There was a loud hissing sound.

Naruto cursed. He had gotten so engrossed in his anime, that he forgot all about the boiling noodles. Water was bubbling up over the edge of the pot, trickling down on the hot burner below.

"Damn!" He kicked a chair out of his way, rushing to turn down the heat and rescue his snack. But, the oversight wasn't the reason for his bad mood. "I hate this. It sucks!"

Normally, he would have loved a day off. His cupboards were full of instant Ramen. Two special-order anime DVDs had arrived, and he had lucked upon a bundle of out-of-print manga. It was thundering outside, and the ongoing rainfall would have made practice a pain in the ass.

"Stupid old lady should have just put a dunce cap on my head and sent me to sit in the fricking corner!" Naruto grabbed a number of kunai off of his table and threw them at a large poster of Tsunade he had placed on the wall. They joined a dozen other ones that would give the repair crew something to do. "No missions. No practice. No opportunity to check my fortune. No chance to see Hinata."

He grimaced. Why was he so obsessed with thoughts of Hinata? It was probably because he hadn't completed the task of finding out the identity of her boyfriend. Maybe, but thoughts of her having a boyfriend made him frown even more. It could be because he wanted to make certain that she was OK, knowing how her father tended to react, and wondering how she was feeling after their momentous encounter with that huge feline sack of shit.

"Stupid ass cat!" Naruto grabbed some shuriken, sending them spinning towards a large black cat he had inked on his wall. The throwing stars thunked and thwopped into the wood, running up along the awkwardly painted tail. "Yowling and shouting. Getting everyone in an uproar. After we saved the kitten. Sheesh!"

He pulled on the kitchen drawer so hard, that it almost broke free of its runner. Forks, knives, and spoons all ended up in a jumble, after jumping out of their plastic tray. Not feeling like sorting things out, he reached for chopsticks. There was only one left, since he had frayed the end of another one, using it as a paintbrush in his angry and spiteful artwork.

"Crap!" He broke the chopstick in half. It would have to do. "This really sucks." He changed his mind and threw the two halves at a garbage can, missing. The chopstick pieces landed on top of other items that had missed their target. "I can't believe Granny Tsunade actually smacked my ass like that!" He touched his buttock tenderly. It still felt like he had sat down on a bee's nest or something.

The Hokage had later been very calm when he met her in her office the day after his and Hinata's summoning event. But, she had pointedly made him sit in the only chair without cushioning. She had berated him for two straight hours, critiquing everything he had done since coming back to the village, and outlining a harsh and stringent regime for him to follow in the future. She obviously had doubts about his judgment and priorities, and told him that he would not be allowed to participate in the upcoming Chuunin exams.

"That's just wrong," Naruto said, after sucking down a large wad of noodles. He practically shoveled the noodles into his mouth, using his bare hand. "Nobody else ever gets punished that way. Hinata worked hard, trying to help me prepare." He sighed, thinking about the diminutive white-eyed girl again. Over the past couple of days, he spent long periods of time musing on the results of his fortune-telling. That was always followed immediately by denial, disavowals, doubt, and loud claims of apathy and disinterest.

Naruto sighed, stopping in mid slurp. He sat with his shoulders slumped, the hanging noodles making it look like he had a beard. Despite all of his anger and disappointment, he felt guilty and worried deep inside. He could stomach being in trouble himself. He was used to that. When people found out his role in things, they would either shake their heads in exasperation, or find one more reason to hate him. That was his cross to bear. Hinata didn't deserve anything like that, though.

"It was pretty cool, though." He spoke after wolfing down the noodles. "I never would have guessed that Hinata could do that. She's so small." He thought about putting another batch of Ramen on. But, he shook his head. For some reason, his lust for noodles had subsided a bit. He thought about his bet with Hanabi. The prize didn't mean much to him any more. He didn't care about the challenge. He couldn't care less about his pride. "She can say what she wants. Who cares what a brat like that thinks. I'm not going to play that game anymore."

"Hey, open up!" That was a girl's voice, accompanied by loud banging on the door. "I know you're in there. Jerk!" It was Hanabi. Speak of the Devil and she appears.

Naruto frowned. He suddenly felt very angry, wanting to curse Hanabi out. But, he held his tongue, knowing that he was as much to blame for his guilty feelings about Hinata as she was. He walked over to the TV, turned up the volume, and fell back into his chair.

"Uzumaki Naruto. World's biggest idiot. Let… me… in…" Hanabi kicked the door hard, and then spoke some words that had a male voice reprimanding her.

Apparently Onoda was there as well. There could be an entire entourage, for all that Naruto knew or cared. Maybe they were there to string him up by his balls or something. Shit. Let them try. "Sounds like there's a wolf at my door." Naruto tossed a couple of shuriken, embedding them in the door. "Go ahead, huff and puff all you can. See if you can blow the damn thing down." He folded his arms over his chest. "You won the bet. Go tell all your wolfy friends. Howl at the moon as much as you like." He sneered. "You have my permission…"

"Ooo-o-o-o-o-oh…" There was another kick, followed by more ill-chosen words. "I don't care about the stupid bet, you moron!" Hanabi's voice rose. That had Onoda telling her to keep it down. It was bad enough that she had left the estate, and that he hadn't dragged her back immediately. But, if anyone in the clan found out that she had strayed into the boy's dormitory…

"Really?" Naruto said, doubting the young girl's words. He smiled, deciding to try another tack, seeing that it had great results before. "Ah hah-h-h-h-h-h…" He whistled loudly. "I told you, you're too young to be my girlfriend." He paused a moment. His fortunes couldn't mean that, could they. No no no no. It would be years before she would be someone old enough to date. He wasn't destined to be a wallflower for that long, right? He scowled. Hanabi would never be his type! But then, what was his type? He saw Hinata's face, but rubbed his eyes trying to make the image go away.

"What… you… you… you total imbecile!" The door handle jiggled again after Hanabi's angry shout. "I wouldn't like you if you were the last boy on Earth..."

"Geeez. Sounds like the poor thing has it really bad." Naruto laughed. He tossed another shuriken just because. "Just the first in a long line of girls who want to sink their hooks into a future Hokage."

"A DOG WOULD MAKE A BETTER HOKAGE!" Hanabi's response had Onoda unsteady on his feet. He reached to clamp a hand over the girl's mouth, but her training made her too evasive.

"Miss Hanabi…" The retainer couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"I… DON'T… WANT… YOU… AS… MY… BOYFRIEND!" Hanabi's shout had Onoda looking at the scarf he often wore. What would get him in more trouble, letting the Hyuuga Heir carry on in such a fashion, or gagging her and carrying her come over his shoulder?

"Such a noisy little brat," Naruto said, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair. This was actually fun. "If you don't want a serious relationship, you must want me for a plaything or something. That's the kind of stuff that Jiraiya writes about in his Icha Icha books. You're much too young for that kind of stuff. Kids these days."

"Rrrr-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r…" Hanabi's growl had the hair on Naruto's neck standing up. It reminded him of Neko Janis. "Onoda. Open that door. Now!"

Normally, the manservant would never have complied. He did not approve of breaking into another person's domicile. It wasn't as if the boy were holding some member of the clan prisoner. But, he had to weigh the possibilities. There might be more harm caused by Hanabi's shouting. Already, doors were opening in the hallway, and heads were peaking out to see what was going on.

The door practically jumped off of its hinges. It hung precariously, suspended by a small number of bent screws that were barely biting into the wood.

"Onoda!" Hanabi sounded cross. "Here. I'll do it!" There was another kick. The door fell into the room. The young girl marched over top it, heading over to where Naruto now stood. "Men!"

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Naruto put his hands on his hips. His eyes were narrowed and he looked ready for a fight.

Onoda bowed in apology. Hanabi pushed him aside and glared at Naruto. Then, not caring what her companion might think, she pulled down on one eyelid and stuck out her tongue.

"YOU CAN'T GO AROUND MESSING UP A GUY'S ROOM!" He looked over at the markings on the wall, following Hanabi's glance, realizing that she was looking at the shuriken and kunei. "I was redecorating…so what…"

"Like I care!" Hanabi walked up and kicke Naruto hard in the shin. "Jerk!" She kicked again. "Idiot!" Two more times. "Moron. Fool." She began kicking with each work. "How… can… you… be… so… stupid!"

"Ouch…" Naruto began hopping around on one foot. That hurt! "Shit! Are you crazy?" He looked over at Onoda, who shrugged, a rather peculiar look on his face.

"Miss Hanabi, why don't you tell the young man what you came to say?" Onoda picked up the door and propped it against the wall. "We're not supposed to be here." He met Naruto's gaze. "You are not supposed to have any contact with young Master Naruto."

"Huh?" Naruto screwed up his face. "What now?" He wrinkled his nose. "Is it because of the damn cat? Am I getting all the blame for that?" He looked down at Naruto. "Is that why you're acting like such a bi-…" He caught himself. "Brat."

"Hinata's gone," Hanabi said, suddenly looking stricken rather than angry. "It's… it's my fault…" She admitted. Then, the fire returned to her eyes. She kicked Naruto again, harder than before. "But it's mostly your fault." She shook, shaking a fist at him. "How can you ever be Hokage, if you can't even see what's happening right under your nose?"

"What?" Naruto ignored his throbbing calf. "Hinata's gone? Where?" He suddenly felt a strong feeling of foreboding. She hadn't tried to do any more summoning, had she?

"If we knew that it wouldn't be as big a problem. You're so aggravating!" Hananbi looked around the room for something to throw. She reached up and started tugging on one of the embedded kunei.

"No!" Onoda slapped at Hanabi's hand. "Behave like a lady." He looked over at Naruto. He paused, trying to find the right words. "There was a misunderstanding. It got ugly. Your name came up." He would not mention Kyuubi in front of Hanabi. He was still uneasy at the concept, having been told the story by Hiashi. "Miss Hinata was very upset. She took her things and left…"

"Because of something her father said?" Naruto flexed both arms, his face turning slightly red. "That egotistical… selfish… hard-assed…" He was interrupted before he could finish with his long list.

"GO… GET… HER…" Hanabi hit her fists against Naruto. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!"

"Miss Hanabi!" Odono grasped the young girl's arms tightly. He turned to Naruto again. "Normally, this would be a matter between you and Miss Hinata. As part of Miss Hanabi's lesson, I should have her speak in Miss Hinata's place. But, someone may end up in the hospital…" He gave Hanabi a stern look. "Or with a spanking…"

Naruto frowned. He rubbed his rump again, grimacing. He didn't want to think about spanking, regardless of who the punishment was intended for. "Was she upset because I messed things up with her boyfriend, by spending so much time with her?" He actually felt a ray of hope, saying that. But, he had to do what was right. It was his Ninja Way. "I can have a talk with him, clearing things up if necessary…" He held his hands out, making the offer.

"I can't take any more," Hanabi said, sitting down hard on the floor. "He's so dense."

"Miss Hinata doesn't have a boyfriend…" Onoda said. "She…"

"YES!" Naruto pumped his fist and did a short leg kick. He blushed, coughed, and said "So… I didn't fail after all…" It wasn't that he cared either way, of course. He really did hate to lose a bet, right?

"She was spending time with you because she likes you." Hanabi said, slapping herself in the forehead. "I think she has always liked you." She sighed. The look that she gave Naruto indicated that she ranked him lower than insects and slime molds. There was no accounting for her sister's taste in boys. "I bet she thought you were starting to like her."

"I…" Naruto's mouth fell open. The pieces began coming together, forming a picture that had him weak in the knees for one reason, and feeling stupid and foolish for a different reason altogether. "She…" He could only imagine what Hinata must be feeling, realizing that he had started off spending time with her because of the stupid arrangement.

"You were the reason she tried so hard in the past," Onoda said. "I presume that you were also the reason that she made such great efforts lately. She said few words about that before leaving. She looked devastated when she found out the truth."

Naruto sat down hard, missing his chair and ending up next to Hanabi. He met her eyes, and then looked down at his feet. "I should have paid more attention to my fortunes…" Naruto said quietly. "But I was so certain that she had a boyfriend…"

"The fortunes were a fake," Hanabi said, miffed that her sister had pulled a stunt that called the veracity of her fortune-tellers into question. She had checked into Hinata's scheme before heading over to the dormitory, and had badgered Miss Setsu and the others into telling her what they had done. "I went to see if they could do a reading, to tell me where Hinata went. They couldn't." The seed of doubt had been planted in her mind, spoiling her happy ignorance. She twiddled her fingers much like her sister did, thinking back to the fortune cookies and the events that they had set in motion.

"But…" Naruto looked baffled. "Why would they lie…" He suddenly felt angry. He didn't like to be tricked. He didn't enjoy being made a fool of. "The answers were all so similar…"

"Miss Setsu and the others said that your various companions had approached them with the answers you were supposed to receive." Onoda almost smiled, thinking about the gumption it took to conceive and follow through on such a plan. "They said that Hinata had explained her motives. She thought you might have a difficult time, accepting that anyone would care about you. She also thought that you might have difficulty caring about someone else."

"That's silly!" Naruto said, standing up. "All she had to do was tell me how she felt. She could have been honest with me!"

"What would you have done?" Hanabi asked in a quiet voice. "I can guess what she must have been thinking. She's not just some little coward, because she wouldn't say what was in her heart." She felt tears coming to her eyes. Her sister had been through so much. She had good reason to be shy and quiet. "You probably would have laughed at her, or decided that she was the last person you would look at."

"Maybe at first… but…" Naruto took a deep breath and let it out. Hanabi was right. "Yeh…"

"You were not exactly being entirely honest yourself, were you young man?" Onoda's voice was soft, but there was a definite edge to it. "You were willing to cozy up to Miss Hinata, in order to find out her secret." He paused a moment. His voice was a little hoarse as he spoke the next words. "You were willing to divulge whatever secrets you learned… merely to fill your belly…"

"I…" Naruto looked over at his empty Ramen dish. "But it was just…" He swallowed hard. It wasn't just a harmless game. It would have been sneaky and dishonorable with any of his friends. But with Hinata… who cared about him… who put her hope in him…

All three remained silent for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts. Each one of them had played a role. Each one of them could have done something different. No one had a right to point a finger at anyone else.

Naruto felt like shouting, when he happened upon one particular thought. He had started liking Hinata a lot more. He had actually been disappointed that she had a boyfriend. His reaction at hearing she didn't have anyone was hard to deny or misinterpret. The warmth that filled him had been telling too. Someone had actually cared about him. But, fate had kicked him in the teeth again. Just when something good appeared, destiny seemed determined to yank it from his grasp. That always seemed to happen! The difference was, it was his fault this time.

"You're right," Naruto said, breaking the silence. "I am an idiot." For someone who prided himself in having a big heart, he had done something to hurt a friend. Not only that, but he had hurt someone that had never hurt anyone else, and who had been hurt so many other times. He would have a hard time forgiving himself. Hinata might never be able to look him in the eyes again.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Hanabi kicked Naruto again, lighter this time. "You were bragging about stopping that Shukaku thing before. You said that Uzumaki Naruto could do anything." Her eyes softened. "I would… I would still get you all of those noodles… if you can bring Hinata back…"

"But…" Naruto stood straighter, almost striking a pose. It was an automatic reaction, but he was in no mood for it. "The Hokage has ordered me to stay in the village, and to stay away from Hinata for a while." He wondered what Tsunade might say when she realized just how tangled things had become. "She let me go out to get some anime stuff… and stock up on food… but after that I was supposed to keep to my room…"

"NOW YOU'RE GOING TO START FOLLOWING RULES?" Hanabi stomped her foot. She reached over to pick up the Ramen dish, but Onoda took it from her grasp.

"You're a guest here. Miss Hanabi…" The servant made a 'tsk tsk' noise and waggled his finger.

"I MEAN, COME ON. YOU HELPED MY SISTER BRING A MONSTER CAT TO THE VILLAGE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" The irate girl grabbed the dish back from the retainer and threw it, watching the chipped dish break against the far wall when Naruto ducked.

"Miss Hanabi!" Onoda walked to stand between the girl and other breakable objects. "If you keep this shouting up, I am quite certain that you father will get wind of our little trip."

"What's he going to do, tell me I'm not the Heir?" Hanabi stuck out her lip. "He already drove Hinata away. Who would take my place? Neji?" She scowled. In a way, she wished that would actually take place. "It's not like I have any boy I care about, so he can't order me never to see him again." She swallowed hard, looking at Naruto. That was a little too much information.

"Is that what your father did?" Naruto clenched his fists. "Did he say that Hinata could never see me again?" He knew it was illogical, worrying what Hyuuga Hiashi might have said, since Hinata would probably hate him after all this. "That's just wrong!" He began to feel very angry. "He's lucky to have two daughters. He's lucky that Hinata came back to the house, after he kicked her out before." Naruto felt like breaking something. He would give anything to have known his own father.

"It is not my place to question the master's decisions," Onoda put in quietly. "But, Miss Hinata must be feeling lost and alone. I hate to think of what she might end up doing." He winked at Hanabi, without letting Naruto know that he was doing so. "If she thinks that there is no one to turn to… if she thinks that everyone has rejected her…"

"Not everyone," Naruto growled. He walked over to his bed, knelt, and began scooping out the equipment he had haphazardly tossed underneath the frame. "Not me." He began arranging his gear. Walking over to his closet, he took one of his jumpsuits off of the rack. Not caring who was watching, he began to change clothes. "She can hate me all that she wants. After she's home safe."

"Urk!" Hanabi closed her eyes, turning away fromNaruto so fast that she walked right into the discombobulated door. It would have fallen, taking her with it, had Onoda not caught it.

"Miss Hanabi, you shouldn't stare at the young man that way. It's… it's indecent." Onoda couldn't help himself. Besides, the young troublemaker deserved it. "If I was to tell your father…"

"Shit. I don't have time for that crap." Naruto finished getting dressed. "But, if you like, I'll send you a nude photograph. Maybe I'll take a couple and make a calendar for your room." He knew that Onoda was joking.

"Gah!" Hanabi felt a need to run from the room. She ran into someone, bounced back, and landed on her rear end. Her dress was hiked up over her blouse, showing things that she never intended to show.

"Now she's flashing her panties," Naruto said with a mock tone of disapproval. "Sorry, I'm not into that kind of thing. I doubt that Jiraiya or Kakashi would stand for that, either. Hmmmpppfff!"

"That's right." It was a man's voice. "Yo, Naruto!" It was Kakashi. Sakura was with him.

"Naruto, you pig!" Sakura shook her head, making a face.

"Hey, your forehead looks a lot bigger when you make that kind of face, Sakura-chan." Naruto thumbed his nose. "But that's OK… it makes your ass look smaller…"

"OOO-O-O-O-O-O-O-H… NARUTO…YOU…" Sakura tried to get past the Copy Ninja. She stopped, slamming into Onoda. "I… oh… sorry, Sir."

"I hate it when people shout," Hanabi said, turning up her nose. "Unless it's about him." She crossed her arms and gave Naruto a look that had Kakashi closing his visible eye. "Buffoon!"

"Tell me about it," Sakura said. "I told Tsunade it was a bad idea. Things were so much more peaceful with Naruto locked in his room."

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto suddenly looked eager. For a moment, he ignored his broken door and his concerns about Hinata. "I can leave?"

"That's what we were coming over to tell you," Kakashi said, taking out his Icha Icha book. "We have practice this afternoon, and you can join us. It will be a joint session, with some of the other teams.

"Great!" Naruto pulled at one ear. "But, I won't be there…" He started putting things in his weapons bag. He stopped, and looked at Sakura. "Don't you go running to tell Old Lady Tsunade… you hear me!"

"What?" Sakura frowned, taking offense at the idea that she was a tattletale or something. "I think you can wait to visit the noodle shops."

"There are things in life more important than noodles," Naruto said, feeling like a hypocrite and a cad. "You should know that by now." He gave her a very serious look. "I couldn't bring Sasuke back. I will not fail again."

"Your actions are still too rash," Kakashi said. "You must have gotten the same word that we had. I had thought that the Hokage would keep that from you, so that you weren't tempted to rush out."

"That's right," Sakura said. "The whispers that Sasuke has headed back to the village are more than rumors. It is likely that Orochimaru and his men will be chasing after him. It must be time for the body transfer."

"Huh?" Naruto looked shocked. He went stiff. "I wasn't talking about Sasuke." His ex-teammate was coming back? Really? Would he be welcomed back into the village, or treated like a missing nin? "I've got something more important to worry about."

That statement had both Kakashi and Sakura looking surprise. Sakura and Naruto had promised to go after Sasuke together the next time. Kakashi and others would be joining them. That was what they needed to train for. What could be more important than that?

"It's my sister!" Hanabi said. "She's left the village."

"What?" It took a lot to shock Kakashi. "No one reported this?" Hinata was the last person that he would ever see doing such a thing. Was it because of the incident with the demon cat? Had her father banished her? Was she too ashamed to stay in Konoha? With members of the Sound skulking about, this was a bad time for any Leaf shinobi to be off alone.

"Master Hiashi did not want the fact made public." Onoda spoke in a neutral voice.

"That's where I'm going. It's my fault that she's gone." Naruto sighed. He was truly torn. He had dreamed about Sasuke coming back. His failure in bringing his friend home still haunted him at times. "I will trust you two to bring Sasuke back. You don't need to make a Promise of a Lifetime."

"Don't be stupid!" Sakura was torn, too. She couldn't imagine Hinata off on her own. She didn't want to think about what might happen to her friend. "You know what Tsunade will do if you run off after Hinata." Her face crumpled. She looked very worried. "And you know that Orochimaru has a score to settle with you. Tsunade told me the story behind you and Jiraiya bringing her back to the village."

"She's right," Kakashi said, putting his book down. He closed it with a loud 'clap' when Hanabi bent over awkwardly to look at one of the illustrations. "You could do as much harm in the hands as the Sound as Sasuke could." Who knows what the evil Sannin might do with the Hyuuga secrets? But, it was nothing compared to what he could do with the Uchiha blood limit, or with Kyuubi under their control. "Hinata might return before you even find her. The responsible thing is to inform the Hokage. She can send out an ANBU squad."

"I was locked in my room because I didn't act responsible enough," Naruto said. "So, my decision shouldn't come as any surprise." He shook his head. "Hinata's gone because of me. So, I will bring her back. The longer you stand there yacking, the longer it will take me to return. It doesn't take a genius like you to figure that out, Kakashi-sensei."

"Precious friends," Sakura said quietly. She looked up at Kakashi, who sighed. They were all faced with difficult choices.

"It's not just Hinata and Sasuke," Kakashi said. "Knowing Orochimaru, I would expect him to use this opportunity to strike at the Leaf. If you were not to go out after Sasuke with us, you would best serve our village by staying here. There is no telling when the enemy might strike."

Naruto hung his head. It was a very difficult situation. What should he do? If he went after Sasuke, and they didn't really need his help in bringing him back, how would he feel if Hinata died or disappeared forever? If he went after her, and Orochimaru got Sasuke, how would he feel, if Hinata turned up on her own? If he ran off without permission, and more giant snakes tried to lay waste to Konoha, how would everyone feel about him?

"I'll go speak with Tsunade," Sakura said. "Don't you go anywhere before I come back!" She gave Naruto a look before rushing off.

"Damn." Naruto pulled at his hair. "Damn damn damn damn damn damn damn." Sasuke was his friend; but, he had left the Leaf, becoming a traitor of sorts, caught up in his selfish goals. If he had to be killed, so that Orochimaru couldn't gain what he lusted after, it would be more Sasuke's fault than anyone else's. Sakura was much stronger now. She had come into her own, making a stand against members of Akatsuki. And Kakashi was as brilliant and as formidable as ever. Tsunade was in the village, and Jiraiya had stopped by on one of his visits. The two of them… not to mention Katsuya and Gama Bunta…could contribute to a staunch defense of Konoha.

Hinata was on her own…

Hanabi pulled at Naruto's sleeve. She knew that as future Clan Chief, she should place the village's needs before her own. But, she wasn't clan head yet. She was just a young girl whose sister was in danger. "Please…"

"Every minute could be important," Onoda said. The things that Hatake Kakshi had said had him extremely worried. He moved one arm in a circle, and then the other. "If necessary, I will go. I am not totally innocent in this matter." He flexed his fingers. "I would appreciate it, if I could borrow some weapons." He reached down and mussed Hanabi's hair. "It will cost me my position… but, there are worse things…" He coughed. "I would also appreciate it if someone could see the little miss home safely."

Naruto closed his eyes, fighting back a dark and foul curse. Onoda would get in trouble with Hiashi, for going after the man's daughter? What good was honor, if it took the place of love and loyalty to friends and family? But, Hiashi wouldn't know about Orochimaru, or the fact that Sound ninjas could be lurking outside of the Leaf's sight.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said, his voice very flat.

"No…" Hanabi brought her hand to her mouth. "She always looked up to you…"

"Hush," Onoda said. "The boy has a very difficult choice." He sighed. "There is more at stake here than one girl." He hated putting things in those words, but Hanabi would be a leader some day. She needed to come to terms with difficult necessities. Her father had lost his brother that way.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said. "I'm going. I won't let Orochimaru capture me. There are jutsus I can use…" He met the Copy Ninja's gaze. "I'm not supposed to, but…" He shrugged. "If the village ends up welcoming that damn Uchiha back after what he did, I can still have hope, right?" He tried to smile, unsuccessfully. "For all you know, I might even run into Sasuke while I'm out there. I bet he couldn't resist showing himself, just to tell me what a dumb ass I was."

"I could stop you," Kakashi said. He began working hand seals. He noted with satisfaction that Naruto stood his ground, unwilling to strike first merely to get away. "But, it wouldn't do anyone much good, if we both ended up injured." There was a puff of smoke. When it cleared, there was a dog standing next to him. It was Pakkun.

"I smell cat." Pakkun sniffed the air, catching a faint scent of the long departed Neko Janis. "I also detect a fruity aroma. That girl was here. The one with the same shampoo as me."

"You will be going with Naruto," the Copy Ninja said, after explaining the situation to the small dog. "You can help him locate the girl. If need be, you can lead us all to him if there's trouble." He spoke sternly, wanting to make one point clear. "But, should you catch scent of Uchiha Sasuke, or Orochimaru, you will return to the village immediately, and make a report."

"OK," Pakkun said. He looked up at Naruto. "This one is always a lot of trouble. But, he does get the job done." He held up his paw. "If we get this finished quickly, you can touch my foot pads. Soft!"

Hanabi and Onoda looked at one another. Both shrugged.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto nodded, moved by his mentor's action.

"That sounded like Naruto, didn't it?" Kakashi looked around the room, smiling when he met Hanabi's gaze. "But, if he was still in his room, I would have to drag him off to practice with me."

"You must be mistaken," Onoda said. "The voice was quiet and respectful." That caused Hanabi to giggle, despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Bunch of jokers," Naruto grumped. After that, he flashed from view.