Chapter 4

"Naruto!" Sasuke almost screamed out.

"Oh… Sasuke's here, too? Heh…" He looked up to the sky. "Who would've though that I was the one who were saved…? Isn't that ironic, Jiraiya-sensei?" He let out a small laugh.

"If you say so, Naruto." The white-haired man said, as he lifted the limp body on his back. "Let's go back to Konoha."

"Yeah…" And he fell asleep, only to find himself awakened at a…

"…hospital?" Naruto had just opened his eyes, to be welcomed by some white, sterile roofs. Probably belonging to a hospital. "So I'm back…" He said while looking out of the window. At least the weather's nice… It seems my fate is somehow intervined with this village. But what should I do… father?

"Are you awake, Uzumaki Naruto?" An ANBU asked, after hearing the subject of his protectioning on the other side of the white door. Well, it wasn't a question, more like a statement… ANBU's are all the same. Hmm… I couldn't even sense him open the door. Back at square one, eh…? Got to get out of here as soon as possible.

"So it seems." The blonde answered, still having his head turned towards the window. Nah… it can wait. Let's enjoy this while it lasts. Three years without a bed…

"I see. I'll go report to Hokage-sama." And with a poof, he was gone. I wonder if Tsunade-baasan still is the Hokage.

It didn't take long before he could hear voices outside in the corridoor. Or at least he thought he heard some, his six senses was still unused to being, well, used. The door slid open, and he turned to the opening.

"Welcome home, Naruto." A woman with long, blonde hair stood in the opening. He smiled a little smile.

"Tsunade-baasan… I'm glad to see that you're well." The bed-ridden blonde sighed. "I guess I'm going to get scolded for going away…" The young-looking woman went forward to his bed, and ruffed his hair in a way she only ruffed his hair in.

"Well, what did you expect?" The smile she had, turned to a grin.

He started to grin too, not like the childish grin he had so many years ago, but to an mature one. It was still playful, though. Then they heard a female voice, that seemed to close in to the room, and it wasn't a very glad voice. "…still, Sasuke-kun, you could've at least asked me with you." Sakura? " Naruto is my team-mate, too." Definitely…

"Identify yourselves." The same ANBU that had fetched Tsunade now spoke up. After a little while, the door slide up, revealing a nervous-looking Sakura and a nonchalant Sasuke. Still, both had changed tremendously. Sasuke was now wearing a black turtle-shirt, a little bigger and longer than what would be necessary, reaching down about 10 cm below his hip, with his clan-symbol painted at the back. His black trousers reached down to a little below his knees, that were exchanged to white bandage's down to his feets. Sakura's clothing hadn't changed much, the bright pink was still present. She also had a turtle-neck shirt, a white one, idicating that she was indeed a medical-ninja. Her trousers, though, was pink, and reached down to her knees. Both wore traditional ninja-sandals, of course, Sakura's being blue, Sasuke's being black.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, and was quick to run forward and hug him. The hug was welcome, but he didn't seem as happy as he would have, but still happy, she noticed.

"Hello, Sakura." He smiled a little. "How's it going under the tutoring of Tsunade-baba?" He smirked.

"Oh, I'm learning new things all the time." She said, happy that her entire team was now together again.

"Heh, I can see that. It seems you've become quite skilled." He grinned. "And when did you graduate to chuunin-status?" He asked when he disovered that a green chuunin-vest had found it's place on her upper-body.

"I figured you would ask. I graduated two years ago, together with Ino-pig and Chouji." She seemed so proud.

"All of you passed? Wow… damn, that's a feat. I think I'm becoming a little jealous."

She giggled. "Everyone's pretty close to the Jounin-status, too, so you have a little to take in." A teasing smile was to be seen on his pink-haired ex-team-mate. Huh, talk about a golden generation…

"What about you, Sasuke?" He didn't seem to have a green vest.

"He just came to the village some month's ago. When he heared that you had disappeared, he ran away to get you back. I would've accompanied him too, but he wouldn't wait up for me." Sakura spoke up.

"…When we're all discussing on ranks, the chuunin-exam is two weeks away, and both of you have been re-instated in Team 7 with a Hyuuga Hinata's little sister, Hanabi. I heard you went in the same class at the academy. Well, don't worry, though, you'll have the same teacher as always." Tsunade said. She had figured they would've want to climb the ranks as soon as possible, so it was really no need to ask for their permission.

Tsunade had left early, her Hokage-duties calling her. Sasuke and Sakura had stayed until nightfall, then they had bid goodnight to each other and made their way home.

"Hey," a voice called out in the cold night. Naruto was still awake, and recognized it as his teacher's voice. He had a bad habit of coming in through windows…

"Ah, ero-sennin." He put out his tounge in a mature way. If there even was a mature way one could stick out ones tounge in…

"Wanna talk about that forbidden seal of yours?" Naruto quickly tucked in his tounge again, and became serious, and maybe a little sad…?

"Not really." He said with a low voice. What luck, getting found by Konoha's number one seal-specialist. Well, not anymore…

A silence fell upon teacher and student. "Well anyway, I thought it would be a good time to give you this scroll…" He unfolded a package Naruto had seen him carry around since as long as he'd known the old man, and gave it to the blonde. Jiraiya was about to say something, when Naruto interupted him…

"It's my father's, right?" He looked down at the scroll in his lap. He smiled a sad smile.

To say that Jiraiya was surprised was an understatement. "How…?"

"Some people told me. And I think I always somehow knew. This seal, you see, was created with love… even I can feel that…" An even longer silence initiated, when Naruto spoke up again. "Well, aren't you going to wish me good luck with the chuunin-exam?" He grinned.

"What? Oh," he laughed, "good luck, then. Either way, I gotta go now, research, you know." I know –exactly- what you mean. "And don't forget, you shouldn't restrain yourself. That seal may cause you harm."

"Pff, as if I wouldn't know. You underestimate me, Jiraiya-sensei." He stuck out his tounge again. A habit he had picked up. "And… umm… thank you. For this, I mean." He glanced at the scroll.

"Heh." Jiraiya said, jumped out from the window, and the silence of the night once again engulfed our favorite blonde.

Author's comments

Six senses? :P He had developed some kind of sixth sense. All ninjas had a sixth sense, being able to feel large amoutns of chakra. His sixth sense were very sensible, though.

The next chapter should be out some time after christmas (I have the next chapter ready, but I want back-up, so I can take it easy if I were to get lazy, you know :P)

Thank you for all your reviews. It's real great to hear that some people appriciate my work. Still, I haven't gotten any suggestions on what I could do better, like putting in some more effort in the talk between the characters etc. I do know I'm not perfect. :P Please don't hesistate to say what's bad with the story. Over and out.