It was late in the night when Yue wake up feeling cold. He didn't remember when they end up sleeping on the living room, uncovered and spread on the sofa. Soft and a bit loud snores next to him, both young teammates were spread awkwardly on the long sofa, he scowled… didn't liked it one bit. However the breeze was more important, so he went for some blankets, when he came back Naruto was drooling on Kaoru knees as she falled a little more on the side. Not wanting her adoptive mother to bear the pain Yue took a pillow for her neck.

The only reason Yue tolerated his presence was because that blondy managed to cheer up the raven. She hadn't been specific on what happened while he was on a mission, Hikaru had run an errand to Suna on her behalf. He was the man of the house for now, but Kaoru had been upset. So, Yue ended inviting Naruto home for a few days. If he could pick, he prefered Sai company, when he was on the house Kaoru let Yue join on her experiments. Based on her own diaries, his plan worked well and he could focus again on his missions.

When he was about to touch Kaoru he hear the blond murmuring. "Sakura… oh your so soft" The IDIOT was touching inappropriately his mother. And he reconsidered his decision, again. For the sake of her sleep he tried untangling his hand around the hips carefully. With no success as Naruto fully turned to face her abdomen and caress his cheek on… "Hmmm… Sakuraaa" With no more though he suffocated him with all his might using the pillow. All the squirming wake him up, but he had no mercy as both rolled up on the ground until her voice broke the moment.

"YUU!"

As expected once they wake her up rudely she was adamant to punish both of them. It was worth it, there was no chance in hell he will let Naruto get lucky with his adoptive mother, even if he had been fantasized with Sakura, no one had the right unless… his Dad. As they strolled with heavy weighs around Konoha accompanied with Gai and Lee. Naruto could not even escape using his training as an excuse since it was too early. By the time they returned home an unexpected guest was waiting outside the Uchiha District. White long spiked hair tied back on a low ponytail, he was tall and well built with fair skin. Using green short shirt kimono with matching pants with a red haori.

"Ero sennin! What are you doing here?" Naruto recovered a bit of his energy as soon as they approached. Yue followed them as they greeted the newcomer.

"Don't call me that! You may infect this young lady with your dumbness." The old man was grinning a lot, not a good sign on Yue standards.

"Have you forgotten me then, Jiraiya-sama?" Kaoru grinned as the old man stared from top to the bottom.

"I knew this knucklehead could not pick out a woman by himself! My... My… time had made you more beautiful little lady, I almost didn't recognized you. You have… GROWN a lot"

Yue watched as the man approached her with a suspicious grin, he didn't stand it and shoved him out before he could touch her. What surprised him was Naruto hand right next to his…

"Quit being a jerk! I'm hungry so follow or go and peek at some other girl"

Oh… now there was no chance in hell Yue will leave Kaoru alone with that old man. Unfortunately, she invited him to their home.

"I didn't knew you could survive without ramen." Said Jiraiya, as he waited on the table with Naruto. Yue sometimes heard them loud and clear from the kitchen. Helping Kaoru with the food, two were faster than one, knowing the blond appetite and love of pork and beef did they prepared for a banquet.

"Ramen is delicious but… Kao-chan food is heavenly! She had beaten me cooking meat…"

"Well, I had a lot of practice Naruto. Besides you complained being not fond of cooking for yourself over and over…"

"Well, someone whines a lot for what I heard. You have to see how I had to handle him on my travels. A total brat with no care of my time." Jiraiya affirmed, his laugh as Naruto ranted. But they made her laugh, Yue smiled nonetheless because enjoyed the story. Once the food was done, both served and finally ate something. Then the man finally stated his purpose, giving a letter to Kaoru.

"Since they requested me back looking for you I thought you might like your letter as well"

"Hum… Did Granny Tsunade called you?" Naruto paused briefly as his teammate opened the letter.

"Not exactly. I heard Kakashi had been on her toes for my location." Jiraiya continued eating with delight but Naruto and Yue had little patience.

"And I thought you came back to support my training…" The blond whined, Yue was about to demand he established his purpose when Kaoru suddenly interrupted with a cheerful exclamation.

"Oh my… Gaara!" With no idea what spiked her reaction she suddenly stood running around looking for scrolls and ink. Murmuring a lot of things Yue didn't get.

"Ugh… I can't send my books… but… oh yes.. SAI!" She suddenly turned and bowed to us "Please wait here I have to take care of something really important. Yuu keep them occupied"

And he was left on the silence as the three gazed between them with no idea what had happened. Yue spotted the slight sad grin Naruto had.

"Gaara… did I heard that right?" Jiraiya wondered lightly, taking more food to his plate.

"Yes, my Dad send letters for us from time to time."

"Oh, now it made sense." Naruto had finished his 10th bowl when Jiraiya leaved his sit with a small grin. "Then, let's start with you boy. Is there a place we can mess around here?"

Usually Yue didn't liked anyone giving orders but he sounded serious. Therefore, he strolled to the lake inside the state where they trained.

"Now boy, show me your skills. All of it." Naruto observed from the sideline, Yue thought about it a second. Logically, it was nothing wrong with his request. Maybe the Hokage had asked him, here was safe to expose himself. Yue felt Harumi presence, upon his call he prepared then. Once again merging his soul with her shining blue flame upon his hands. Starting with the basic fusion with no weapon or physical change. The old sensei asked more, he did the best to comply what he asked, feeling self conscious, like a subject of an investigation. Yue almost respected the man, if he had not meet Harumi spirit and tried to hug her. How disappointing.

"I'm afraid my lord can't answer more of your questions unless you are prepared to made an oath of high secrecy with our majesty" Harumi stated clearly, cutting out the questions.

"It's all for now. However can I watch you spar with my pupil here?"

"Hum? why me?"

"It's better than just standing there like a pole, doesn't it?"

That encouraged the blond with a new sense of excitement. Yue almost looked forward to it when he said "I'll go easy on you, since Kao-chan might kill me if I hurt you" If there was a thing he loathed since… that incident at Kirigakure was someone belittle him. It didn't mattered if Naruto was just being polite, and hadn't say it with that wrong intentions. Yue had vowed on the grave of his parents retribution. So he fully merged, with the intention to prove himself, that he could fight alongside his family.

Naruto had been left speechless, literally as all the air on his lungs leave with a powerful punch. Hitting the water that suddenly encased him and began to freeze. He barely escaped, when he heard the slicing sound of ice at high speed like bullets. A long time of punches, both end looking at the sky exhausted but with huge grins.

"I had to admit, you are good kid." Jiraiya complimented as he took a sit near them. "Just a question, why didn't you fight with that spirit?"

"He … WHAT?" Naruto had though the kid had give it all. Yue lifted enough to sit comfortably on the ground and sighed.

"If you still distrust me, let me show you I'm willing to hear your story." Jiraiya waited, as the boy ruffled the grass with a serious expression, but Kaoru voice give them quite a scare. And because of it he spend a long time of his day with two men whom he was just sure they might be related.

She had sensed something had gone wrong, as if someone had called for her. Yet since nothing seemed out of the ordinary she leaved it that way. How many days had passed since then? How long had she been here? Kaoru still clothed on black attire, waited besides Shikamaru on that cold and silent night. He hadn't moved at all since she came. She couldn't approach, not now when his eyes lack of shine and life. Yoshino took me with her, just a moment she said. His father wanted to talk with him, stuck on what to do. Then, for my amazement Yoshino cried silently in front of me, still smiling. Stay for him… she pleaded.

How could I not? when I heard the sound that made everything tremble. It squeezed my heart recognizing it. I never before had seen Shikamaru as broken like right there. And I held onto him with the force he needed, because I knew how he might be feeling. Everytime I needed him, he had been right there. Words were useless for this moment, I would embrace his all, just as he had accepted me. We let it all that night, anything and everything had been disclosed on that room and at one point as the storm had blew out and Kaoru opened her eyes to a new day Shikamaru finally speak

"It's about time…"

And just by looking at those black eyes I get what he was planning. "Then… we better get moving"

There was no way I could watch him leave on such a quest. At least he had expected my answer and insistence so after going home and prepare for the journey, packing everything and once again lift my sword I took this as another trial. Yue had suspected something that night but I assured him I will be back before he could even miss me.

"I think you alone had jumped on another mission of your own" Isamu poundered as I walked early in the morning to the gates.

"I want them safe… is that too much to ask?"

"No, it's just that I was about to tell you the spirits I send at the location around had just confirmed that two men are possessed." Feeling the prickle on my neck when he demanded being materialized I had to comply. He crossed his arms and continued walking besides me.

"We need to talk with him. If he wish to win that's it"

They were ready at the gates, talking with Tsunade and Kakashi, but I had more important things to care about. Upon our arrival Tsunade immediately scoffed at my spirit companion and I didn't wasted more time giving information, Shikamaru even supplied more details about his battle with the two men.

"What more does he know?" Shikamaru asked seriously, Isamu lifted an eyebrow.

"Now I'm sure one of those spirits is Jashin. He is nothing more than ghost whom possession requires sacrifices as you had just witnessed. He likes faking inmortality on humans and it won't be any problem killing the man after Jashin had been sucked out of the host. The other one is more tricky, let's get moving and we will discuss it further once we find them."

"Do you know where are they?" Ino questioned excited.

"What kind of God I might be if I fail tracking two filthy souls?" And with that we parted feeling a bit more confident of our mission.

On his life he though his God was the answer to all his ambitions, quite simple had been a request in exchange. He had slain countless of people for Jashin and had never doubted of his own path… until now. Hidan continued running away from that woman, even he realized the attacks were just taunt for him. She didn't tried, she actually was taking his time with him and he might had turned around and fully fight her but… THAT thing appeared. On each path he took a pair of scarlet eyes and long silver hair intercepted his escape. DAMN IT ALL!

He had never felt so afraid of anything until his great Jashin-sama talked on his mind and recoiled at the vision of that man. He felt a constricting rope around his body and knew the chase was over. Now he could see it, he could actually see Jashin for the first time on his life. The long ragged brown hakama, the paleness of the skin that still covered what might be bones, the messy black hair and the panic on a pair of smoky eyes. He was stuck in and out of his own body by half as the rope pressure intensified and compared to the man in regal clothes, so ethereal that Hidan acknowledged he was truly out of this world.

"Long time… Jashin." The husky almost bored voice of the man made him recoil involuntary.

"H-How… How is it that you" The man with bloody eyes had whipped his mouth, effectively shut him up.

"Trash like you had no right to talk"

Then it came the petite woman whose raven hair dances as she approached him. The ropes vanished but he felt too exhausted, as if something had been sucking his energy. She made the man disappear in a light bulb on her hand. It fused on the sword she had and when she talked Hidan tried to back away from her.

"Tell me… I might have pity of you if you spill out where is Itachi" Two voices combined, if Hidan had some sense of preservation it was just freezes up on some part of him. His silence displeased the woman.

"Shame, then… would you like to feel human again?" At the tip of her flaming ethereal scarlet sword Hidan voice revived.

"NO! Wait… I don't fucking know really! Shit, we move out a lot" She paused but the tip still was in place of where his heart pumped wildly.

"How many Jinchurikis had you killed?" Breathless as the tip entered slowly and his inside starting to freeze and tremble upon the pain. Which was not pleasurable but it was as if it touched something deep on him.

"ugh, I… don't keep count. That freak just send us to them"

"Tell me, where is your next target?" Kaoru let him breath once the tip was out of his body again.

"M-Maybe Takumi or Kuza, Deidara might know… it was his next target"

Hidan though his answer was enough when her sword backed off, but then he felt it completely impalling, breathless at the pain that exploded inside out. It was like something pulled every fiber of him out of his body, like skinning him alive. Slowly until he felt the weight of hundreds of rock, barely breathing as he watched the spirit of Jashin being extinguished, and looking at her emotionless grin Hidan got a glance of what a true God might look.

"It's all yours now… Shika"

"This is not normal… she is lying" Naruto confessed worried as his friend were carried by Shikamaru. They were near the gates, his arm had received great damage but it had been worth it.

"Don't think of it. I will go first" And just like that Shikamaru speed up to the village. Ino tried to cheer him up, Sakura looked after him, even Tsunade looked at his arm because it wasn't healed up.

Shikamaru returned to his house late in the afternoon, once he was sure to paid his respect to Asuma and bow with no remorse to Kurenai. He had a lot to do, now that his friend had confirmed his suspicion and because of that he felt forced to remind the little woman she had to take care of her health. Now that he could take the rest much needed, Shikamaru visited her and Naruto at the hospital. He grinned once when he caught Choji and Ino already at her room, it seemed things had improved.

Therefore he told Tsunade what he heard of the interrogation of the now dead Akatsuki. Confirming that every jinchuuriki were in danger and some had already been taken, Deidara whereabouts were the priority. She dispatched Kakashi, Yamato and Hikaru at the locations, and she send a message to Jiraiya as well.

One day when she was finally allowed to return home, the petite woman asked "Thank you"

As always, it confused him. His friend just smiled "For being here" He decided then passing to her favorite dango shop. There was no need to elaborate, he got what she feared might be his reaction to actually see her like that. How could he, when both had disclosed more of what others had seen? They munched peacefully on their way just happy knowing neither will abandon the other. In spite of everything…

Once again they changed to another hideout, Sasuke tagged along and here the first thing on his agenda had been looking out for some place to pass his time. Rocky slides and tall trees repeated over and over until he found a lake, secluded by the foliage. Silent and peaceful, this had been his perfect spot after his training lessons. Apparently they were much farther from the near town this time, but Sasuke handled himself with the same confidence. Orochimaru had been eager to teach him more after looking out the papers a time ago.

Since it benefited his true purpose he let the snake think whatever he wanted. Either way he will be going for her soon, not because he was planning to bring Kaoru to the Sannin as a tool. If not…

Another presence perturbed his track of mind, a taller young man, thin with pale golden eyes and brown hair that almost touched his shoulders, styled bangs covered part of his left side. Wearing a light blue kimono adorned with a small emblem at the back, the orange sash around his hips quickly made him notice a slight injury on the exposed part of his chest. He held a pipe on a dead grip, facing each other.

"Go away before they come"

Sasuke felt them approaching, even so this was his spot. No one would spoil it, so he stoically blinked.

"Do you have a death wish? Just go!"

The stranger man tried then to escape, but he was slow so by the time he got to Sasuke side at the border of the lake the other ninjas had spotted him. Therefore, he stood ready to chase them away, a set of bubbles floated around him, some dodged and others got captured on the bubbles and turned black before popping out. Assessing the man briefly as he held his grown Sasuke made a decision. He trapped the others on a Genjutsu, so the bubbles could do the rest, as predicted the man was too tired and blacked out. Sasuke took his time with his things, inspecting what kind of shinobi had crashed on his spot. Then, thinking about the plan he already had on mind.

If this man might help him or not, it depended on how well Sasuke handled the situation. Therefore, he did what he could at the moment to stop the bleeding. Not being an expert his brain and memory was all he resorted. This time Kabuto was too busy to notice when he bargained some supplies.

When all was done it was late in the night and by then he already had his thought in order at the first question, apparently his answer was unpleasant.

"I had to go." He tried, but moving was not an option since his injury stopped him.

"Why every time I mend someone they try to ruin my efforts?" Well, he had done it 2 times but it was frustrating. Sasuke sighed, he might be going crazy.

"You didn't have to…" And he was right, but here he was… calculating the possibilities.

"It might open up the wound"

The scowl and uneasiness the man tried to conceal had been easy to identify. His first assumption was correct, he was being chased out. Therefore, he decided craving an illusion around his spot would be enough for anyone whom sidetracked from his path. Yet he doubted it would be necessary, Sasuke stood, leaving some food and a blanket for the night.

"You are free to leave my spot."

He left the bait. The next morning when Sasuke returned the bubbles around the spot on the lake had been evidence the man was still here. Opening his pale golden orbs, spotting the onigiri and apples, tossing one of the red ones to him.

"Uchiha?" Sasuke was not surprised, he nodded and acted like it was another day. Relaxing as he listened to the crickets around, the good thing was the man was not a chatty loud mouth, so before he left again Sasuke placed a bottle of ointment on the grass and walked away.

This time Orochimaru wanted to see him farther out the hideout. The snake was already on the hill.

"Show me what you can do… Sasuke"

Another stupid task to prove he was not thinking to leave and asses his power.

"Will you be my opponent on a serious combat?"

"Of course not, let's see" He had left out the failed experiments, and he took them out with no problem. He could do more, Sasuke felt it pointless because they didn't planned his movements. This was not real, this won't take out Itachi.

"Almost a flawless victory, a shame none of them had a fatal injury."

And there was no need for it, he told him so, the truth was… Sasuke had settled killing just one man, his brother. What pleasure would an avenger had if he took the blood of an innocent man?

The next day, he got more food for the man with blue yukata. The new bandages already covering his chest.

"This was your game, wasn't it?"

Sasuke didn't answered, since he was not interested on pointless accusations.

"Are you planning on taking me with…"

He grunted, knowing the man had the wrong idea. He let him talk a bit with himself, until the pointless doubts were blown away. Half an hour later did the man perturbed the silence.

"What do you want from me?"

That was the right question, so Sasuke stated simply "A favor" This was the tricky part, he had to be honest and left at least one trace of emotion. If not the man before him might not accept, honor won't be enough for a man like him. He had to imagine someone else, because it was much harder of what he thought. But this was for her… if he didn't do something, if he didn't tried then how would he face Kaoru when they meet again. That photo of her and the orange haired boy whom was kissed on the cheek so affectionately slapped mentally his reluctance. The news of her adopting such a child, and the reports of Kabuto. He was the most vulnerable and therefore on the Akatsuki sights, specifically his brother or so it was written. Other pictures he got a glimpse of the raven and the kid confirmed how much she loved the boy, therefore Sasuke had been thinking of how to protect him. Because even the photos were alarmingly close, in consequence Sasuke suspected there might be a traitor inside the village.

He spoke up. "There is a child in Konoha that might die if I don't do something." Because, anything Itachi planned had to be deadly. "I can't bring him here, or go there myself." But it was too much for him right now, he was not willing to let a stranger see more than he already had expressed, and stood up walking out.

"Tell me more tomorrow" Was all the man said.

It was in the afternoon of a new sun, when he decided to face him and finish what he started. This time holding his ground and blocking out any emotion. The other listened carefully, asking what exactly he was supposed to do. Sasuke give one of the photos to him, taking out the necklace he treasured all these years. Caressing with his thumb just one last time the sun.

"Tell him… I…" and it was left that on the air, because he might not understand what he was trying to do. Sasuke had thought about his little question, until the answer had been pictured so many times on her smiles at his bed that night. Now, he wanted to meet the boy because if they succeeded on taking down his brother. He will finally had a future to look forward, and being part of a family…

"I might have found a way home"

Sasuke spend two more days with that man, on a semblance of respect and maybe acquaintances. Their conversations had been almost pleasant, short but he prefered that. The man with orange sash fully recovered turned briefly and parted revealing his name. It made a difference in their weird relationship, he went back to the hideout silently, entrusting Utakata will be there at the meeting point.