Naruto: Stray

By ghettomusick23

Chapter 08 – Deformation

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its many money making properties.

" " – Speech

Italics – Thoughts

Konohagakure, Hokage Tower

Tsunade watched her Jounin assistant, Kira, trudge into the room carrying another stack of paperwork. The third pen she'd been using today snapped under the slight pressure she exerted by accident. The, by her standards, young man was sharp because he dropped off the paperwork and beat a quick exit, not willing to draw her attention when it was obviously turning toward darker thoughts.

She reached over the new pile of paperwork, snatching the top sheet from the stack. Running a critical eye over the information, she threw it into the other huge pile of paper, not bothering to make sure if it was in the correct order. No news was sometimes better than bad news. The scouts she sent out before Naruto's arrival were finally sending back information. The players were starting to move and Tsunade was currently working out a way to get the most out of their limited forces.

It had been three years since the last outright attack on Konoha and that was not a long time. The younger generation was older and more capable of dealing with the rigors of war but that didn't mean she was willing to send them into something that her nightmares continually revisited. With the odds so heavily stacked against them she would need help when, not if they were attacked.

One plan would be to acquire the help of Sunagakure. A request that on the surface seemed feasible but the dismantling of their forces placed them in a precarious position. Their numbers, that at one time rivaled Konoha's own, were merely a shell of their former selves. That made any request for help or reinforcements less than prudent, especially when they would be forced to choose between their own safety and their allies.

That left Kirigakure, but they were a law upon themselves. Even in her youth, before the Bloodline Purge had taken place there, she remembered them being the most closed off of all the other hidden villages, opting toward dealing with their own problems than calling for help. It was a great idea in writing, the idea of being self sufficient, but when situations like the purge were the result from closed off thinking then it didn't seem so great. They would be a last resort, but she knew she would have better luck gambling away her savings hoping to hit the lottery than receiving any kind of assistance.

The Stone were to be lumped right along with the Mist. She wouldn't be expecting anything positive from their return letters.

Rubbing away the pounding headache, she felt all of her fifty-four years. Bone weary tired wouldn't be accurate enough to describe her current state.

For thirty-six hours straight the only thing that had been keeping her going was the spiked tea she kept gulping down at an alarming rate. Shizune would raise a fuss if she ever found out but it served a dual purpose. The tea was to calm her already frayed nerves; the added touch of alcohol was to stop the killing intent from coming when her assistant continued to bring in more papers.

They were filled with nothing but bad omens and signs of trouble. Orochimaru was causing a ruckus once again. Already he was making it evident he intended to invade at any moment, picking off teams of her shinobi when the left on missions to other countries. Positioning rouge-nin within their borders with the simple goal of letting them wreck havoc. Already the reports of towns being razed were littering her desk and she was hard pressed to send another team to handle the situation in fear of losing anymore people. For him to wait after he achieved his original goal years ago was not a good sign. It meant he had something far worse planned for them and she needed to prepare her people.

Despite the immediate threat Orochimaru posed her concern centered around the Akatsuki. Even Jiraiya with his many avenues of information had lost track of their movements. Meaning that they already received word of Naruto's disappearance, and were making plans on retrieving him, so she started taking precautions, both for his sake and the village's. Talented they may be, Ino, Hinata, or any of the other Chuunin he had recent contact with were not ready to face opponents of the high caliber in the Akatsuki. It would be like sending sheep straight into the wolves den, an act she would never allow, not even for her remaining life blood.

It was a normal reaction to second guess yourself after you make a big decision, and her many years as Hokage there were times she wondered over certain choices, allowing Naruto free reign wasn't one of them. He'd been free for years, doing as he pleased without any kind of guidance, because she refused to believe the idea of someone like Uchiha Itachi raising him: the very thought was laughable. It was a miracle that after eight years in the presence of someone so evil he wasn't warped mentally beyond belief.

Thinking about it, Jiraiya was the one to drop that little bombshell on her. It was another piece of news she could have done without. He was fast becoming the least likely person she wanted to run into. Every time she saw him he was bringing news that would screw up her day, be it those stupid perverted books of his or information on Orochimaru and the like.

Taking a sip of her now cooling tea, Tsunade took a moment to calm herself and enjoy the almost quiet atmosphere currently around the tower. She was tired and bored, plain and simple. In almost two whole days she hadn't laid eyes on her grandson and she greatly missed seeing his face.

In the short time they'd been together she found herself rapidly growing more and more acclimated to his presence, be it recognizing what time he woke up in the morning or knowing when he would sneak into his window at night when he thought she didn't notice. In forty-eight hours she came to know his clothing size, what colors he liked best, his insatiable hunger for ramen, and why he didn't want to cut his hair without him telling her anything.

Yesterday morning, when she took the time off before coming to the tower she made sure he was fed, waking up hours before the sun was overhead to have ample time to prepare the meal. He never thanked her, never gave a nod of approval or any sign to show to show he appreciated the gesture, but she could read everything he didn't say. The way his shoulders unconsciously unwound, how that aura of barely tamed power disappeared under the weight of steady conversation, all the little things she managed to pick up just by watching him were precious to her, and worth more than the necklace she kept around her neck.

It was a slow process, getting Naruto to loosen up and enjoy himself, and sometimes she would have to tell herself to slow down. That warm feeling, the call of home would grip her, and the need to show how much he already meant to her with a hug or another affectionate gesture were turned down in favor of more docile actions; like asking him how his day went and did he meet anybody interesting. It was frustrating in its own way, because after years of keeping herself locked away she wanted to reach out and grab hold of the present.

Her kindness was unsettling to him on some levels, she knew that much. Several times she would smile for no reason other than being happy to be with him, trying to encourage him to open up and he would look at her as if she were something unfamiliar and dangerous. Interesting to enough to warrant inspection, but something that made him wary enough to stay on guard.

Other times he would look at her as if he were a predator, a hunter, and she could literally see the calculations running through his head. She could see him forming strategies, working and throwing away plans in case they ever came to blows, and he would need to take her out. It was disturbing because despite her not wanting to admit it, it fit him. He was tall and lean, silk slid over muscle and she could see his unconscious grace when he walked, uttering not a single sound in day or night.

Tsunade however, refused to be disheartened. If she started continued ruminating on the bad then she would never be able to fix the problem. She didn't know when she would be able to get home to rest, but maybe she could get him to stop by. Only God knows what he'd been up to, probably spent every last dime she'd given him at Ichiraku. It was the only place she could always find him when she went looking for him.

Suddenly, there were sounds coming through her door. Someone was currently engaged in a very heated argument with the guards stationed at her door. Whoever, was trying to talk to her was not leaving without a fight, and after several seconds when the noise failed to die down, Tsunade finally got tired of eavesdropping. She stood and made her way toward the door, yanking it open with enough force to dent the hinges, she set her scowl on the three people currently breaking her peace.

"Hey, tell this guy to get his mitts away from me."

The scowl slowly morphed into a look of surprise. The elder of the two guards was standing flushed faced, and breathing hard, looking like he'd run a marathon race. Obviously he thought he would out reason Naruto, a foolish tactic. If Naruto thought the world was square, then the world was square.

Turning to the grumpy faced blonde, Tsunade put a hand on her hip and posed a single question. "Can't you do anything without causing a stir?"

He didn't look at all bothered that he would have been considered a security risk if things had of kept going as they were.

"Nope." Naruto completely put the two distractions on his left and right out of his mind, bringing the brunt of his irritated countenance on Tsunade. "If I got to go through all this to see you I should have stayed at Ichiraku."

On the outside she sent him an irritated glare, followed by snappy words meant to irritate him, but on the inside… She could feel that warmth continue to rear its head, but instead of clamping down on it, Tsunade allowed herself a moment to bask in something far more powerful than any jutsu man could make.

Inside the Hokage Office

She tried to keep how exasperated she felt out of her voice. "You could have found another, more peaceful way to get in."

"If they would have just let me through then there wouldn't have been any problem." Naruto didn't see why she was making such a fuss. Nobody was injured.

"Naruto, you can't go around doing as you please. You, almost getting my guards into a fight is a surefire way to have the ANBU crashing through these walls." God bless them, she loved them all, but they were sometimes too ready to jump into their jobs. Since the security was being tightened within the walls, they wouldn't hesitate to use the various trapdoors and swoop down on him like a bird of prey.

"I'm bored."

She let out an inward sigh of frustration. He was needling her again, a daily occurrence and one she looked forward at most occasions. "What do you recommend we do to fix this problem, considering your unique situation?"

The smile on her face was deceptively bright, a sure sign that he had her undivided attention and she was firing on all cylinders. Naruto would have been up to it, but decided veer off the beaten trail and try something different. He wanted a favor, and unless he treaded lightly she wouldn't go for it.

"Give me a mission," he asked out of nowhere.

She didn't even need to think about it. "No."

Naruto expected as much and had his counter argument ready for debate. "Look, if you're expecting me to fly off to who knows where then forget about it. It doesn't take a genius to figure out you know how to get rid of the seal."

Tsunade's facial expression instantly went blank, but she wouldn't have been more stunned if somebody told her Orochimaru was her long lost brother. "Why do you think that?"

He shrugged his shoulders in that infuriating habit of his before reciting a startling clear outlook on her life. "Orochimaru is one of the legendary Sannin from Konoha. Some people may consider him a genius and best of the three of you, but the true strength of your group had come from a blonde haired kunoichi descended directly from the first Hokage. A talented woman bound for great things."

He raised an eyebrow knowing he had he undivided attention. "By the time she was nineteen, her talents and discoveries in the medical field were well known far beyond the Konoha borders, in fact several of her philosophies were adopted by some of the other hidden villages, such as medic-nins being assigned to all outgoing Chuunin and Jounin teams. Her sudden disappearance following the death of her brother, Nawaki, and lover, Dan, somehow staggered the improvements being made in the medical profession, but she left such a mark on the field that there was little need for retooling. As of today there are several books written about her findings, and it is well known that she is the number one living authority on anything concerning seals and medical jutsu in existence."

His voice tapered off just a bit, "The only other person is Orochimaru, and fighting through a whole army just to get to him isn't appealing right now."

Listening to him rattle off facts concerning her life, as if he were reading some passage from a book brought forth a heart wrenching numbness she was barely stopping from consuming her. She suffered, she bled, she cried, everything that happened in her life was broken down into one unemotionally spoken, fact filled paragraph by her own grandson. The irony was heartbreaking in more ways than one. He knew her, she could read between the lines and see what he was editing, but he knew things she took years to get over and she knew next to nothing about him.

Is this what they did to him Tsunade thought frantically? Have him read over volumes of information for use against intended targets. Turn him into a walking encyclopedia that was able to recite your worst moments before sending you into the arms of Morpheus.

He was neither smiling nor frowning, sitting down in front of her, looking no different than the rest of her young shinobi. Tsunade could easily see him joking with Kiba, or sharing a laugh with Lee or TenTen, having a sparing match with Neji. The thought of him wearing a Konoha hatai-tate was heartwarming, a welcome visage.

Then Tsunade remembered that Hinata was avoiding him today, coming to her early this morning and informing her she had a shift to run at the hospital, an outright lie. Tsunade went up to her former student, intent in finding out what was going on and Hinata had only muttered some nonsense. She remembered seeing Hinata's keeoing a close on her, almost suffocating the girl in the protectiveness. After the display she could only think it was Naruto's doing and could see trouble brewing, and even before Hyuuga Hiashi got involved.

Even Ino was reluctant to be around Naruto. Deciding to rather spend her time staring at her slain friend's names etched onto the stone monument today. Where just days prior she had been okay, even cracking the occasional joke, now she was unconsciously closing herself off again. Asuma's visit earlier today meant he did notice and wanted her to do something about it.

She was the protector, if needed her life would be easily given away to ensure their well being. Five years ago Tsunade would have scoffed at the very idea, but she was so different from what she had been back then. That was what made this so hard. For Konoha's sake she had to concede that maybe it would be better off of if he were to leave. But for her own sake, such an option was not viable, not from the beginning and especially not now.

He was candid and truthful. A good trait to have, because if used properly they would in incite respect from your staunchest opposition, but as a weapon… Words could strip away the strongest armor of someone without lifting a single finger. Ino and Hinata were only two of the people he would end up affecting if he stayed here. Did she let him continue breaking down what had taken her hard work and time to help build up?

Maybe the council would forever damn her, but presently she wasn't thinking about the welfare of Konoha. Her words could easily be colored up and turned around. The speech earlier this week was a perfect example. Feelings pushed to the background she spoke of the danger they were in and what they needed to do: telling the facts, pulling on that one small grain of fear that all her shinobi had to pull them along to her side.

Was she being selfish for wanting something personal to cling to? Some would say yes, but from the very beginning this had been about Naruto. The reason she was presently seated as the Hokage of her home village was because of him. Without knowing it he changed her in ways he could only begin to imagine, and she wanted to tell him. Reveal the secret that would bind them through blood and knowledge, but he wasn't ready. With so many unspoken for years between them he probably never would be. That didn't discourage her; it only added to her resolve and helped her make a decision.

"Nope, I'm sorry but I can't do that."

Naruto hadn't expected her to agree with him. He was halfway to suggesting the idea of getting him a sparring partner, anything to stop him from being cooped up inside that house all the time, but by some miracle she seemed to read his mind, making him more than a little cautious.

"If you want, I can assign you a training partner or to a team, whichever one you like best."

She was doing it again, stepping out of the boundary he initially boxed her in. It was becoming difficult to label her, to keep her assigned to a certain stereotype. She was constantly surprising him and it didn't feel right, that she could keep him on his toes all the time. First it had been letting him roam free, then came her cooking for him yesterday morning, now this.

He couldn't stop himself from asking her, he had to know what she was doing. "Why are you doing this?"

She shrugged her shoulders in answer and he suddenly knew what Noriko and Itachi were always blabbing about. That such a simple gesture could be such a significant blow-off when used properly and he had no idea.

That smug expression Tsunade always wore when she thought she was right was on her face. "I'm the Hokage. I can pick what I can do what I want to when I want to. It's as simple as that."

"With logic like that who wouldn't want to be the Hokage," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Tsunade leaned back into her chair, kicking her sandal free feet up onto her desk, wiggling her toes for the hell of it. "What is there to think over? You get a nice and cuddly target, get a little exercise, and relieve a little stress at the same time. Behave yourself and then maybe we can talk about that seal when you come back home."

Naruto felt uneasy at the easy way she used the word home but he pushed it aside and agreed. "Okay," he said, a slow smile spreading across his face. The funny thing was; Tsunade had the exact same grin on her face as well. If anyone would have walked in they would have thought they looked like a pair of deranged clowns. "Who am I going out with?"

When he came to her with this request, one name popped up.

Hidden Sand Village, Former Kazekage Mansion

"Temari."

"Temari, wake up."

The annoyingly familiar voice continued to smash its way like a jackhammer through the wonderful, hazy bliss of sleep. Irritation was quickly clouding her thoughts, stopping her from falling back to sleep and she hated that. Smart, sophisticated kunoichi that she was, Temari slowly slid her hand under her pillow, securing a tight grip on the kunai she always kept under it, intent on fixing the problem.

She could count on one hand the number of times Gaara actually set foot in her room, and if her blurry memory remembered correctly he was supposed to be taking part in a meeting with the council and the stand-in Kazekage early this morning, which left one other person in the entire village who would have the gall to step foot inside her room and make such a racket.

A light shift in movement from her spread figure was his only sign of her impending action. Whirling around faster than anybody covered in bed sheets and just waking up should, Temari angrily spun and tossed the weapon, fully intending on impaling her brother and sending him to ICU.

Kankuro, who was used to walking into the lions den that was Temari's room, was already sidestepping the thrown kunai. "Look her woman; I didn't come in her because I wanted to get castrated. Really, you're almost as bad as Gaara."

That really wasn't the right thing to say he thought. Temari's eyes narrowed into thin slits, prompting Kankuro to warily gaze at the fan she always used currently resting against her beds headpost. He wasn't stupid, she was more than fast enough to grab it and whip out one of those damn wind attacks of hers, so he decided a little back pedaling was in order.

Holding his hands up to placate his angry sister, Kankuro thought his pride be damned for the moment. Treat this situation like another mission; get in, do your job, and get the hell out as fast as you can. "While you're up here getting ready to take my head off, maybe you need to head down into the basement and check on your patient."

She simply sat in bed, staring through him almost and he wondered if she heard him. It was possible that the hectic schedule she'd been keeping up the last few days was taking its toll on her. Helping take care of the criminal-nin when she could was taking up enough of her time, but in order to not draw any attention to herself, she was going beyond the call of duty with some of the tasks she was doing for the village.

Finally deeming it safe, he took a couple of steps forward before he came to a step right next to her bed. "He woke up this morning. Sayo-sama wanted you to meet her downstairs for a talk."

That finally brought her out of her stupor. In an instant she was a blur of motion. Throwing the sheets off of her, she almost shoved him out of the in her haste. When she exited her doorway and turned the corner she leaped down the entire flight of stairs. Landing in a crouch, she was up in an instant barreling down the hall toward her destination.

Kankuro shook his head, and picked up the pristine white sheets she haphazardly left on the floor. If he'd had any precautions about wanting to fully give himself to another, his sister only reinforced his views, and though he love her dearly; he thought she was making the biggest mistake possible. Why the hell she was going through this for a murdering S-ranked criminal was an argument they had almost daily, and it was only her plea for time that stayed his hand and kept him quiet. In his opinion she would have been better off going after that Nara fool she had been infatuated with for a while, at least they knew where he stood.

Former Kazekage Mansion, Hidden Basement

He thanked the elderly woman for the small glass of water. His throat felt like sandpaper rubbing against brick and he was more than a little thirsty. Pushing the small inconvenience of his throat aside, Haku turned his concentration toward analyzing his apparent keepers' words.

She said he'd been in a very slight coma for going on four whole days. The thing was, he never remembered him being out that long before, ever, but that didn't bother him. It was the very idea, the fact that he'd lost almost a week's worth of time that alarmed him. With his plans only in the beginning stages, that amount of time was irreplaceable. Inevitably his thoughts trailed off and latched onto Naruto, dually noting his complete absence from his sensory range.

He released an internal sigh; that would be a problem, but he put it on the back burner for now. His immediate concern would have to be for himself. He could see no immediate danger with Temari around, but her bringing him here in the first place was a sure sign of how seriously he must have been injured.

Overall he felt fine. The numerous bruises had all but disappeared; the gashes and cuts that had littered his skin were nothing but shallow cuts still healing. The stab wound given to him by Orochimaru was nothing more than a lingering phantom pain. If anything, he felt slightly drained; his chakra still recovering from healing his bodies numerous injuries but even that wouldn't be a concern soon.

He turned to look at the elderly woman, the only person he'd seen since waking up. "If you are the one responsible for bringing me back from the brink of death, I thank you."

She took his thanks with nothing more than a slight nod of acceptance. Giving him a look of thinly veiled hostility and open curiosity, she approached the bed slightly hunched over but with sure steps, running a clinical gaze over his bandaged form. "You are the child our Temari has spent so much time fawning over?"

Her voice held such an odd tone to it, a low, drowsy lit that spoke of hidden power, and Haku consciously made sure his mental shields were held up and secured. He could see no sign of his clothing or anything giving away his affiliation, but being that he was unconscious when he was brought here that didn't hold too much weight.

He decided to be somewhat truthful, "I've known her for a time."

She released a sigh that sounded as bored as she looked. "Child, you're attempt a subterfuge is useless. I had an inkling to who you were when you were brought in. and it is only Temari's insistence that you still live."

He looked, really looked at her and could see that she knew the secret he'd managed to keep hidden from everybody for years. Nodding in answer, he didn't have any evidence to refute her claim. Whoever she was, she was no ordinary medic-nin and didn't seem to hold any particular position in the regular shinobi ranks. Her age for one, was a glaring fact that made her an all together different animal to categorize. From past experiences it was the elders that proved the most formidable targets. What they lacked in physical abilities due to age, they made up for with unquestionable wisdom.

"If that is the case, then you know I have no intention of staying here." He began pulling back the white sheets, removing himself from the bed, "Tell Temari that I send my thanks."

The woman watched him, keeping her all knowing gaze on him as he slowly moved out of the makeshift sick bed. If he wasn't used to Itachi's and Kurai's perpetually blank gazes he would have felt slightly unnerved. Now, he merely felt inconvenienced. It was easy to see she wanted him to leave, but he had one question he needed answering before he decided on his next course of action. "How?"

"My suspicions were raised the very minute you were dragged here, clinging to life. Your injuries were severe enough that you should have been dead before you even arrived at this village." She paused, coughing into her hand. "During the early stages of your recovery the illusion technique you were apparently using faltered for a short amount of time, giving me an opportunity to see the intricate seal emblazoned down the middle of your back."

Haku sat at the edge of the bed listening, and after her explanation he sat in silence. To think he'd been injured badly enough to release the genjutsu he'd been using for years without fail. That Orochimaru of all people was the one to deliver him such a blow was a slap in the face. His reaction was partly stunted because a problem of this magnitude had never happened before and he was suddenly stuck on how to fix the problem.

The quickest way that assured success would be to kill the woman here and now. His strength was restored enough to make dealing with her nothing more than a chore, but doing that would do nothing but cause a scene, one he didn't want or need right now. Even in his silent ruminations he could feel her sharp, eagle eyed gaze watching him, scrutinizing his every action no matter how small. Haku didn't doubt that she knew what direction his thoughts were heading toward. She seemed to sharp not to. "I see… So what is your next course of action," he asked out of the blue.

She frowned, the action further wrinkling up her age weathered face, then just as quickly smoothed out her features. "That child; is a question I should be asking you. It is not in my power to stop you, you have the edge in this inquiry, but may I ask you something?"

At Haku's nod of acceptance she asked, "What are your reasons for courting young Temari. Giving your unorthodox affiliation and this recent discovery I have many concerns."

For a small time neither one said another word. Haku contemplating his unwillingness to divulge such information and his caretaker steadily holding his brown eyed gaze, lost in her own thoughts. He could see and understand from her hard gaze that he indeed did not hold all the cards. No doubt she had taken several precautions the very minute she found out what he was.

Miraculously he was saved from having to answer when the door at the only entrance to the room opened, admitting an excited, but rough looking Temari. Startled, both the rooms original occupants just watched in surprise, not expecting her sudden entrance.

Temari stood at the wide open doorway, drinking in the sight of Haku up and somewhat healthy, a far cry from the beaten, blood soaked lump that he was when they found him several days ago. She could see Sayo-sama off to her right, but pushing all thoughts of decorum aside, Temari slowly inched her way toward the bed, walking past the observant, speculative Sayo and in seconds she was standing next to Haku.

He looked pale, almost like the few days away from the sunlight spirited away any of his darker pigmentation. His hair didn't have that constant silky, almost wave like quality anymore. Almost offhandedly, she decided that she would need it washed today if time permitted it. The stab wound she thought might have permanently paralyzed him looked completely healed. It was a silent and heady testament of how worried she'd been that she never questioned the thought that Haku was up only four days after being in a light coma, after almost being fatally stabbed and wounded.

Reaching her hand up, Temari ran the tips of her fingers along his jaw line, his cheeks, his eyebrows, anything she could touch to reaffirm his well being. At the light, gentle caress, Haku closed his eyes, releasing a sigh of warmth across her skin. Turning his head to lay his cheek against her open palm, he pressed a small kiss against the pulse along her wrist. At his small but deliberate action Temari suddenly pulled back, her face blanked of all emotion, but her eyes, Haku could see them darken, smoldering with anger.

Her voice when she spoke came out harsh and offensive. "You wouldn't be here if you hadn't pulled that preschool stunt of yours with the bushins."

The childish, snide part of him wanted to say that it obviously worked, but common sense easily asserted itself. Temari was dangerous under normal circumstances, but when angry she turned into a totally different monster to handle.

When he didn't answer, Haku could see her fist ball up, prompting him to reach out and grab it before she put it to use. "If you would have followed me, you would have been killed. Orochimaru is not some weak runaway or bandit you're use to fighting."

Refusing to give an inch, Temari tried to yank her arm away, but Haku's grip on her arm was iron tight. "Are you calling me weak?"

She pulled again and he let her go, sending her stumbling back a few steps until she caught herself. Looking at the calm, almost serene look on his face sparked her anger, making her take a menacing step toward the bed. This was one moment were his naturally placid features failed to calm her, instead doing the complete opposite. "You smug looking asshole."

"Temari."

At the stern, steel laced voice Temari stopped her forward progression, turning her head to see the her elder slowly approach her.

Laying a hand across the knuckles of Temari's fist, Sayo wisely cautioned the young woman. "Don't you thin this situation calls for a bit more tact."

Taking a very slow breath, Temari unclenched her fist, slowly easing the tension that had settled into her stiff muscles. "Hai Sayo-sama. I apologize for my rude behavior."

The older woman waved the apology off, a small but genuine smile on her face. "Do not worry child, all is forgiven."

With a pat on the arm, Sayo made her way toward the door, stopping when she gripped the handle. "But we do have much to discuss, more specifically your involvement with certain unruly types of people." With that said she opened the door and stepped out the room, leaving the two young adults to their own devices.

The uneasy silence that settled over them was surprisingly broken by Temari. "How are you feeling?"

He smiled, an instant reaction meant to ease her worries. "I am fine. With your help I have made a swift recovery."

A faint twitch on her lips was a clear enough signal that she hadn't forgotten their earlier discussion, but it was the slight droop in her shoulders and not the scowl on her face that got his attention. "What is the matter?"

She looked up, their eyes meeting and for once in their long running relationship he had no idea what she was thinking. Her eyes were a mirror reflection of his own, stopping him from being able to read her thoughts.

"Things are going to get complicated," she said in an almost tired sounding whisper.

"Why?" Haku asked perplexed.

"Sayo-sama is our grandmother, Gaara, Kankuro, and I. She is also one of the three elders that oversee the council."

Haku was never one for the more vulgar displays of expression other people used so freely, but just this one time he thought one of them fit the situation in all the right ways. "Shit."

AUTHOR'S NOTES

This thing is not dead, far from it actually. I've got half a MEAD Composition 200 page notebook full of random ideas and thoughts, and this chapter has been sitting on my laptop for more than a month, but I could never get satisfied with the finished product. I've edited, re-edited this thing a good number of times and finally cause someone decided to ask about, I decided to send it as is, hence one of the reasons shy it's so short.

One of the main problems is when I thought the story was moving a little too fast when it came to Naruto and Tsunade. Story wise they got a good week to bond before the shit hits the fan, but if I don't write their encounters in a believable way then the rest of the story won't impact the way it's supposed to. So I'm going to make the chapters focus more on them for the time being, and then branch out from there. Also there were some ideas I wanted to incorporate and didn't know how to go about, so instead of rushing out chapters I waited to see where the manga was going first. Now because of the latest story arc I got a pretty good idea of how to go about certain things and hopefully the chapters while be out a little faster.