A/N: Let's go on a journey of hope and positive thinking! How will Naruto interact with the people she encounters? How will she be able to bring some peace to this world of wars and child soldiers?

I'll take inspiration from Avatar since, honestly, this will be much like Aang's journey to master the elements and to be able to stop the Lord of the Fire nation, except here every nation can show belligerent tendencies rather than just one, so it will be much more complex in terms of world building, there's not one big bad to stop, but the entire geopolitical situation of the whole continent ++ since Kumo and Kiri are not even really on the same continent.

I'll also dip into the summons realm, traveling inside this sort of separate dimension in this story (honestly Kishimoto never even located the Shikkotsu Forest, so it could very well be in another dimension, just like some barriers and skills like Kamui allow to enter a different dimension, and it would explain why summoning techniques are not considered teleportation…yeah, summoning in Naruto means using isekai jutsu without needing a truck! And you can even go back to your original world!).

Abilities: Naruto:

Needle Armor (spiky hair armor)

Mud Clone

Water Clone

Substitution

Noodle Barrier (flexible noodle inspired barrier)

Ramen Bowl (variation of Doton Earth Wall)

Double Layered Noodle Ramen Bowl (noodles/bowl/noodles)

Slug contract/reverse summon to the Shikkotsu Forest

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Chapter 2

The small family reached the gates of Konoha in the beginning of the afternoon. The gatekeepers came to greet them and their jaws dropped at the sight of two of the Sannin together and a jounin in the same group.

"Welcome back to Konoha, Lady Tsunade, Lord Jiraya, Shizune! Welcome, young one!"

They bowed to each of the travelers. One of them had a bandage over the nose and spiky dark hair, the other had a chin high shirt and both were wearing Konoha chuunin tactical jackets.

"We didn't know you had a child, Lady Tsunade, Lord Jiraya," said the spiky haired guy.

"Naruto is not our child," replied Jiraya. "Well, not our biological child. We only raised her. But I think you already know who she is, after what happened here the last time I came in person."

"Ah, sorry! Indeed, we know who she is, just like every adult in Konoha. I hope there won't be any incident this time," said the bandaged nose man with sincerity.

"Welcome home, Naruto," added the second gatekeeper while looking her in the eyes.

"Home?" asked the twelve year old cute girl. "We don't need a home, Mister Bandanna! Our home is our family! We're home all the time we're together! Isn't that common sense?" she said in a joyful tone.

"I…never thought of things in this way… I guess it's not absurd, especially since you're living with travelers…"

"What's your name, pinky?" asked the spiky haired guy to the small pig in Shizune's arms.

"Oink! Oink!"

"Her name is Tonton," replied Shizune in a soft tone. "Yes Tonton, I know he is just trying to catch my attention, but he does not seem to be a bad person."

"Oink!"

"You understand what she says?" asked the bandaged man.

"Yes, she is our ninton – ninja pig, you know – and we have raised her from birth, so we can communicate. She just told me you still smell a woman's perfume, so maybe before trying to get closer to me, you should make sure you are not already taken (^_–)" she said with a wink and a smirk.

"Don't worry," replied the other gatekeeper, "the only woman in his life is his mother. Right, Kotetsu?"

"Shut up Izumo! Why do you always try to sink my ship?!"

"Because it's funny."

"I'm gonna kill you one day, you know?"

"You've been telling me that since our first year in the academy."

"I'll do it!"

"Sure."

Shizune chuckled softly and the group entered Konoha. Naruto wasn't used to big ninja villages, and Konoha was the biggest of them. It looked like a town more than a hidden village, and with the Hokage's faces on the hill overlooking the village, it was everything but hidden.

"Tsunade, why do we call it a hidden village? It's totally obvious with the Hokage monument!"

"It used to be hidden in the leaves, which it took its name from. But as you can see, some people seem to have forgotten the point of hiding a ninja village. If Konoha was at war, all its enemies would know where to find the village."

"Yeah, I see. How stupid."

"I agree," commented the adult slug summoner.

"It's not like the other villages are better hidden than Konoha," noted Jiraya. "Suna is the only village kilometers around in the middle of a desert, Kiri is a village on the biggest island of the Land of Water, Iwa is a village on a rock formation and Kumo…well, Kumo is actually hard to reach, it's probably the only ninja village taking the word hidden seriously."

"Is Kumo located on a big cloud?" asked Naruto excitedly.

"No, it's located high in the mountains, at the height were clouds form, that's why it's called Kumo. But it really is hidden in the clouds." answered the white haired man.

"Not as cool as I expected, but well, better than being a hidden village with nothing to hide it with," said Naruto with a grin.

The people in Konoha didn't recognize her at first sight. She was seven years older than the last time they had seen her and her hair color had changed as well as its length and style – long red spiky hair held in a long ponytail, much like Jiraya's hair colored red –, the only remaining trait was her whisker marks, which could be mistaken for an animal using clan's if you didn't focus on it. And that would be if she had let them in their normal appearance…

Indeed, Naruto had decided to customize her whisker marks. She used make up to make tiger-like schemes that completely masked her only distinctive trait. They looked like war paints. She didn't want to be seen as Kyuubi's host, but as herself, and masking every trace of the fox from her appearance would allow her to be seen as herself more than as the creature that had ravaged Konoha twice in the last thirteen years.

They got to the Hokage tower to signal their presence to the parental figures' former teacher. Despite everything that had happened, they still had respect for him, because he had been their role model when they were young, he had given them love and respect and he was the reason for them to be respected to this point, even though it had been through sweat, blood and tears.

The old man saw them enter and greeted them with a happy tone.

"Hello, my students, Shizune, Naruto. Welcome back in Konoha! What can I do for you? Is Naruto going to try the academy graduation exam?"

"Hi old man," replied Jiraya. "Naruto doesn't want to become a ninja, we're passing by Konoha in order to let her retrieve her inheritance. I know, since she's not gonna be a Konoha ninja, you don't want her to get the ninja techniques, but I think by hearing her goal, you should make an exception, especially after all that happened to her when she lived here. Naruto, tell the old man what you want to do with your life."

"Hello Lord Hokage! I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I don't want to become a ninja because I'm a pacifist." Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage, raised an eyebrow in surprise. "My goal is to protect the people, end wars and bring peace to the world. I remember how tragedies make people do horrible things because of their sadness and anger. War only brings more sadness, more anger and causes more revenge quests than anything else. I want to change this world, to show people that there's another way. That revenge is pointless, that murder doesn't bring any relief, only void and bitterness.

"I have lost my parents because they sacrificed themselves to save the village from destruction. Many people living in Konoha have died the night I was born. Five years later, the families, lovers and friends of the victims of the attack that had destroyed half of the village learned that I was the container of the creature that caused their suffering. They tried to take revenge on me because their tormentor was out of their reach. And they nearly killed me, who had done nothing to deserve this treatment. By doing so, they've only managed to release a good portion of the power of the Kyuubi, and they got rewarded by dying and causing a new disaster, resulting in a third of the village being destroyed.

"If anything, my own story proves that revenge only brings pain and sorrow. And I could also sum up the wars you have participated in the same way. In the end, the only result was sweat, blood and tears, death and grief.

"I want to find another way to live, I want to lighten a path towards the only way of life that won't cause the same amount of pain. To build a world for children to grow in security, loved by their family and friends. A world where the tragic past could be just that, the past. Where the future would be made of laughs, love and peace. Where the worse that could happen would be to die from an illness, an accident or old age, or to be heart broken by a love matter."

During the whole speech, the Hokage had been more and more amazed at the maturity of this twelve year old child. He had even forgotten himself and his pipe had fallen on his lap. He snapped out of his daydreaming of children running with big smiles on their faces, watched by their happy parents, of lovers cloud watching in the grass, of old couples hugging while watching their grandchildren live happy lives.

"Holy sh…sorry, I am really impressed with your maturity, Naruto. For an instant, I could see this future you were talking about. If you can really have so much effect on a war veteran like me in two minutes, what wonders could you accomplish in a lifetime? I understand your goal and I even support you in doing so. But I am the leader of a ninja village, I am a military leader. As such, I know very well how this world works, and I can tell you that the powerful will not make it easy for you. Power struggles, economical wars, debts of blood, madness, rivalries, so many things human societies are built upon will stand in your way…

"You have certainly chosen a hard idealistic path. I can only hope you will succeed, but you have to know that it will be extremely difficult, very frustrating and that sometimes, you will find people who cannot be reasoned with. If I can help you, I will do my best to support you, but as a military leader, there is only so much I can do for you. Of course, I also have an interest in peace, as it would be a good way to secure trade routes, to keep my ninjas alive and healthy and to grow in numbers and power.

"There are other things to take into account, like how other countries will react to Konoha looking for real, long lasting peace. Iwa and Kumo, two ninja villages we have been at war with for nearly as long as they have existed, will take it as Konoha becoming too soft and they would try to destroy my village, thus gaining more power and influence and claiming the resources of the Land of Fire for themselves. When you start entering the realm of geopolitics, Naruto, everything becomes complicated. Because you are not starting from a blank sheet. You have to take the history of the world you want to change into account, the forces at work and the fact that not everyone wants peace, because war is a great means for certain people to gain wealth, power or to feed their worst desires. Because during war, you can do horrible things and until the end of the war, no one can judge you."

"I think that's enough of a reality class for today, gramps," declared Tsunade. "You don't want to crush her dream like an egg thrown into a wall. Don't worry Naruto. We've all had our fair share of tragedies and experiences that make us want to achieve world peace for it to never happen again. Come hug your auntie."

Naruto stuck out her tongue to the blond woman while pulling on her left eye in an ugly grimace.

"I'm not a kid anymore Tsunade! I don't need to be hugged each time someone tells me something hard to accept! Even though your chest is the most comfortable in the world, I won't be taken seriously if I seek refuge into it all the time like a momma's baby!"

Tsunade grabbed her adoptive child by the hand and hugged her forcefully with a sadistic grin.

"Oh you don't want to hug your favorite auntie? As if I'd let you go with it! Senju Hug! You can't escape from my best chest in the world, girl!"

"Mmph!"

Naruto was unable to breathe, her face dug into the woman's impressive bust.

"Keep some for me, Tsunade," teased Jiraya.

"Not before the wedding, Jiraya… You know very well I am a young virgin and have to stay this way until our wedding night!"

"W-Wedding?" choked the Hokage. "When did you expect to let me know?"

"Teacher, you're the one who taught us a ninja must be able to keep secrets, as well as they must be able to gather information by themselves," answered Jiraya. "I thought you already knew we were gonna get married!"

"When? Where? By whom?"

"I hoped to do it here in Konoha during our stop," the white haired man answered. "Who better to marry us than the last person left who has known us from the moment when we met?"

"It would be a great honor for me to marry you, my children. But that doesn't tell me exactly when."

"In two days," answered the Senju clan leader. "I want it to be a small wedding between close people. Shizune, give the Hokage the list of people invited, my dear."

"Yes, auntie!"

"That is new!" exclaimed the Hokage in surprise. "You used to call her Lady Tsunade as far as I can remember."

"Naruto's arrival and Jiraya and Tsunade's relationship have changed our own, Lord Hokage. I have been calling her auntie ever since she asked Naruto to call her that. Since she was my uncle's companion, she is logically my aunt even if it was never official."

"I am happy to see you forming a family! Tsunade, Jiraya, my student, you're making me proud! Will you try to have children too? Just so that I do not get surprised anymore."

"That's not on the program," answered Tsunade.

"You sure you don't want little Senju toads and Jiraya slugs running everywhere and calling you mommy?" teased Jiraya.

"Don't try to corrupt me, Frog prince," answered Tsunade. "I'm too old to bear children…"

"Frog prince?" asked Hiruzen.

"Uncle and auntie have based their relationship on the Princess and the Frog tale," answered Naruto. "Since he always called her princess and he was the Toad Sage."

"Hahaha… I see you can still surprise me after nearly forty years, my little Jiraya!"

"But old man, she was the one to start calling me Frog and linking us to this tale. I have nothing to do with it! And I'm taller than you by more than one head! I'm not little anymore!"

"Sure, sure, you're a big man-cub now. Still a child inside."

"I agree," added Tsunade, to which Shizune nodded. Even Naruto made a funny face at him, to which he answered with his own grimace.

"Well then, I will put my network in action to invite the designated people. Where do you want it to take place?"

"In my parents' garden!" answered Naruto.

"We want our marriage gift to Naruto to be it happening in their garden, as if she could live her parents' wedding. It's different, but it's the best we can offer her."

"Great idea!" burned Hiruzen's flames of youth. "It will also be the occasion to clean up a little, the place has been abandoned for more than twelve years…"

"Cool!" exclaimed Naruto, hopping on place like a flea.

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The preparations ran wild in Konoha for one day and a half. Well, it was a small wedding, but everyone involved wanted to do things as big as possible.

The great day finally came. Tsunade was stressed, Naruto had to chase after Jiraya up to the women's hot baths to drag him by his kimono to the place where he was supposed to link his life to Tsunade's. Shizune had to keep the bride from spending the day hiding at a gambling corner.

The Uzumaki and the yukata wearing woman brought their member of the couple to their changing rooms. Kakashi had been assigned to supervise Jiraya while Shizune was the one to supervise and help Tsunade into her bride outfit.

The ceremony began at noon, a red carpet welcoming the couple.

Ont the right side, Jiraya was wearing a traditional formal black kimono known as a montsuki without family crests since Jiraya was a clan-less orphan, a pair of striped gray hakama trousers, and a black haori overcoat.

On the left side Tsunade was wearing a hikifurisode, a kind of ground length silk haori with long sleeves, with a sort of obi sash. Her hikifurisode was black with white, pink and red bird patterns to symbolize the freedom of a life without settling in a determined place. She had a brooch tying her hair in a traditional hairstyle and flowers on each side of the hair tied in the brooch.

Shizune, in a beautiful yukata, held Tsunade's left hand, while Kakashi in a similar outfit as Jiraya held the broom's right hand up to the middle of the red carpet leading to the Hokage, before leaving their hands and falling in line with the other guests, letting the couple walk hand in hand towards the old man in his Hokage outfit.

They stopped a meter away from him, facing him and turning their backs to the audience. Naruto came from the side with the wedding pendants, stunned by Tsunade's beauty in her bridal attire. She was wearing a yukata assorted to Shizune's.

"Here we are on this beautiful day to celebrate the union of Jiraya and Tsunade Senju," started Hiruzen. "They have known each other for around thirty years and I have seen them grow into the amazing persons standing in front of me today. They have lived through hard periods, but here they are today, celebrating life and love rather than grieving and mourning over the hardships of their lives.

"Jiraya, do you swear to honor and protect Tsunade Senju, here with us, and share everything you have with her, to love her through good and hard times until your last breath?"

"Yes, I do."

Naruto extended the cushion for Jiraya to grab the toad effigy pendant and pass it around Tsunade's gracious neck.

"Tsunade Senju, do you swear to honor and protect Jiraya, here with us, and share everything you have not lost in your gambling addiction with him, to love him through good and hard times until your last breath?"

"Yes, I do."

She took the slug effigy pendant from the cushion and passed it around Jiraya's thick neck.

"By the power given to me, I hereby declare Jiraya and Tsunade Senju husband and wife. You can kiss the bride!"

"Finally! I was only waiting for this momen…hmm!"

Tsunade didn't let Jiraya finish his sentence, grabbing him by the neck and kissing him passionately. He embraced her and kissed her back.

"Long live the newly weds!" exclaimed Naruto happily.

They broke their embrace to grab her and lift her to their joint opposite shoulders, Jiraya putting himself at Tsunade's shoulder height. The girl shot her fists in the air in celebration, but the motion made her lose her balance and she fell backwards head first to the ground, making everyone laugh. Not that there was much people, since Jiraya didn't have many close people left in Konoha and Tsunade had left Konoha because she had no one left here, Naruto's parents, their last close ones, being dead.

Kakashi seemed happy. He had been asked to be his favorite author as well as the mentor of his teacher's witness. He had even been promised an autograph on his whole collection of the writer's works.

Shizune was glowing in happiness at seeing her aunt happy and married. She was a little sad that she was unable to bear children anymore though…but there were already two people who could be considered for the Senju legacy, Naruto and herself, so it wouldn't really be lost. And since Tsunade was a real loser at gambling, she may bring Jiraya's numerous zeroes after the first number that wasn't a zero swap places with said number. Which meant them becoming poor wanderers again, just like they used to before traveling with the Toad Sage.

"So, you're Naruto," affirmed Kakashi when he spoke to her directly for the first time.

"Yes, and you're Kakashi of a Thousand Techniques!" she answered with a wide grin.

"That's a bit of a hyperbole even for me," he said in an embarrassed tone.

"What was my father like?" asked the girl.

"Right on spot, huh? Well, he was nice, smart, a real genius in the ninja arts. A war hero for us, a disaster for Konoha's enemies. He could have made this world better, if he had stayed alive…"

"I also want to make the world better!"

"Yeah, I heard you the other day. I was guarding the Hokage from the outside."

"Wanna join me? Jiraya pays well, he can even try to write more erotic books for virgin males like you if you help him sneak out of Tsunade and Shizune's watch and if you hide his works from them until he can publish them. You could be his agent…"

"Too sad I have to refuse. I have just taken a job that will take me several years to complete."

"What kind of job?"

"I'm gonna lead a team of genin as their jounin teacher."

"Huh? Can you actually teach?"

"Never tried, so I don't have a clue."

"Then come with us, we're trying to change the world so that no one else has to live through the same shit as you have."

"You don't mince your words, young girl."

"Auntie never does either. I don't know where Shizune's polite way of speaking comes from."

"I wonder."

"Do you ever answer when someone asks you a question?"

"Rarely. Oh! Look, a beautiful butterfly!"

"This kind of distraction doesn't work with me, bro."

"Bro, huh? We barely know each other."

"So, wanna try to actually change the fate of this world rather than teaching children how to do your shitty cruel job? I bet Tsunade or Shizune could teach you medical ninjutsu. And you know…" she lowered her voice to a whisper, "sis is single…"

"Ho-ho! So young yet so good at moving your pawns forward to your goal! Sorry, but I don't have any interest for your adoptive sister. And she's even older than me."

"Don't be so rude, man, she's beautiful, polite, dedicated to her loved ones, not much older than you and she's technically the first heir in line to the Senju clan, so she's a good alliance too. And she's a talented jounin, an excellent medic. All that before reaching her thirties!"

"Hey Naruto! Stop trying to sell me to the first man you meet!" scolded Shizune. "I am not a piece of meat to recruit talented people for your dream!"

"But sis, I'm too young for Kakashi, I had to offer him someone more fit in the package! He's so demanded, I need convincing arguments! Especially since he has the same tastes as uncle Jiraya!"

"You tried to use me as bait to recruit another pervert? Are you really my sister or are you a slave merchant? I can't believe it! Shame on you, girl!"

"Hey, I'm not that bad, I don't spy on girls! I only read Jiraya's books! It's all in my imagination!"

"You! You are not allowed to speak!" Shizune shouted at him. "A man who reads Jiraya's books cannot seriously make a woman happy! You are just a pervert!"

"Well, sis, you seemed rather happy with auntie's wedding for someone who hates perverts!"

"Tsunade had been sad for twenty three years when Jiraya came with you in a seriously wounded state seven years ago. She's found happiness again for the first time since the death of uncle Dan, so I can't blame Jiraya for making her happy. But I am not sad or grieving. I don't need someone reading this kind of books in my life."

"Don't worry miss Shizune, I don't want to date you either. Actually, I don't want to date anyone. Being single is the best, I'm free to do whatever I want, to go out and come back at dawn without being scolded, I can leave for a month without anyone to miss me."

"It seems to me that you just don't want anyone to love you rather than the other way around," said Shizune with great insight. "How long have you not been with a girl?"

"Hmm… According to Gai, I've been Anko's sex toy for one night, two years ago. I didn't believe him since I've never found a single scar from that night. Kurenai sided with me, she doesn't believe Anko got in my bed, and I know for sure I never woke up in her flat."

"Maybe you should try to date this Kurenai?" suggested Naruto. "What am I saying? If he dates Kurenai, he'll never come with us! Unless...I convince this woman to come with us so I get two in one!"

"Hey girl, stop playing matchmaker, will you?" Shizune hammered her head with a fist. "We're not your characters to match with each other."

"Meh! You should really get yourself a man or a woman, sis. You're so prude it's annoying!"

"A w-woman? W-why would I w-want to date a woman?"

"Spot on," commented Kakashi in a whisper to Naruto.

"Yeah, that's why she doesn't want a cool dude like you. She wants a cool gal!"

"B-but…n-no! I am not a lesbian…"

"There's no problem, sis. You're a bush lover, I'll just have to find you a good woman who also likes bushes."

"I told you I do not like girls!"

"You know, sis, I don't have anything against lesbians. I think I prefer girls too, you see…more things to squeeze, sexy moans, less guttural sounds…"

"How do you know about all that?"

"Well, we've been traveling with the writer of erotic books for seven years and I could read well at six. Since we were always on the move, what do you think was my bedtime reading?"

"The Princess and the Frog?"

"No, that's just the cover. Auntie dug a whole in the middle to hide a flask of sake."

"What? In a book she left by your bedside?"

"It stinks, I have no reason to drink that. She even let me taste it when I was seven since I annoyed her about it. It was the worst thing I had ever drunk."

"Au-aunti-ie…! You let Naruto drink when she was seven?! I'm going to kill you!"

"Finally, I got rid of the stick in the ass big sister. Now we can tal...well, he's gone. I bet he fled because he feared that I'd be able to recruit him in the end."

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A/N: no major changes to the canon storyline for now, except for characters who had been doing pretty much nothing significant anyway until the end of part 1. The only difference will be Naruto's absence in team seven, at least for now. Maybe the teams will be different. I don't really care. This chapter ends the Konoha arc anyway, I'll probably get over Naruto's inheritance quickly at the beginning of the next chapter. They're going elsewhere.

Maybe this new travel will change the original storyline much more than being part of a different team. It's Naruto being totally unaffiliated to any village and not even a ninja, not trying to beat people to a pulp…since Naruto is the most pathetic Jinchuuriki until he trains for the Pain arc, or not far from it, it won't affect Konoha negatively anyway and it will draw the Akatsuki's focus far from them, thus Asuma won't die from Hidan's stupid jutsu.

Someone more intelligent than Naruto might even let Sakura know that her fangirl attitude towards the boy who hurt her feelingsrepeatedly is not healthy. Hell, maybe Sakura could be forced to do something in the Wave arc since there's no Kyuubi chakra to save Sasuke from Haku. And Naruto could actually have interesting interactions with Sasuke that don't imply whining and trying to bring him back to the village that let his family be killed, which is later revealed to have caused this massacre.

Redemption can be a strong theme here. Sasuke is exactly the kind of character that could try to redeem himself from his errors, and Karin could also be willing to help Naruto.

Next arc…I'm hesitating between Suna, Whirlpool and minor villages like Tetsu, Yuki, maybe Taki or Kusa. I think Naruto should visit the Land of Whirlpools before meeting Karin. It would give them more to talk about and a reason to bond as children of the survivors of the destruction of Uzushio, for what we know about Karin's origins.

See you soon!