A/N - Okey dokey. Since I started writing again, I decided to get to work on some stories that haven't been updated in quiiite some time. Sooo, here's a brand new chapter for The Scroll's Secret! Hope you enjoy it. :D

I really don't have a lot to say. I've been trying to work on this chapter for days now, and I only just finished it a little while ago. I've had to deal with so much shit lately that I hardly had time to myself to sit down and work on this. x.x

Anyways, I wanted to say something real quick. I believe that the guest review function should be removed in its entirety on this site. There are way too many asshats that use guest reviews to harass the authors on this site. Hell, just in the past few hours, I've been swamped with over 30+ guest 'reviews', all of them being flames and this asshole harassing me and being a douchebag in general. So, quite honestly, I'm sick of the annoyance that the guest review function is. Hell, there should be an option to turn them off entirely.

*sighs* Whatever. Just read on and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 6 – Homecoming

Upon arriving at the gates of Konoha, Team 10 and company were halted in their steps when a group of Anbu surrounded them. Looking around at them, Asuma stepped forward, prepared to defend the others if necessary. "What do you want with us?"

One of the Anbu, a woman with long, purple hair, stepped forward and said, "Relax, Asuma. We don't mean you and the others any harm. Hokage-sama wanted us to be on the lookout for all of you. He is currently in a meeting with the council and Daimyo-sama. We were instructed to bring all of you to the meeting room. Entering the village proper would not be a good idea for you at the moment."

Asuma scowled at this and asked, "Has Danzo done something?"

Cat, judging by the mask she currently wore, nodded and said, "Even after Jiraiya-sama took the mantle of Hokage from Third-sama, Danzo decided to release the information to the public that Sasuke was killed on the mission to Waves. He and his forces spun the tale to make the people believe Naruto had killed him. The people are out for blood. Hokage-sama is hoping that revealing the truth to Daimyo-sama will help set things right. Now, if you don't have any other questions, please huddle together. We'll get you to the council chambers as quickly as possible."

Asuma nodded before looking at the Genin, Haku, and then at Samus. Receiving nods from each of them, he turned and said, "We're ready."

"Good. Brace yourselves." Cat said before she and the other Anbu vanish with the team via use of the Body Flicker Technique.

Council Chambers

When they reached the council chambers, the team followed the Anbu into the room. Upon reaching the center of the room, Naruto and the others bowed first to the Daimyo and then to the new Hokage, Jiraiya of the Sannin. "Team 10, plus company, reporting in, Daimyo-sama, Hokage-sama." Asuma said.

Jiraiya looked at them for a moment, his eyes lingering on Naruto for just a moment longer than they did the others. Frowning slightly, he looked into the Daimyo's eyes and said, "This is the team, Daimyo-sama. As you can see, our jinchuriki is a member of Team 10. Even more, his girlfriend, Sakura Haruno, is on the team with him. The citizens of Konoha have assaulted them before in an effort to strip Naruto of any happiness he might be feeling. Tell me, do you really think these two should be put to death for the actions of a few?"

The Daimyo took his time looking over the team. Frowning slightly, he said, "Having them killed wouldn't serve a purpose. I do not believe the lies spread by that warmonger, but the same cannot be said for the citizens of this village. However, the members of Team 10, as well as Samus?" Seeing the woman nod, he continued on. "They killed not just one, but two shinobi that were loyal to the village. Sai and Kakashi Hatake. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Asuma looked the man in the eyes and said, "It was my decision, Daimyo-sama. In order to nip a problem in the bud, I ordered the deaths of Sai and Kakashi. Sai was loyal only to Danzo, NOT the village. Kakashi planned to spin the tale of Sasuke's death in a way that would enrage the people and coerce them into killing Naruto and his loved ones. I do not regret my decision. What bothers me is the fact that we couldn't stop Sai from contacting Danzo. And from what I gathered, Danzo spread a lie to enrage the people anyways. I assume he wanted to prove Hokage-sama is an incompetent buffoon, unworthy of his new position. No offense intended to you, Hokage-sama. It's just something Danzo would do, even if it's just to spite you."

Jiraiya simply shrugged before looking back at the Daimyo. "It's as I tried to explain to you before they arrived: they had a damn good reason for killing the two of them. It's just a shame that it had to come to that. It's made even worse because, despite everything, the information got out anyways. We have a riot on our hands and it's far too dangerous for Naruto to be seen wandering the village streets. I was sincerely hoping you would do something to settle this matter once and for all. We need your help."

The Daimyo frowned deeply and shook his head. "Despite their good intentions, the fact remains that this team killed at least one shinobi loyal to Konohagakure. Because he is at the center of this conflict, and because of his recent actions," here, he looked straight into Naruto's eyes, a firm scowl on his face. "Naruto Uzumaki, hand over your shinobi license and headband. As of this moment, your license is suspended. You will live as a civilian until the Chunin Exams come around. If you're on good behavior, your license and headband will be returned to you and you will be reinstated."

Jiraiya's eyes widened and he shouted, "Daimyo-sama! You have to reconsider! If you do this, the regular civilians will take full advantage of the situation to try and get rid of Naruto once and for all! The only protection he's had was the fact that, as a shinobi of Konohagakure, laws were put into place to protect him. Revoking his license is the same as signing his death certificate!"

The Daimyo looked at Jiraiya, a look of disdain on his face. "You would rather I let him go unpunished? Don't be a fool, Jiraiya. Now boy, hand over your license and headband and begone."

Naruto scowled and clenched his fists angrily. After gritting his teeth for a time, Naruto took out his license and slapped it down onto the table before the Daimyo. Afterwards, he removed his headband and placed it on the table, almost reverently. "Thanks for nothing, King Jackass." He said before turning and storming out of the room.

The Daimyo scowled and said, "If he disrespects me one more time, he'll never get this back. I suggest you do what you need to to reign him in, Jiraiya."

Samus scoffed and turned, planning to leave the room. Before she could, however, the Daimyo snapped his fingers and watched as his Guardian Ninja appeared, blocking Samus from leaving the room. Looking from them to the Daimyo, she said, "I am not a shinobi of this village. Trying to exert some manner of control over me won't do you any good. Now, I suggest you order your ninja to get out of my way."

Looking coldly into the woman's eyes, the Daimyo said, "I will do no such thing. From what I understand of the situation, you aided them in murdering Kakashi Hatake. You may not be a member of this village, but that doesn't mean you are beyond my scope of control. So, I suggest you listen, and listen well. Should you piss me off, I will have you banished from Konohagakure and the Land of Fire as a whole. I will NOT tolerate an unknown variable wreaking havoc in my village. Do you understand me?"

Samus shook her head in disappointment. "You're a fool of the highest degree. I warned you, Daimyo. Now your ninja will pay the price for your arrogance." Placing her helmet back atop her head, she turned and fired two charged Power Beams into the faces of the two ninja blocking her path. After they collapsed to the ground, dead as can be, she turned her gaze back onto the Daimyo. "For your sake, you'd better hope we don't cross paths again." And with that, she exited the room to go in search of Naruto.

The Daimyo practically snarled as he looked at Haku. "As for you, I'm going to assume that you are this Haku character I've heard mention of. You murdered Sasuke Uchiha, the last of his clan that remained in the village. We had high hopes for him. From what I heard, he was a prodigy and was a competent shinobi. You, on the other hand, are an unknown. You served a missing nin and killed in his name. You murdered the last, loyal Uchiha. For your crimes, I sentence you to death. Get her out of my sight and prepare her for a public execution."

Asuma scowled hatefully at the man and said, "I see. So you're another Uchiha cocksucker. Doesn't that just figure?" Turning to Haku, he gripped her by the arm and quickly vanished with her via use of a Body Flicker. He realized immediately that the safest place for Haku, Naruto, and Samus would be within Naruto's clan compound. So, hurrying with her, he headed directly for the Uzumaki compound. As if shit couldn't have gotten even worse! Dammit!

Back in the council chambers, Jiraiya was glaring hatefully at the daimyo. "Wonderful job, Daimyo-sama. You've just sentenced three people to certain death. All to satisfy your own ego. Sasuke Uchiha would have gladly betrayed the village if it meant he could obtain power faster. He was NOT loyal to the village or its people. Sasuke's arrogance is what got him killed. Let me guess; if you had your way, Danzo would be sitting in this chair right now, wouldn't he? I took the position to prevent the likes of him from taking over and destroying Konoha from the inside out. I had hoped that you would have helped set things right in the village. I guess I was wrong in assuming you were a good man. So, I'm going to give you a choice. You can either get the hell out of MY village, or I'll kill you right here and now. You're as corrupt as they come. I don't care about the political backlash killing you would cause. I am also most assuredly NOT intimidated by your guardian ninja. Suffice it to say, Daimyo-sama, you've fucked up on a MASSIVE level. Now get the fuck out of my village you rotten piece of shit!"

Glaring at the new Hokage, the Daimyo said, "I can have you replaced, Jiraiya. Never forget that. And I suggest you rescind that threat, or I'll have you executed publicly."

Jiraiya shook his head and said, "I see. So you've chosen death. Very well, then." Rising from his chair, the Fifth Hokage quickly dispatched the remaining Guardian Ninja before turning his sights on the daimyo, who was shaking in fear of the man approaching him. "Do say hello to my student when you see him. Goodbye you piece of filth." And, before anyone could stop him, Jiraiya slammed a Rasengan into the daimyo's face, utterly destroying his head.

The members of the council and the Genin down below could only stare in shock at what had just transpired. "U-Um, Hokage-sama?" Sakura questioned unsurely. "Was that a wise idea? The Daimyo's son is still too young to succeed him."

Jiraiya shrugged uncaringly and said, "Madam Shijimi can easily take over for him. She's a far more cooperative and understanding woman. I'm honestly more concerned about you and the others right now. For your own safety, I may have to temporarily exile you all from the village until I deem it safe for you to return. I was honestly hoping to have the matter settled peacefully before your return. Sadly, as you can see, I didn't have much luck. I need to settle things somehow. For now, go and talk to your mother, Sakura. Inform her that you and Naruto will have to leave the village for a while. I'll do what I can to halt the riot before it can get any worse. Stymie the tide, so to speak. Hopefully I can get this problem dealt with before the Chunin Exams roll around. I want you all to have the chance to advance in rank. Considering all the chaos you've had to deal with, I think you've earned that right."

Sakura bowed to the Hokage before looking at the others in the room. She was curious as to why they had remained silent throughout the whole process, but seeing their supportive looks, she nodded in thanks. Looking at the Hokage once more, she asked, "Um, I hate to be a bother, but can one of the Anbu guard me while I take care of everything? If things have gotten even worse, I shouldn't be left on my own."

Jiraiya frowned for a time before saying, "Anbu! One of you protect Sakura. The rest of you, I want you to look for Naruto. He stormed off on his own and, without his headband, the citizens will pretty much declare it open season on Naruto. I need to make sure that he got home safely."

The Anbu quickly nodded as one before taking off in search of Naruto. Once they were gone, Jiraiya looked at the two remaining Genin: Choji and Shikamaru. "Choji, I'll try to find you a new team. For now, until then, you're going in the reserves. Sadly, until Naruto and the others return, you'll be in the reserves as well, Shikamaru. Unless you two want to work together? In which case, I'll have to assign a third Genin to your team. I'm going to assume that Asuma will be staying here, so he could easily lead your team. For now, go home and get some rest. I'll try to figure things out here."

Shikamaru looked at Choji for a brief moment before looking back at the Hokage and shrugging. "Choji and I have been friends for as long as either of us can remember. Of course we can work together well. And Asuma's been good to us, so continuing to work with him will benefit the both of us. Just promise me that you won't put anymore Root agents on our team." He teased good-naturedly.

Jiraiya chuckled and said, "Of course. For now, you might want to go and say goodbye to your friends. I still have things to discuss with the council, so you are both dismissed. Get going."

Shikamaru and Choji nodded and proceeded to leave the room. Once they were gone, Jiraiya looked around at the council and said, "I'm going to need your help to deal with the citizens. We have a limited amount of time to settle this situation. So, I am open to ideas. How do we go about putting things right and making things safe again? Even more importantly, how do we deal with everything before the other villages learn about the discord inside of our village? I don't know about all of you, but I am NOT looking forward to a full-scale invasion." And with that, the discussions were on.

Naruto

Naruto scowled as he stared down the mob before him. Glancing over his shoulder, he quickly realized that he was completely surrounded on all sides. Focusing his senses, he stared forward once again at the man at the front of the mob. "You don't want to do this." He warned.

The man, clearly a shinobi as evidenced by his headband, chuckled darkly as he casually tossed a kunai up and down in his hand, catching it with a single finger through the loop each time. "Oh, but we do. Even if you weren't the one responsible for killing Sasuke Uchiha, the mere fact that you returned alive instead of him is enough to warrant your death. We have you completely surrounded this time. There's nothing you can do to escape us."

The spiky-haired teen shook his head in disappointment. "I see. Well, I hope you're ready to die. Because I'm not just going to take this abuse anymore. From now on, I fight back. And I say that you're all going to die in a matter of minutes."

Hearing this coming from the 'demon' cracked them up. "Oh really? And how do you expect to pull something like that off? Face it, now that your license has been revoked, it's a crime for you to fight back. You will be punished if you manage to kill any of us. Are you ready to face such consequences? Wouldn't you rather we just kill you here and now and put you out of your misery?"

"Can't say I didn't warn you." Naruto said before he summoned a veritable army of shadow clones, blanketing the area in smoke and obscuring everyone's vision. While the ninja in the mob could use their other senses to pinpoint Naruto, the regular citizens most assuredly could not. However, even if the shinobi could sense his presence, they had no way of knowing exactly which Naruto was the real one. Using this knowledge to his advantage, Naruto created even more clones to fully encompass the area in smoke. With everyone unable to see more than a few inches in front of and around them, Naruto slipped away, easily disappearing into the shadows of a nearby alleyway.

Taking a moment to calm his breathing, he held up a single hand seal and said, "Boom, bitches." And, with that, he activated the second part of his plan. The clones rushed forward into the mob on all sides before they began to glow. Before anyone could make sense of what was going on, or even escape what was about to happen, all of his many, many clones exploded.

Once his hearing returned to him and he could see through the blaze that ensued as a result of his explosive technique, he found himself smirking darkly. There, before him on the main street were the various members of the massive mob. However, limbs had been blown off, fire was consuming many of the deceased bodies, and everyone was quite dead. Good. Looks like nobody survived. I hate having to resort to senseless violence and murder, but it was either them or me. May you assholes rot in your graves. And with that, he stepped out into the main street. Time to get home. I don't want to deal with anymore of their shit.

He wasn't able to take more than a couple of steps before he noticed Samus approaching him out of the corner of his eye. Waiting for her to reach him, he asked, "What's up, Samus-chan? Did the Daimyo attempt to screw you over, too?"

Samus took some time to survey the area before eventually settling her eyes on him. "Yes. I think it's time for us to leave. If we want to survive, we cannot stay in this village. Are you prepared to live a life on the run if need be?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "I'm not leaving Sakura-chan and Haku-chan behind. If that means…"

Before Naruto could finish, four Anbu appeared before them. The blonde frowned and took up a defensive stance just in case he'd have to fight. "Relax, Uzumaki. Hokage-sama sent us to find you. It looks like you've already dealt with the immediate threat. Boar, go and inform Hokage-sama about what has happened. More than likely, he's going to have to do some damage control." When Boar nodded and vanished, the Anbu captain turned her gaze back onto Naruto. "Come, Uzumaki. We'll escort you back to your home. The citizens should know better than to assault us to get to you."

Samus frowned deeply as she and Naruto began to follow the Anbu back to the Uzumaki compound. After a moment, she decided to ask a question. "Tell me something. What has the Hokage decided to do? From what I've seen of the village so far, I assume staying here is out of the question."

The lead Anbu, a woman with a cat mask, said, "Hokage-sama is temporarily exiling you two and Haku from the village. Sakura has already decided that she is going with you. She just needs to inform her mother about what's happened and she'll be with you afterwards." Glancing back over her shoulder, Cat said, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry things got to this point. I can assure you that Hokage-sama has no intention of punishing you for defending yourself against those thugs. You did the right thing, even if something like that didn't need to happen to begin with. I can't believe these are the people Fourth-sama gave his life to protect." Scoffing in disgust, the lead Anbu continued on her way to the Uzumaki compound.

Naruto frowned for a time before eventually nodding. He didn't feel much like saying anything at the moment, so he chose to remain silent. As they rounded a corner and began their approach to the Uzumaki compound, they all spotted Asuma and Haku waiting on them. "Asuma-sensei? Haku-chan? Are you okay?"

Asuma breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank Kami. I'm glad you're alright, Naruto. Listen, the daimyo is firmly in Sasuke's corner and insists that you and the others be punished, perhaps even executed, for what happened. I took Haku and ran as fast as I could. Please, open the gate and let's get inside. I don't want to be out here any longer than we have to be."

As Naruto went about opening the gate, Cat looked at Asuma and Haku and said, "Hokage-sama killed the daimyo. He plans to deal with the consequences of his actions, if he needs to. From what we were able to gather, he plans to temporarily exile Naruto and the girls for their own safety. I'm not sure what he plans to do about Danzo, however. For now, we'll keep an eye on things and make sure nobody causes you all any further harm. Rest easy for now and leave things to Hokage-sama."

Naruto and the others were wide-eyed at the information they had just been given. Haku was the first one to speak. "He…he killed the daimyo? What the hell was he thinking?"

Asuma frowned slightly before saying, "Hokage-sama isn't afraid to do whatever it takes to put things right. His determination will prove to be a double-edged sword, it would seem. Let's get inside and we can discuss things further."

Naruto and the others nodded before entering Naruto's home. The Anbu stayed outside to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Once inside, Naruto and the others took a seat on the various pieces of furniture, such as chairs and loveseats.

"So…in order to protect us, Hokage-sama has decided to exile us. Even if it's only temporary, where the hell are we supposed to go? Is it even safe for us to wander around outside the village?" Naruto questioned.

Asuma frowned for a time before an idea came to him. "Naruto, you and the girls should search for Tsunade-sama. She's one of the Sannin and is the most powerful kunoichi in the world. If anyone can keep you four safe, then it's her. Sadly, I have no idea where she could be. Hokage-sama might know, but even then, she travels a lot and doesn't stay in one place for very long. He might even have a picture of her to share with you so you know what she looks like. I'll try talking to him and see if he can help. For now, it's best that you and the girls stay here. Once we've got everything worked out, I'll be back. Stay safe." And with that, he got up and left the house. Don't worry, Naruto. You'll be okay.

Once he was gone, Naruto looked at Samus and asked, "Are you okay with this, Samus-chan?"

Samus shrugged and said, "I already decided that I'll be sticking with you. There's no telling what might be waiting for us out there, but this gives us a good excuse to search for more Chozo ruins. Aside from that, we can't let the Space Pirates or other monsters to wreak havoc. This is a blessing in disguise. The question is: are you ready?"

Naruto nodded and said, "I've been ready since all this bs started. I figured I'd have to leave the village at some point. I just wasn't sure where to go. I honestly don't know much about the outside world. Now that we have a goal, that will make our journey easier. I just hope Hokage-sama can fix this situation before the Chunin Exams roll around. I want to be able to participate in those, after all. If it's not possible…then I guess the best I can say is 'oh well'."

Haku looked into his eyes and said, "Thanks to traveling with Zabuza-sama, I know plenty of places we could go to hide out for a while, if we absolutely need to. But Samus-san is right. We should be on the lookout for any of those ruins." Then, it was as if a lightbulb went off in her head. "We should visit Uzushiogakure! You're an Uzumaki, so you should be able to land on the island. We might find things there we could use. It's also probably one of the safest places for us if we need a safe zone."

The spiky-haired teen took some time to think on it before he nodded his head. "That sounds like a great idea to me. It might have to wait for a while, but I'm looking forward to visiting."

It was at this point that they heard a chime sound throughout the house. Naruto easily recognized it as a kind of doorbell, signifying that someone was waiting outside to be let in. Figuring it was probably Sakura, Naruto stepped outside to let her in. As he approached the gate, he easily spotted the Anbu speaking with the new Hokage while Sakura stood at the gate, looking at him with a sad smile, of sorts.

Approaching the gate, he opened it to let his girlfriend in. After doing so, he looked at Jiraiya and said, "I assume you're here for a reason, Hokage-sama. What's up?"

Sakura gave her boyfriend a quick hug before walking past him and entering his home. Once she was inside, the white-haired man looked into Naruto's eyes and said, "Asuma informed me of his idea. If you want to find Tsunade, I have some tips that will assist you on your journey. Follow me inside. It's better than discussing things out here where Danzo's men might overhear us."

The blonde nodded and let Jiraiya in. Once inside, they both took a seat on different pieces of furniture. Looking around at everyone, Jiraiya said, "I've prepared a map of the Elemental Nations. I've left a variety of notes on the map and circled key locations. Tsunade was last seen in the Land of Earth in the village of Sarnimal. She has moved on since then, so her current location is unknown. However, I believe she's heading for a village in the Land of Wind."

Sighing softly, Jiraiya leaned forward and looked squarely into Naruto's eyes. "Tsunade is addicted to gambling and imbibing alcohol. She has given into two of the vices shinobi should never succumb to. In fact, she is known as the Legendary Sucker. And before your mind goes to a dirty place, she only earned that nickname because she has such poor luck when it comes to gambling. She almost always loses and accumulates quite the debt."

"Anyways, you should know a few things about her. First, take this." Jiraiya said before handing Naruto a couple of photographs. "Tsunade always travels with a woman named Shizune Kato and a pet pig named Tonton. If you manage to track her down, if you can't pinpoint her location, you should keep an eye out for Shizune. She'll lead you right to Tsunade. However, if she sees any of you wearing headbands of Konohagakure, she WILL flee. So, for your own good, I will need you to hand over your headband, Sakura."

Seeing how serious Jiraiya was being, Sakura removed her headband and gave it to Jiraiya. "When can we come back, Hokage-sama?"

Jiraiya shook his head and said, "I'll send a message to you, no matter where you may be at the time. Once I've confirmed that it's safe for all of you to return, I promise I'll let you know. It is my hope that I can settle things before the upcoming Chunin Exams. You deserve a fair shot at participating and advancing in rank."

"Now, as I was saying before, I want you to track her down and do a few things for me. Tsunade has a fear of blood, which is detrimental to her career as a medic shinobi. I ask that you do whatever it takes to help her overcome this fear. I also want you to try and convince her to return with you to Konoha, if you are able. We could use her medical expertise to aid in training our ninja. I want to implement her medic program so that the survival rate of our shinobi improves exponentially. If you have to, play on Tsunade's love for Shizune and Tonton. Don't give her a choice. Do you understand me?" Seeing them nod in response, the Sannin-turned-Hokage nodded in thanks. "Good. Now, Naruto, girls, I want you to sign the Toad Summoning Contract. This way, it'll be easier to send and receive messages from one another. I want you to send frequent progress reports to keep me informed on your status."

Jiraiya took the opportunity to get the contract and unrolled it for them. "Just sign your name in blood and leave a bloody handprint beside your name. Before you leave, I'll instruct you on the Summoning Technique. Afterwards, I plan to give you a few things before I send you on your way."

Naruto and the girls nodded before he, Haku, and Sakura proceeded to sign the contract. Afterwards, Jiraiya put the scroll away once more before motioning for them to follow him outside. "Okay, here are the hand seals. I don't expect any of you to summon one of the bigger toads right off the bat. You're more likely to summon a smaller toad or perhaps even a tadpole. You'll need to practice the technique on your own time until you've got the hang of summoning something."

Seeing them nod in understanding, Jiraiya proffered a couple of items and handed them to Naruto. "As promised, there's the map I mentioned earlier. Take some time to study it before you four leave. As I mentioned before, she's headed to the Land of Wind. There are a few locations there where she could be going. The first is a fairly large village known as Hirabee. They have horse races there and, as you might have guessed, it's a very popular sport to gamble on. The second village is known as Yuragi. There's a small casino there, but the main draw that is more likely to draw Tsunade's attention is their reputation for having some of the best alcohol in the world."

"I have also given you information pertaining to my spy network. Don't lose it and don't let ANYONE see it. This is my best kept secret. But…" Jiraiya paused for a time before eventually hanging his head. "Ugh. This is harder than I thought it would be." Looking into Naruto's eyes once more, he decided to just come clean. "Naruto, I'm your godfather. And before you get angry, I want you to understand that I did what I could to keep you safe and healthy. I paid for your apartment, I sent a monthly allowance to you, and, if I had been able to, I would have gladly taken you with me on the road so you would be safe. Away from all the pain. Sadly, I discovered a number of threats that I had to monitor. One such danger is a group of S-rank missing nin known as the Akatsuki. Right now, aside from these Space Pirates you fought on your first mission, the Akatsuki is your biggest threat."

Seeing he had his godson's attention, Jiraiya continued. "The Akatsuki plan to 'collect' the nine bijuu for a reason I am not currently aware of. Their method of collecting the bijuu is by ripping them out of their hosts. The problem with such an action is the fact that, once a bijuu has been forcefully extracted from a jinchuriki…the jinchuriki dies. There's no way to prevent it. So, if they were to capture you…"

Naruto frowned deeply and said, "Dammit. As if the Space Pirates weren't enough." Clenching and unclenching his fists, the blonde looked into his godfather's eyes and asked, "So, why are you giving me this? Do you really think you can trust me with this?"

Jiraiya smiled and gently ruffled Naruto's hair. "Naruto, you're my godson. I'd trust you with anything. Whether I've shown it or not, I do love you. Never doubt that." Chuckling softly, he continued, "I'm giving you my list of spies and their locations because I want you to keep in contact with them. I've already given them orders to work with you and give you whatever information might benefit you at the time. Naruto, when the time comes, I want you to take over my job as spymaster for Konoha. You're the only one I would ever trust with this role."

Rubbing his eyes the moment water began pooling up in his eyes, Naruto nodded determinedly and said, "I won't let you down, Hokage-sama. And…thanks."

The Sannin chuckled softly and said, "I promise you this, Naruto: I will have things settled before the Chunin Exams. You and Sakura deserve to participate. Sensei and I are already looking into Danzo's whereabouts. He's hidden at the moment, but I highly doubt he's fled the village. No, Danzo is likely nearby, plotting how to overthrow me and cement his place as Hokage of Konoha. Then I have to deal with the fallout of killing the daimyo. I have a lot of things I need to take care of before it's safe for you to return."

Reaching up, the white-haired sage patted Naruto atop the head and said, "I recommend that you store a number of things in these." Proffering a few sealing scrolls, he placed them atop the items Naruto was already holding onto. "Handmade sealing scrolls, made by yours truly. They'll hold a much larger amount of items than the standard sealing scroll. I suggest you take your parents' jutsu scrolls, their notes on fuinjutsu of all kinds, as well as some reading material. It would behoove you to study up on history, the flora and fauna of each nation, and so on. Also, in case you were unaware of it, the Shadow Clone Technique has a few uses you might not have thought of."

Naruto shook his head and said, "I made sure to read up on the jutsu before I practiced it. It was originally meant to serve as a spying and infiltration technique that could transfer its memories to the caster of said jutsu. Unless I'm missing something?"

Jiraiya shook his head and offered his godson a smile. "You're not quite missing anything. Buuut, you should know that the shadow clones you create can be used for another purpose. Training. You can assign a number of clones to perform a task and, whatever they've learned, it will all be transferred back to you. So you could have a group of clones work on reading a variety of books, while another group practices learning a jutsu. Stuff like that. However, you need to be careful to only dispel a small handful at a time. If you try to dispel them all at once, you'll give yourself a kind of mental whiplash and could end up in a coma…or dead. So I want you to start out small until you can learn and understand your limits."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Of course, Hokage-sama. I get the feeling you have more for us, don't you?"

The Sannin nodded and said, "I do. First, though…" Looking at Haku, Jiraiya took out a bundle of small papers and handed a piece to her. "I assume you already know what this is. Is it also safe to assume that you already know what your affinities are?" Seeing the young woman nod, Jiraiya smiled and said, "Show them how it works."

Haku nodded once before she poured a small amount of chakra into the paper. When it first split in half, the others were shocked. However, they were further shocked when the two halves became damp. Seeing their expressions, Haku decided to explain. "These little papers are called Chakra Paper. They're used to determine what your chakra affinity is. If it's Earth, the paper will turn to dirt and crumble. Water, the paper will grow damp. Wind, the papers will split in half. Lightning, the paper will crumple up. Finally, Fire will cause the paper to burn. As you can see, I possess the Wind and Water affinities in equal measure. This is part of what allows me to use Ice Release as well as I do."

Jiraiya nodded before handing some chakra paper to Naruto and Sakura. "Go on. Let's see what your elements are. One of you at a time, please. Sakura, you start."

The pinkette looked at the paper in her hand and took a breath before pouring some chakra into the paper. Within a moment, the entire paper turned to dirt and crumbled in her hands. "I guess that means Earth is my affinity. How about you, Naruto-kun?"

The blonde stared at the paper in his hand for a moment before saying, "Here goes nothing." Pouring a small amount of chakra into the paper, he watched as it split in half evenly. Then, one side lit aflame while the other half became damp with water. Blinking a few times, he looked up at Jiraiya and asked, "Umm, what does this mean, exactly?"

Jiraiya blinked a couple of times before chuckling to himself. "Normally, I'd question if you had a kekkei tota. An advanced kind of elemental release. In this case, I think part of why you have these three affinities is because of not just your parents, but the Kyuubi as well. Normally, Fire and Water are opposing elements and wouldn't work well together, but your unique circumstances throw that kind of logic to the wayside."

Taking a moment to think on it, Jiraiya said, "Before you leave, I'll get you books and notes detailing the exercises needed to master your affinities. Normally, I'd have the most capable ninja in the village teach you personally, but that just isn't an option right now. So you're going to have to learn via a trial-and-error methodology. If you need some help, try and call on Pa and Ma Toads. Fukasaku and Shima are their names. They're known as the Great Sages. They're not just powerful, but wise, as well. Hell, if they feel you're ready for it, they could teach the three of you the Sage Arts. It is a VERY difficult art to learn, but the power you could wield is well worth the effort. However, there are dangers involved in learning said arts. Then again, something worth learning always possesses a level of difficulty and danger."

Looking into his godson's eyes, Jiraiya tentatively brought the young man into his arms, hugging him snug against him. "Naruto, I'm proud of you. Nothing you do will ever change that. If you ever need my help for any reason, don't be afraid to let me know. Okay?"

The blue-eyed teen hugged his godfather back and said, "Thank you, Jiraiya. I'll be safe, I promise."

"Glad to hear it. I'm going to go and get you those notes. I'll meet you four at the gate. Don't be afraid to fight back if someone tries to hurt you." Jiraiya said before he left the compound.

Naruto motioned for the girls to follow him as he reentered his home. Once inside, he placed the majority of the items down onto the coffee table. Afterwards, he took the sealing scrolls and went to begin sealing away everything he might need from his parents' library. The girls soon joined him, the three of them doing what they could to help.

While she wasn't quite sure what would help them in terms of jutsu scrolls, Samus quickly realized that there were many books that might be of use to the three of them. So, gathering said books, she helped get those over to the scrolls so Naruto could seal them away.

When they were finally finished sometime later, the group of four returned to the living room. Glancing towards his kitchen, Naruto frowned for a time before asking, "What are we going to do about food? I don't think we'll have many opportunities to sit down and cook something. At the same time, though, it would do us some good to have a variety of options available to us. Non-perishable foods would probably be best. I know you girls might not like it, but bringing along packets of ramen and some dishes such as bowls and plates might be a good idea. Basic kitchen essentials such as pots and pans might be a good idea, too."

Haku nodded along and said, "We can also seal a bunch of fruits and vegetables into a scroll and bring those along. Aside from that, we can ask Jiraiya-sama to get us some canned soup and beans and the like. Not the greatest choices, sure, but food is food. We can't afford to be picky."

"Quite true." Samus said. "Naruto, send some disguised clones out to buy some food and drink for us. Once we're ready, we'll make our way to the gate."

Doing as Samus instructed, Naruto began to clean out the cupboards and fridge of any food and kitchen utensils they could use. When he was finished, he began to look around the immediate area. Frowning sadly, he said, "I'm going to miss this house. My parents left this for me…and now I'm leaving it behind."

Sakura walked up to her boyfriend and hugged him tight. "It'll be okay, Naruto-kun. We'll come back. I don't know when exactly, but we'll be back." Kissing her boyfriend tenderly for a moment, she soon smiled at him and said, "Now come on. Let's get going. Your clones can meet us at the gate."

The spiky-haired blonde smiled in thanks before he and the others left his house. Upon leaving through the front gate of the compound, Naruto turned to face his house and said, "Goodbye, for now." And with that, the group of four made their way towards the gate that served as both the entrance and the exit of Konohagakure.

Luckily, the people seemed to have learned from their mistake earlier today. Word had obviously spread about what Naruto had done in retaliation for attacking him again. Not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, they quickened their pace until they reached the gate. Sure enough, Jiraiya was there waiting for them.

Approaching him, Samus asked, "Do you have what you promised, Hokage?"

Jiraiya nodded before handing Naruto the books and notes he had promised before. Before he could say anything, however, a couple of Naruto's clones, still in disguise, hurried up to them before bowing to their master. Once Sakura and Haku had taken the foodstuffs from the clones, they burst into clouds of smoke. "Let me guess. You procured some food for the journey?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah. Kind of had to. There's no telling how long we're going to be away, so it was best that we stock up on everything we can before leaving."

"Good idea." Jiraiya commented. "Please, be careful out there. With your current skillset and the abilities granted to you by that Power Armor, you should be able to handle pretty much anything the world has to throw at you. But I don't want you to be reckless. That goes for all of you. Look out for each other and, if it comes down to a you or them situation, I expect you to kill your enemies. And remember, sometimes retreat is the best option. Don't push your luck and don't try to take on an enemy that's stronger than you are." Seeing that they understood, the Fifth Hokage offered them a kindhearted smile before saying, "I'll see you all as soon as possible. Remember, find Tsunade and stick to her like glue. You'll be safest under her protection."

"Of course. Thank you, Hokage-sama." Haku said, bowing to him for a moment. "We'd best be on our way. Good luck in your endeavors, Hokage-sama."

Jiraiya simply nodded his head and watched as the group of four left. Once they were out of sight, he turned his gaze back onto the village and thought to himself, Your days are numbered, Danzo. One way or another, I'm removing you from the picture. No matter what it takes, you all can be sure that I'll put things right in this wretched village. My student would never have tolerated you shitheads terrorizing his son like this. Even if I have to step on some toes and kill a bunch of people to do it, I'm going to make all of you understand. Nobody will stand in my way. Naruto's not the only one who's going to be busy these coming months. Smirking to himself, Jiraiya started making his way towards the Hokage Tower once again. I can't wait to see how much stronger you're all going to be upon your return. Be safe, my godson.

A/N - Okey dokey, that's the end of ze chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Loooots of stuff happened and Naruto and the girls have been temporarily exiled. Figured I'd go ahead and make things a bit more interesting. Make it different, you know?

Anywho, I sincerely hope that you enjoyed this chapter. I worked hard on it and I think it turned out rather well, for the most part.

Also, as I said in the beginning author's note, I honestly believe the guest review function should be removed entirely. People abuse it way too often, all to harass and flame authors that do their best to make their stories interesting and unique. Despite what people might think, writing is NOT an easy process. It takes time to write chapters and oftentimes, you struggle trying to figure out how you want to phrase things or what you want to do next. Hell, I know people who really struggle with character dialogue and basic interactions between characters. So yeah, writing isn't as easy as you might think. I've been writing a variety of stuff since I was in the 5th grade in elementary school. That is a VERY long time. And I still have problems. x.x

Soooo, yeah. Enough of my rant. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm considering working on Smashville Summoner next. Or maybe something else. *shrugs* I dunno.