slowly begun to repair the relationship that they once had.

"Speaking of that knucklehead, how long has he been gone anyway?" Ino asked, turning to look at her two companions.

"Three weeks and four days" Hinata said instantly. Sakura and Ino both laughed at the immediate response, and the Hyuga's burning cheeks did nothing to slow down their laughter.

"What about Sasuke? Has he shown any improvement?" Hinata turned back in time to see Sakura shaking her head. She didn't know the details but Sasuke had apparently left the village in pursuit of someone and when he was finally brought back, he was unconscious and unresponsive to any medical jutsu that they provided him. Sakura had been to see him everyday since he was brought back and still there was no change.

"He'll get better. And Naruto will come back and your father will lighten up" Ino assured them both. Though they both wanted to believe it, neither of them was hopeful at the moment. Especially considering that neither of them had any control over the matter.

"I have to admit Jiraiya, I wasn't sure he'd be able to pull it off…but the fact that he did says a lot."

"I told you princess, don't underestimate this kid. He's quite frankly unlike anything I've seen in a long time, he even managed to save you back there" Jiraiya looked down at the blond sleeping peacefully in his arms as a blonde woman stood across from him. "When he wakes up, you can be the one to tell him that you'll officially be taking the Hokage title, Tsunade" Jiraiya added, and the blonde woman sighed.

"I'm already regretting it" she joked. She looked at Naruto again and for a moment she could see them, those that she used to hold close to her heart. They were alive and well in Naruto Uzumaki, a boy that embodied what it meant to never give up even if it seemed hopeless.

"Come on Shizune, we might as well start heading back." Tsunade called after a brunette woman, her attendant, who hurriedly made her way to Tsunade's side.

"I'll buy you a drink"

"Don't make me hit you"

"I didn't do anything"

"I know what happens when you buy women drinks, and it's not happening"

"Don't be that way Princess, that's no way to treat an old friend"

"I'm warning you"

"Lady Tsunade, please control yourself"

"Yeah, control yourself…Ow"

Naruto was sure that he was dreaming, but for some reason he felt happy to be listening to these voices argue playfully around him. It was short lived however, as he was soon plagued by nightmares that involved two different sets of red eyes, snakes, and an abundance of darkness that seemed to swallow him whole.

"No. I refuse to accept you as Hokage after you bad mouthed the old man. Not happening" Naruto turned his nose up at Tsunade who was sitting across from him. They were sitting in a small restaurant where Naruto and Jiraiya met up with the rude and arrogant Tsunade as well as the stern and caring Shizune. Currently, Tsunade mentioned to Naruto that she would be returning to the village with them to accept the position of fifth Hokage, to which the blond flat out refused to allow it.

"You don't get a say in the matter" Tsunade responded, a cocky grin on her face.

"I'll tell everyone at the village that you're an alcoholic" Naruto threatened but Tsunade just shrugged.

"Most of them would agree"

"I'll tell them you have a gambling problem"

"It's not a problem"

"Says you"

"Damn right, says me. You don't get a say in the matter anyway. It's already been decided" Tsunade's sassy tone made Naruto glare at her in a way that she hadn't seen him do before. Granted she only knew him for a few short days, but with what she'd already seen, she was sure that this kid was not the type to sure much emotion through facial expressions.

"I won't call you Lady Hokage" Naruto replied, tilting his nose up again.

"We'll see about that."

After everything that happened over the last few days, Tsunade was actually looking forward to going back to the leaf. When Jiraiya told her that Naruto was his student, she was sure that the blond was going to be a perverted goof ball like her old teammate. Instead, what she got was a quite reserved young boy who seemed to be battling with something within himself. She was intrigued watching him master the Rasengan, something that took him only two days, as well as watching him practice Fuinjutsu, which was a complete shock to her since most ninja his age had no idea what Fuinjutsu even is, let alone are able to utilize it the way he did.

During the battle between her, Jiraiya, Shizune, Orochimaru and his apprentice Kabuto, she couldn't believe how quickly Naruto was able to piece together that Kabuto was a spy, or how easy it was for the boy to keep up with them. Granted, Kabuto did win the battle, but not before Naruto surprised all of them with a Rasengan that sent the jonin flying into a boulder that split in half. And if Tsunade was honest, if it wasn't for Naruto's soul steal sealing technique, then Orochimaru's snakes would have been a bigger hassle. She did feel bad about drugging Jiraiya which resulted in him struggling to battle their former teammate, but all in all, they managed to eek out a victory. She was actually looking forward to returning home now because if Naruto was this strong, she was curious to see how strong the others were as well.

"Say Grandma, you said this necklace was your grandfather's right, and he was the first Hokage of the village?" Naruto asked, pulling Tsunade from her recounting of the previous few days.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"That makes you a Senju, like the first, doesn't it? Since he was your grandfather and all"

"Yes. Yes, it does."

"Well, the pervert sage told me that my affinity for Fuinjutsu comes from the fact that I'm an Uzumaki. And I read about the Uzumaki before when I was younger. How an Uzumaki woman married the first Hokage of the Senju clan…so that would mean the Uzumaki and Senju clans are related, wouldn't it?" Naruto asked, looking between both his sensei and the new Hokage. Shizune looked as if she was thinking about this question as if she had never even thought to make that connection.

"I suppose that would be true yeah" Tsunade answered. She raised an eyebrow; "Why the interest?"

"Well, that means we're family then, doesn't it?" Tsunade laughed at this comment, as it just now hit her too.

"In a way I guess it does. Distant, family, but family none the less" she agreed. Naruto looked at Jiraiya now; "Did you know that about us?" he asked. But the white haired Sannin shook his head.

"I never thought about it honestly" he admitted, taking a sip from his sake. "It's not like it matters much anyway, I doubt your parents and the woman that married the first were related. Or maybe they were, I can't say for sure, I wasn't there" Jiraiya shrugged. "It would be a great tale though."

"Yeah, maybe." Naruto agreed. It was nice to think that maybe he and this old lady could be related, but the idea that they could be also made Naruto feel that same pain in his chest again. "Hey, Jiraiya-Sensei, Tsunade-Sensei, you too Shizune-San" the three of them looked at the blond. "Don't go dying on me" he said. Jiraiya glanced at the other two and shook his head, telling them not to pry. Instead, the three of them nodded in agreement they wouldn't.

After a few more drinks, food and arguments, the night drew to an end where Naruto was forced to drag a drunken Jiraiya back to their room while Shizune did the same for Tsunade. The Sannin was asleep before Naruto even managed to get changed, and by the time the boy lied down to try and sleep, the sounds of snoring filled the room. Not like it would have mattered either way as the only thing Naruto thought about the entire time he was away from the village was the third Hokage, of Rias, Iruka, and mostly of Hinata. He wanted nothing more than to talk to her and be around her again, but he knew that wouldn't happen. She had made that clear when she constantly avoided him, regardless of the reason.

He turned onto his side and gazed up at the half moon peeking at him through the window. The pale color reminded him more of the Hyuga heiress and the pain he felt in his chest lessened for a moment. It was as if she was there with him, keeping him company, and it hadn't dawned on him until that moment, how much he actually wanted Hinata to be next to him all the time. How the idea of not having her with him made him feel incomplete.

"That's it" Naruto sat up, not wanting to dwell anymore on what was out of his grasp. He reached into his satchel and took out a seal that looked incomplete. Deciding it was better to do something with the time he was awake than to just lie there, he began to copy the intricate line work that he originally came up with months ago. He kept getting stuck when it came to the actual activation method of the seal as he wasn't sure if the idea of placing the seal entirely on something was more appealing than finding a way to have the seal etch onto objects without the paper all together.

"You're drawing that the wrong way" Naruto looked over his shoulder to see Jiraiya looking at his work. The sun was glaring through the window and it was only then that the boy realized he'd been at it for hours.

"How else would you draw it?" Naruto asked, looking at his work again. He didn't understand how else he could even go about it without the seal falling completely apart.

"I'll tell you what, I'll teach you how that seal is supposed to look later, if you tell me now how it is you even know about it?" Jiraiya offered, taking the talisman from the boy. He examined it more closely and was had to hide his genuine admiration of the work the boy had already put into it.

"A while back Mizuki, one of the instructors at the academy convinced me that if I stole the forbidden scroll and learned a jutsu from it that I could graduate. See, I had failed because I can't make clones, it just happened to be that the first technique I saw in the scroll was the shadow clone jutsu. For some reason though, it was a lot easier to make the shadow clones over the regular ones so it didn't take long to actually learn the one jutsu. So, I spent some time learning some of the other stuff, but I already knew two of the other techniques. I decided to go with this Fuinjutsu I'd never seen, and I've been trying to get it to work since then. Which, as you see, I just can't figure it out" Naruto explained. Jiraiya looked between the boy and the seal. He'd already known that Naruto had failed the academy and he already knew why it was easier for him to learn the shadow clones over the regular, non-corporeal ones. What he didn't want to ask was what the other two jutsu was that the boy knew. The answer felt like more trouble than he was willing to deal with at the moment and so he decided to ignore it for now.

"Why do you want to learn this technique?" he asked, handing the talisman back to Naruto. The latter looked at the piece of paper and after a moment of staring at it with intensity—he shrugged.

"I don't know. I saw it and it called to me, I guess. I imagine being able to use this seal with something like my shadow clones, or even my other seals like my metal swarm strike and make it even more useful" Naruto placed the tag back into his pouch. "I guess the idea of being able to use this technique means I'll always arrive on time…or being able to escape" the way Naruto said that last part made it click in Jiraiya's brain exactly what the technique meant to the blond.

"I'll teach you to draw it out properly, but I'll tell you now, I don't know how to use it myself. Only two shinobi have ever proved capable of being able to use this jutsu. If you manage to master it, you'd be the third" Jiraiya felt it important to make the boy realize how difficult it would be for him to actually learn the seal properly, but if it meant that the boy would finally feel at peace with his demons, then the least he could do was help.

Naruto wanted to ask who the other two were, but something told him that it was a question better left for another time as the perverted sage was already heading for the door complaining about being hungry and having to wait for little brats with high ambitions. After getting his stuff together, Naruto followed after his sensei, who was already waiting outside with Tsunade and Shizune. The blonde woman complained that Naruto was slowing them down while Shizune tried to remind her that she herself has taken a long time to wake up, which made one Sannin mad and the other laugh. Naruto took the spot between Jiraiya, on his left, and Tsunade. He felt excited to finally be going home. After everything that happened before and after this trip, he just wanted to get back to the village and eat ramen. Maybe even tell Sakura and Sasuke about his mission, if they wanted to hear it. For some reason, he couldn't help but think that maybe they would want to hear about, he did get to bring in the new Hokage and he got to fight Kabuto, even if he didn't get to finish him off. He also got to meet Sasuke's brother, according to Jiraiya anyway. And while the man did look like Sasuke, there was something odd about him, but Jiraiya wouldn't give him an answer and Naruto couldn't figure it out on his own. The Sannin also ordered Naruto to not ask Sasuke about Itachi Uchiha, as it might cause some unpleasant feelings to surface for his teammate, which Naruto agreed he wouldn't bring it up.

After walking for what seemed like days, the forest leading up to the Hidden leaf village finally came into view and the first thought that came into Naruto's head was whether or not he would be able to see Hinata, but the closer they got to the gates, he didn't particularly get his hopes up. The best outcome would simply be to avoid her the way she was avoiding him. That way he wouldn't be tempted to talk to her like nothing was different between them. Maybe he should avoid all of them, considering that he hadn't even had the chance to talk to anyone about what happened after his battle with Gaara. Would they look at him differently? Would they even care that he was coming back?

"Look alive kid, we're home" Tsunade nudged the boy to get his attention. He looked up at her before turning to look at the gates again, he nodded.

"Welcome back home, Lady Fifth."


AN: I know, I know. It's been a really long time since I've updated and I'll tell ya now, I had a majority of this written months ago and I had to go back and rewrite it when I was done with my personal issues in order to actually feel alright with what I wrote. I'll leave it up to you wonderful people if you want me to go into detail about what happened with Naruto and Jiraiya seeking out Tsunade, but if you would rather I move forward in the story, then we can all just assume that most of the events in the manga/anime happened the same way. The only major, major difference is that Naruto most definitely put up a better fight against Kabuto and for that alone I will probably do a piece where Naruto tells maybe Sakura and Sasuke about the battle. I'll start on the next chapter right away, and hopefully you guys are still enjoying this story. I am eternally grateful to ya…thank you.

Until next time.