Hello everybody! This chapter appeared to be smaller than usual but the next one will compensate it.

My first and biggest thanks as usual to my beta-reader Chibi0Dragon! Without her my story would be really bad with a lot of grammar errors.

Answers to your reviews:

MasterFranny

No Itachi or Akatsuki…Sorry…At least in this part and honestly to say I really didn't think about them in the other parts. Let's just say they decided to keep their promise and stay away of Naruto for 3 years…But…everything can happen especially when the story isn't written till its end yet.

I like reading yaoi SasuNaru especially but I don't think I have talent in writing it (I'm not good at pairings - sigh). Well, actually, haven't tried to do it.

the breaker

Well, I'm for the theory that Yondaime really was in one of three coffins Orochimaru summoned to kill Sarutobi. So I think it's rather possible for Arashi to be there. As for my story – when summoning Arashi Orochimaru killed Kabuto and offered his soul in exchange for Yondaime's soul. So Kabuto is in the Shinigami's stomach now and Arashi is walking irritating Naruto.

As usual I'm waiting for your reviews :)

Chapter 4. On the Way to the Hidden Moon.

Sakura awoke the next morning to the loud voices of her teammates who were in the middle of a lively discussion. She closed her eyes, and remembered where she was.

"I haven't slept so well in a long time," she thought, walking out of the tent. "Thank you, Yondaime!"

The two blondes were so busy that they didn't notice her at all.

"I'll say it once again, Blondaime!" Naruto shouted. "This ramen is mine! You can go get another one!"

"You…" Arashi looked pissed off. "It's my ramen; I took it first!"

"Oh my," Sakura sighed. "They both act like little children. What should I do? They wouldn't fight over some ramen, would they?"

Right after she thought about it, the Hokage, with evil grin on his face made several chakra related moves. The Yellow flash flew not too far from her, and a second later Yondaime was sitting eating ramen near the next tree.

'I can't believe it,' Sakura sighed. 'He's the Hokage, right? Yesterday we were talking about serious issues, and now… when it comes to Naruto Yondaime acts completely different! I don't understand why,' she admitted. 'But…'

"Stop it!" she moved between them, and at the same time Naruto began his favorite Kage Bunshin tactics.

"Sakura-chan! Ohayou!" he finally noticed her, and forgot about the ramen.

Sakura sighed with relief. The conflict was over…for now.

For Tsunade, the day began early. Between missions, paperwork, she was completely lost when a familiar face appeared in her room.

"Iruka," she smiled. "I haven't seen you in a long time."

It was true – The chuunin from the academy was here almost every day while the 3rd Hokage was alive, but now he only came here with reports once a month. Tsunade didn't know if it was because it was painful for him to see another person in the room where old Hokage used to work, or if it was simply because he didn't like her. Either way it was a surprise to see him.

"How is Naruto?" he asked. "Is there any news about his mission?"

Tsunade looked at him attentively. It was clear to her that he was worried.

"The mission has just started," she said. "I don't think that there will be any news until next week."

Iruka sighed and turned towards the exit, but suddenly stopped.

"What do you think about them?" he asked.

"Think about whom?" Tsunade looked at him.

"Naruto… and his father, Yondaime. Will they be ok?"

Tsunade's eyes flashed with surprise.

"So you know," she sighed. "Sarutobi-sensei told you?"

"Yes," he nodded.

FLASHBACK

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"You shouldn't think of Naruto as the Kyuubi," the 3rd said, looking at Iruka. "You act like the others in the village. Naruto, he's one who should be respected. Kyuubi was sealed inside of him to save out village. Uzumaki… he had family like you. If everything went the other way…" he stopped.

"What are you trying to say?" Iruka looked at him quizzically.

But Sarutobi was lost in his memories. He stood up and walked over to the Hokages' pictures that were hanging on the wall.

"If you knew what would happen Arashi," he asked the man who he knew couldn't give him an answer, "Would you do it anyways?"

"Sandaime-sama," Iruka sighed. "I don't understand."

"Yondaime gave everything for our village," Sarutobi said while continuing look at the picture of the 4th. "He even sealed Kyuubi in his own son to save all of us."

For a moment Iruka felt like like reality was weighing down on him. Naruto, this little prankster is…it just can't be!

Then he looked at the Fourth's picture and a small smile began to form on his lips. Blond hair, blue eyes… they really were a lot alike. He just didn't notice it before. Like everybody else in the village…

"But why?" he asked. "Why do you keep it in secret? Naruto's life could be so much easier if Konoha's people knew him as the son of their savior!"

Sarutobi looked at young teacher again.

"Yondaime had a lot of enemies outside the village," he explained. "If they knew that he had a son, they would try to take out their revenge on him, but this not the main reason. Actually his mother is…"

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"Iruka!"Godaime's voice awoke him from his reverie.

He smiled uncertainly.

"Sorry. It looks like I'm thinking too much."

Tsunade smiled at him.

"I'm worried about them too," she confessed. "This mission… I think that it'll decide a lot of things between them. They should learn to understand each other. If it doesn't happen they will stay the same as they are now. For a long time, the'll just a hokage and genin,. They won't be the family."

"Maybe if Naruto knew the truth…" Iruka began.

"No," Tsunade shook her head. "It will just make the situation more complicated. Let them settle the things on their own. Maybe they aren't ready yet," she sighed. "Naruto has lived as an orphan since the beginning, and he doesn't like Arashi much" 'As for the boy's father, he died the day Naruto was born, and now that he is alive again, and has a grown up son he doesn't know how to be a father. That's the problem. They interact like rivals, or like brothers, but not like a father and son. They have so much to learn about themselves before they become a family.'

"That's too bad," Iruka sighed. "This mission isn't exactly a piece of cake. If they can't act like a team it will be dangerous."

"They have Sakura," Godaime said. "I'm pretty sure that Haruno will be able to stop them if things become too of control. It will be a good training for her as well," her smile was evil as if she enjoyed seeing her young pupil in a situation like this.

"Arashi is the Hokage," she concluded. "So Sakura will be safe with him. As for Naruto, the safest place for a boy to be, is with his father. That's what I think."

"You said that the entrance to the Moon village is at this place?" Naruto complained. "So why are we just hanging around here?" They were sitting along the shore of a lake, and looking the setting sun.

"I have already told you," the Hokage's had anger in his voice. "To be exact, I've told you five times now."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"So even the Yondaime's patience has its limits," she snickered quietly.

"The entrance to the Hidden Moon Village isn't a place where you can just walk up, and open a door. To get there one must perform a jutsu that requires moonlight."

"But what if it's cloudy all night?" Sakura asked.

"Everything will be alright," he assured her. "Actually I think that there's another way to get in, but you see, performing this justu is a sign of respect towards the village chief. He was my friend who saved my life several times. He taught me this technique. It's uncommon for a shinobi from another village to know other village's techniques, especially the one which opens the gates to their home. Entering this way we'll show him that we're not impostors, and will pay him respects so that he knows that I haven't forgotten this jutsu and our friendship."

"Oh," Sakura said. "It makes sense."

"But I can't wait anymore!" Naruto complained and stood up. "I'll go find the other way in."

At this moment Yondaime's patience reached its limits.

Blue eyes met anger filled blue eyes.

"You. Will. Sit. Here. Silently," Arashi barked.

For the first time during the mission Naruto was honestly scared. Yondaime's tone was a lot like Ero-Sennin's when he was angry, but in case of frog Sennin he knew that in the next moment Jiraiya would always smile, and everything will be all right. With 4th Hokage he couldn't be so sure.

He soundlessly sat on the grass.

'Oh no,' Sakura thought as she looked at the pair. 'I think this means war.'

Meanwhile something inside Arashi's heart jumped painfully.

'What did I just do?' he thought. 'I can't even control my emotions. What a fool I am!'

'He's scary, Naruto thought. 'I wonder if even he sees the kyuubi when he looks at me. What if he took me on this mission to kill it in revenge?' Visions of a crazy Hokage performing some fatal jutsu filled his mind.

By now, the three had been sitting around for about an hour. Naruto was doing his best not to shake. Arashi was looking at the sky with an unreadable expression on his face. Sakura wondered what she could do to make the situation easier.

The sun disappeared, and the first stars shone in the evening sky.

"It's almost the time," Yondaime's voice broke through the silence. "Get ready."

"Okay," his companions nodded and stood up.

First, moon rays appeared on the water's surface. Then the Hokage walked to the center of the lake while preparing his jutsu.

"Tsuki no…" he began but his motion was stopped when a fountain appeared out of nowhere.

'It's beautiful – millions of water droplets, and a human figure between them,' Sakura thought, but then she realized that something had gone wrong.

Two masked figures appeared from either side of the Hokage and threw shurikens. Water splashed and he disappeared.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted. He was near the water a few meters from her trying to figure out what was going on.

"Naruto!" she looked at him. "Do you see them?"

"No," he answered searching for the blond man, his frantically glazing over the lake, but everything was silent now.

Water splashed again, and two figures appeared looking at each other.

The masked man smiled.

"I underestimated you, blond jounin," his voice was strong, but emotionless. "It looks like you were prepared for this attack."

The second man appeared near him breathing heavily. He had a wound on his leg.

"Don't tell me that this is all you've got," Yondaime smiled back, and prepared to fight again. "Maybe you're impressed, but I'm a little disappointed. You have guts to attack a jounin of the Hidden Leaf in such a reckless manner."

While joking, he was calculating his enemies' moves in his head. Something was really wrong. Was it just him, or did he see three splashes of water? A second later, it hit him.

A shadow appeared soundlessly behind Naruto, but the kid kept standing there, clueless.

Arashi's mind told him that a Konoha Gakure genin would easily be able to handle the attack, but his heart told him otherwise. For the first time in his career Arashi acted not as a jounin or as the Yondaime. He acted like a father whose son was about to get hurt.

"Naruto!" he shouted and in a moment, which seemed to him like an eternity, he ran to the masked shinobi who had already prepared his kunai to make the final blow, and threw himself between them taking Naruto out of the line of attack.

Sakura gasped. She was far from him, but she could have been able to do something, couldn't she? 'Why am I just standing her gawking, instead of fighting?' she wondered. ' I'm acting useless again!

Meanwhile Uzumaki found himself in Yondaime's arms. The Hokage was breathing heavily. The move had taken up a lot of chakra.

"Get off me!" Naruto growled in a low voice. "I could have handle him on my own!"

'Of course he could,' Arashi panicked 'Why did I do that?'

The three masked shinobi gathered on the lake's surface. Two of them were wounded pretty badly. The unarmed leader looked at the Yondaime attentively.

"This is a warning Hidden leaf ninjas," he said. "Don't try anything smart. Next time I'll kill you."A moment later they disappeared.

Arashi sighed. This mission certainly seemed to have started interestingly enough.