Realized after finishing up chapter 75 last night that I hadn't actually prepped this chapter for posting. I really should be doing that before calling them complete but it hasn't caused any real issues yet.

We'll see how long that remains true.

Keeping this as short and sweet as I can both because most of you will probably skip it and because I have to leave for work in about ten minutes.

First, with this chapter we've reached the 500,000 word mark! Gods above, I had never thought it'd go on for so long when I started writing. Even more amazing is the fact that some of you have been with me since that first 5k word chapter. New or old, however, I'd like to thank all my readers because without seeing just how much you all like my work I never would have managed to get this far.

Second, If you want to bounce ideas off someone, want another opinion, or are just looking for advice please don't hesitate to reach out to me. It wasn't until recently I noticed, but most of the time people want to ask me a question about the story they seem to think they might be bothering me.

You're not.

If you have questions, ask. If you need advice, ask. If you've typed up a first chapter of your own and would like some feedback before posting, ah, you should probably make sure I'm familiar with whatever fandom you're writing for first. I haven't had any time for recent series. But if I'm familiar with it, send it on over.

My response times might vary wildly, but I will do my best to get back to you in a timely manner.

Lastly, because I really need to wrap this up, I'm still surprised by how much hate Asuma has been getting. It sort of works for me, because it gives me something to write about in the March 25th Update which I should have posted sometime later today. We'll see if I manage to snag that break.

To read that update head over to Eyazahrid-dot-net later today and for more frequent notifications follow me on Twitter at Eyazahrid.

This ended up going on way too long.

Let's get to the chapter.

"Well done," He praised, ruffling their hair one by one. "I couldn't hoped for better results."

Three Wolves stooped down to receive their praise before straightening up and looking towards their father with adoration. Two proceeded to hold out gifts- a pair of bone swords and a bag of pink crystal- while the other gave a strange thumbs-up.

Naruto didn't pay it much mind, his Wolves were eccentric and he loved them just the way they were.

He didn't focus too much on the gifts either, making a show of examining them just because he knew it would make the Wolves feel good to have brought him something he took interest in. There would be time to truly examine them later, but even then the quality of the gift was irrelevant. He had kept each and every gift they had ever given him- which had turned into a rather strange collection of odds and ends- back in the den.

Each and every one of them was a sign of his children's devotion to him and an expression of their loyalty- how could he ever throw something like that away?

Setting the gifts on his desk- and returning the thumbs up, much to the third Wolf's evident delight- he skimmed over the written copy of their report before signing it and setting it next to the swords.

"Get some rest, you three, you deserve it." He received three Konoha salutes- followed immediately by another thumbs-up- and the three left his office. He could have sworn he heard one of them mention something about "Youth" but dismissed it.

The word gave him a strange sense of dread, but he had no idea why and had no reason to investigate.

He would, however, keep an ear out for any strange happenings and he'd make sure to look for the word within any written reports.

Hopefully it was just his imagination.

Shaking his head of the thought he moved the report to its proper home in his desk drawer. In a few days Mai would be by with a guard of Wolves to transport it back to the den where it would sit until the end of the month. Then it would be gathered up with the rest of this month's paperwork and shipped off to Nami for permanent storage in the official archives.

He examined the blades again, wondering how- and more importantly why- they had been used. Sure, his Wolves could say that one of Orochimaru's Shinobi grew it out of their body- and he didn't doubt Orochimaru of all people might have someone like that- but a lot of them also seemed to think he was a deity, so he tended to take even the most serious reports with a grain of salt.

Sai's antics in turning parts of his reports into poetry came to mind.

Moving the blades onto his bookshelf he took a moment to look through the bag of gems, making note of the shards that might be turned into jewelry. Personally he was favoring the idea of rings, but he thought Mai might appreciate a necklace better, something almost a choker but not quite, and perhaps some matching earnings.

Hmm, maybe a bracelet too, now that he thought about it.

Did he need an excuses to shower his favorite Wolf in gifts? He didn't think so, which meant most of his Wolves would agree. In fact, she would probably be the leader of those who didn't- what few those would be.

The idea that she would be the biggest advocate against giving her gifts, while somewhat frustrating, also served to bring a small smile to his face. She was a stubborn young woman, which was a necessity when dealing with him.

The bag was closed again and swept into an open drawer of his desk for safekeeping. Retaking his seat, he reached for the first paper on his desk only to realize it was empty. Blinking in surprise at the sheer absurdity of having no work today- he hadn't done it yet, had he?- his eyes narrowed.

That stubborn girl had stolen his work again, hadn't she?

With a tired sigh he pushed himself from his desk. His entire body still hurt from yesterday's training, his damaged Chakra System strained as you would any muscle, but if his work was done it was time to resume.

After all, how else was he going to master the Jutsu so Mai would stop working herself to death?

There was a tugging at the seal, a fluctuation so minor that if she had anything else to occupy her time these days she would have missed it. But she didn't have anything to occupy her time with.

Dainty feet splashed into cold water, the brownish mixture churning and swirling with every step. It was a far cry from what it had once been, but that had only even been the exception to this prison she had found herself locked within all these years.

Almost tripping on another piece of shattered stone, she briefly considered if she was a fool to blindly follow whatever feeling was affecting the seal. For years she had stayed where she landed because outside her circle of shattered rubble and broken dreams there was nothing but an endless expanse of murky brown water occasionally broken by chunks of rock.

The great gate that had so long held her ire could no longer be found and without landmarks she would have spent an eternity within a space that could not end. That is, after all, the nature of such seals. For while the power of the seals can only contain so much, those within the seals are no longer held to the same laws of time and space.

It was something she had learned over the decades she had spent within them, a lesson she'd rather have done without.

But if she could just get back to those gates, back to the one on the other side of those gates, then all these years would have been well worth it.

Almost as if summoned by her thoughts, large pillars of rusted iron began to rise far in the distance. She couldn't help the sudden surge of hope that flooded her heart and completely disregarding everything else she made a mad dash for it.

Stone edges cut into her feet and she tripped twice, but climbing over shattered stone she made it to the gates she had hated for so long.

It was the most beautiful thing she had seen with her own eyes for years.

Another tug at the seal- noticeably stronger this time- had the iron bars creaking and groaning in protest. It wasn't just the gate, because everything beyond it seemed to shift and settle in ways that building shouldn't.

Peering between the bars, she knew she wouldn't see him just standing there, waiting for her, but she still hoped. Naturally, she was disappointed. The stone platform that had once led back into her own part of the seal was still perfectly intact, the rusted iron gate flush against it and not a single chip in it despite the fact that everything on her end of the seal had been destroyed by the falling of the gate back then.

Reaching through, she ran delicate fingers over the cold, dry stone and when the gates groaned again she could feel it in the stone pathway and the gate she was leaning against. A frown came to her lips, she knew who was on the other side of the gate and she could remember a time where she could feel his emotions through the seal.

So was this all she could feel of some turbulent emotion, or was something else going on with him, something she wasn't there to help him through?

A worried frown tugged at her lips and she returned to looking at the world outside her reach. It was a far more pleasant sight that her own world. Everything looked identical, as far as she could tell, with a single exception.

An archway of white marble had replaced one of the walls, intricately carved and decorated with a band blue and gold. Extending from the archway was a raised floor much like the one she used to dine with her beloved upon. It was a white that matched the gate, presumably made of the same material, and covered in a rug of deep blue. Delicate patters of gold had been embroidered into the rug and a wave-like pattern went down either side.

It looked much more comfortable than her prison, that was for certain.

Another tremble went through the seal, causing her frown to deepen, but when a head of sandy blonde hair poked itself out from the archway she found her eyes narrowing suspiciously. This little world was the seal's representation of the exact point in space and time in which Naruto's Chakra System, his conscious, his seal, and his sister's seal all met.

She didn't know what this new facet represented or how this woman was now tied to her Naruto but she didn't like it.

Moments of glaring later, the woman seemed to notice her between the iron bars. First the expression was of surprise but it quickly morphed to one of utter loathing with such speed that she was slightly startled.

When a single tan tail rose behind the woman in an agitated manner, that slight startle became absolute shock and disbelief.

"Shukaku?" She managed to ask, only to receive a sneer in response.

"Don't you dare think you even deserve to speak that name, fox." She spat. "Naruto-sama provided you with more than you could have ever dreamed of having and you went behind his back to betray him."

Mito suddenly found herself wondering if she was more shocked to learn of the Ichibi's presence or enraged by her words. One thing was certain, however, she had many, many questions.

"Alright, I think I've figured it out." Shikamaru's voice caught the Godaime's attention as he looked up from his piles of paperwork to meet the gaze of his student. Well, former student. These days most of their training was done by his father, so he probably couldn't rightfully consider them his.

Both happy for a break and glad for a chance to catch up with his favorite former student, Asuma put down his pen and leaned back into his chair.

"You've figured what out?"

"The teams," Shikamaru placed a paper upon his desk, sliding it towards him. "You wanted me to rearrange. They've been rearranged."

It had only been a few days since he had tasked the young Chūnin to do that and honestly he had expected to have to remind him in a week or two. With so many of their forces off in Suna they really weren't in a big rush to reform the teams. Mostly because they wouldn't be going out on missions anyway. Someone had to maintain the homefront, after all.

"Oh?" Asuma raised a brow as he leaned down to examine the paper. It was simple, straightforward, and kind of boring. Considering he had asked a Nara to do it, the minimalism shouldn't have surprised him. Gods above they wouldn't be doing any more work than absolutely necessary.

He took a few minutes to look over the proposed teams, contemplating them, before he nodded.

"That all seems fine to me." The Godaime fished out his seal and quickly stamped it onto the bottom fo the paper. It was the easiest way to make any document official. "Drop that with my secretary on your way out, please, they'll get it to Administration."

"Of course, Hokage-sama." As much as he wanted to remain professional, Asuma couldn't hold back his wince when he was addressed so formally by the Nara heir. "Was there anything else?"

Asuma wanted to say there was, wanted to ask about how his old team was doing, but a look to the stacks of paperwork he had left and the nagging reminder in the back of his head that told him he had a meeting in twenty minutes to discuss the Suna occupation vetoed him quite soundly.

With a resigned sigh he shook his head. "No, Chūnin Nara, you are free to go."

The Nara gave a quick salute- it was easier than bowing- and left the office.

Not for the first time, Asuma had to wonder how long he would end up holding a position he had never wanted.

He also dreaded how much it might change him before he could escape.

Mito was capable of subtlety, she really was, but it was most certainly not her preferred tool.

"What did you say, you damn raccoon?! That's none of your goddamn business!" It would appear that anger had won, but the Kyuubi wasn't anything if not passionate. It was to be expected.

"If you listened as well as you caused Naruto-sama pain you might know!" That was a low, painful blow but it was enough to knock the anger right out of her.

Collecting herself as best she could, she tried to put on her favored air of arrogance. From Shukaku's unimpressed expression, she had not succeeded in the slightest.

"My relationship with Naruto is between Naruto and myself, Shukaku, you shouldn't poke your nose into the affairs of your betters."

Karura wasn't going to deny that Naruto was most certainly above her, but as she was his Karura also knew she had a far greater status than the Kyuubi held.

"Considering my own relationship with Naruto-sama," She countered. "I would say any attempts for you to ruin his life again would most certainly be a concern of mine."

A cold weight settled in Mito's stomach at her words and it took her a moment to process them.

Shukaku was in a relationship with Naruto? She had been replaced by the Ichibi?

Mito looked beyond her 'sister' and to the palace that stretched out behind her. That was most certainly her Naruto's work- only he would be capable of such- but had he gone to such lengths because he liked Shukaku more than he had liked her or had he simply been so grateful to have someone else that he was trying to ensure there was no reason for the Ichibi to leave him as the Kyuubi once had.

The weight dispersed through her abdomen, spreading a dread that had her insides twisting uncomfortably.

"He's mine," declared the Kyuubi. "I won't let you take him from me."

The Ichibi just gave a melodious laugh. "He was yours, fox. You threw him away. Now I'm his and I wouldn't have it any other way. Between you and me, well, he still enjoys the company of one of us on a regular basis. I'll give you a hint- it isn't you."

Her piece said, she retreated back into her palace with her first ever victory over the greater Biju. She was still angered just from having seen her, but that was nothing a little time with her lord couldn't remedy.

Back behind her rusted gate Mito glared at the place the Ichibi had just been, but no matter how angry those words made her she couldn't deny the truth they held.

One of them still had Naruto and at the moment it wasn't her.

But she was the Kyuubi no Kitsune she thought as her scowl melted away into a small smirk, she always won in the end.

It didn't matter what she had to do, Naruto would be hers again.

Or, perhaps, she would be his.

A pleasurable tingle traveled down her spine at the idea. Oh, yes, that sounded quite good indeed. How else was she to make up for her absence but by giving herself to him?

As she continued to dream about all that might encompass she slid to the ground next to the gate, uncaring of the water that splashed against her. She had finally found the gate, she would endure everything this world could throw at her to ensure she was with Naruto again.

Her tongue darted out to lick ruby lips.

She couldn't wait.

When every inch of his body felt as though liquid fire ran through it, Naruto decided he had probably practiced enough for the day. The fact that his shaking fingers couldn't even be forced into the proper seal no matter how hard he tried was also a major reason to head back home.

Wiping away his sweat with a towel he peered at the sun with a frown. The time spent on this Jutsu was inconsequential compared to the benefits it would provide, but he still had too much time today and he knew no more paperwork would have made it to his desk if Mai had already stolen what was there earlier.

He'd have to create some work to take care of or he'd just sit around for the rest of the day feeling useless.

Tossing the towel over his shoulder, he had started his walk back to his apartment- if it could be called such anymore- when he felt a tug at his waist. He had taken to keeping a small pouch of sand on him at all times, both as something for him to practice with and also as a versatile tool you never knew when you might need.

It also had another, very important, function. It allowed, to a limited degree, Karura to interact with the world. As it was currently moving about in the bag without any effort from him, he was pretty sure she wanted to do something with it.

Untying the drawstring that held it shut, he watched as the soft sand rose up and twisted together in a familiar hand. It wasted no time reaching down to stroke his cheek gently and move down his neck to caress his back.

A fond smile came to his lips at her antics, it would seem Karura was feeling a bit needy today. That was fine, he had needed something to occupy his time with anyway. When it went from his back to his collarbone he caught it and placed a kiss on the back of her hand.

Within the seal he could hear Karura's pleased giggle and she was quick to reciprocate by having the sand escape his hands and forming her own pair of lips. It was an interesting feeling, having lips of sand plant a kiss on his cheek, but the affection she wished to convey was unmistakable.

'I'll be there soon, Karura.' he promised into the seal.

'And I'll be waiting, my lord.'

It looks like he wouldn't be useless today after all.

'I'll be there soon, Karura.'

Mito forced back her grimace. She knew that voice, heard it in her every waking dream, but hearing it now directed at her youngest sibling was more nightmare than anything.

She had to remind herself that it was only temporary and that her sister deserved some attention too after all that time locked in a kettle. After Naruto was hers again maybe she'd let him keep the Ichibi as a pet. So long as she remembered who she belonged to and didn't try to overstep into Mito's territory there shouldn't be any issue.

"Karura's"- as she went now, apparently- cry for attention also had the added benefit of drawing him into the seal, which increased the chances of him seeing her again. Had she not known better she would have dared hope that he would walk down the pathway leading to her prison on his way to Karura's- actually, she was growing quite fond of that name. Much better than Shukaku- palace.

Unfortunately, she was aware that during his time with her he had grown much more skilled in controlling this place and would appear precisely where he intended to.

And what reason would he possibly have to come to this section of the seal?

She would need to think of some way to draw his attention.

They must have been in the garden, Gaara concluded, because he could only ever hear his Kaa-sama humming when she was spending time there. She wasn't humming this time, instead letting off pleased giggles and melodious laughter as she spent time with Tou-sama, whose deeper voice stayed quiet but practically reverberated within Gaara despite not being able to make out the words.

It was strange to feel the presence of both his parents connected to his very being, but Gaara certainly did not mind it. He took comfort both in the fact that they were there and the fact that they were spending time together as he thought all parents should.

He looked to his side where Temari walked leisurely, his hand in hers and gently swinging as they walked, and felt a measure of pity that she wasn't able to spend time with him like Kaa-sama was.

It made some sense, he thought, that one of the mothers would need to watch over their son, but he was also getting to the point where he probably didn't need to be watched over quite so much. Maybe if he convinced Kankurō to watch him for a bit Temari could spend some time with Tou-sama too.

The only problem was that Tou-sama was busy back in Konohagakure and Temari was with them on their way to Yu no Kuni. So either he needed to find a way to get Temari into the garden or get Tou-sama to come join them.

Personally, he would prefer the later.

When he got dressed up it typically wasn't in such a manner, usually preferring clothes that stood out while remaining loose enough to avoid restricting his movement, but tonight was a special event and Mai insisted his furs weren't appropriate and that he was too much of a distraction in his robes. He wasn't sure what she meant, but who was he to argue?

He finished buttoning up his black shirt, tucking it into equally black pants, and contemplated using one of the three ties she had brought with the outfit. He wasn't even sure why she had decided to make such a big deal out of him correcting some past mistakes, but she seemed insistent that they do things her way.

He didn't have any problem with that, of course, he loved to indulge her. Just not when it came to stealing his work.

He looked over the red, purple, and grey ties before shaking his head. He didn't even know how to wear them. Leaving the top two buttons undone, he slipped on a belt and put on a pair of black leather shoes. It occurred to him that the ties were probably there as a means to add color to his ensemble, but it couldn't be helped.

Besides, wasn't his hair colorful enough?

For some reason, he didn't think Mai would buy that excuse for a second.

The last thing she had brought for him was a long coat folded over one of his chairs. There had been some clouds during the day, large fluffy things, but they hadn't been dark enough to indicate rain and it wasn't that cold out yet. Still, she had taken the time and effort to procure it for him and he was loathe to let that go to waste.

He slipped it on easily enough, noting that it went down to his knees in the back, and grabbed a black ribbon to tie his hair back with. He succeeded, mostly, in capturing the majority of his red hair, but there were the few strands that had managed to evade him. He was getting too used to the Wolves playing with his hair, it would seem, because he hadn't realized it had gotten so long and rebellious.

Giving it up as a lost cause and not wanting to be late, he grabbed a small, single-Kunai holster and attached it to his belt in the back. As the name might suggest, it only held a single Kunai- more of a sheath, in that regard- and was meant for those on infiltration missions.

Well, and for those who simply wanted to carry more Kunai.

He didn't expect any trouble tonight but he was a Shinobi and it was only a fool who went anywhere without a blade. It didn't matter that he still had his chains and that he had already slipped a small pouch of sand into the pockets of his coat just in case, a blade was an essential tool of a Shinobi and there was no excuse to not have one on his person.

There were other things hidden on his person, of course, but that was to be expected and he was sure his hosts would be understanding. If they ever found out, that is.

Ready to go, he left his personal chambers and made his way to the front door of his apartment. At some point he was aware of a Wolf slipping behind him but paid it no mind. Either Mai had sent them to guard him on his way or they had seen he was going out without an escort and taken it upon themselves to provide one for him.

He was met at the front door by another Wolf and an obviously bored Tayuya. Had it not been for Mai's explicit instructions that the young woman be kept at the apartment- something about giving a bad impression- Naruto would have sent a Wolf to find her a dress- or maybe clothing more like his own depending on her tastes- so she could join them.

Normally that might have seemed like the perfect opportunity for Tayuya to mess with Mai, as she seemed so fond of doing, but apparently the young woman didn't actually want to go after seeing the kind of clothing Naruto was being provided by Mai. Perhaps she was under the impression that she'd have been forced into a dress and that simply wasn't worth the opportunity to anger Mai.

Regardless, she'd be staying here while he was out which haws probably for the better considering she wasn't technically supposed to be here in Konoha in the first place. With Sasuke's abduction just a few short days ago, it was probably best for her to remain out of the village's sight.

She seemed to perk up slightly at his arrival and from the red that stained her cheeks she obviously approved of Mai's clothing choices for him. It would seem, however, that Mai had not quite finished.

As he approached the Wolf pulled out a plain black box and offered it to him, inside of which Naruto found a pair of white gloves. He stared at them for a moment before raising a brow at the Wolf. "Does she actually expect me to wear these?"

"She said it was the gloves or nail polish to match your tie." neither of them made mention of the fact that he had forgone the tie completely.

Still, he probably would have gone with the red so it was the gloves or red nail polish. He stared at the Wolf for a second, only earning an apologetic shaking of the head from the man. Turning instead to Tayuya he voiced the same question.

"You wouldn't know how to put on nail polish, would you?" She raised a brow and gave a brief snort before shaking her head no.

"The Kon Brothers liked to use it and Orochimaru's favored it since he had a male body, but I've never bothered."

Naruto gave a soft sigh and plucked the gloves from the box. "Gloves it is, then." They were soft, very much so, and they were a very light fabric that did little to restrict his dexterity, but he still wasn't a fan of having both hands entirely covered. Even back when he was making an effort to hide Sealkeeper he only wore a fingerless glove on one hand so he could still feel the world around him.

He also had no idea why she wanted him wearing them, but he didn't understand anything about his outfit anyway.

"Well then, I suppose I'll see you later this evening Tayuya." She gave a shrug but proceeded to push off the wall she had been leaning against to stand toe to toe with him. Looking up only slightly to meet his eyes she gave him a smile followed by a quick kiss to his cheek.

"We'll see, Denka-sama. We'll see."

Giving her a soft smile in return he nodded his head gently and proceeded out the door, the Wolf that had been following him grabbing an umbrella offered by the one Mai had actually sent. They didn't think she'd mind too terribly, though, so long as the job was done.

Much to Naruto's surprise, the evening sky was a dark gray of heavy rainclouds and a cold breeze had accompanied them. He really shouldn't doubt his favorite Wolf.

Behind him he heard the click of an umbrella and despite the current absence of rain the Wolf kept it above his head. Just in case, he supposed. With unhurried steps he began making his way towards the Yamanaka compound, catching the attention of those still out in this weather as the day began winding down.

When he did find himself before the Yamanaka compound he was greeted by the sight of two Wolves standing guard, one of them holding an umbrella over Mai's head as she waited for him in a simple black dress. The initial brightening of her expression was quickly replaced by a disappointed frown as she noticed the lack of tie.

He didn't let that stop him from approaching her though. While he didn't really like upsetting her, he couldn't deny that she was cute when she was. Ducking under her umbrella he slipped his arm around hers and placed a quick kiss on her cheek much like Tayuya had done to his. Whatever irritation she had been feeling melted away instantly and she gave him a soft smile.

He still wasn't off the hook, though.

"You didn't wear you tie." She admonished him as a pair of Yamanaka grudgingly opened the compound gate.

"You still love the way I look without it." He countered with a grin, earning a gentle swat to his shoulder for his efforts.

She was silent for a moment more before giving a soft sigh. "I do," She admitted, resting her head against the shoulder she had just attacked. "But I would have liked to see you in the tie."

"Well," He lowered his voice so that only she could hear him. "Maybe if my favorite Wolf asks nicely I'll make a show of wearing it later, just for her."

He counted the red of her cheeks as a personal victory.

It also complimented her dress quite nicely.

To recap the AN;

500,00 Words.

"On Godaime Asuma" to be added to the March 25th Update on Eyazahrid-dot-net.

Follow me on Twitter at Eyazahrid.

Until I next have your attention,

-Eyazahrid