Nagato had thrown himself into his work, especially with the preparations for his diplomacy mission fully underway by the Hokage. He only had so much time to get things in order before he was sent to Kumo. He had to handle everything of importance and then some before he left. The journey would see him removed from the Leaf and his clan as long as it took for a deal to be brokered a treaty with Kumo. That could take anyway from a few days to months. It all depended on Kumo really. They could keep him waiting on some pretense or see him quickly and get this business behind them.

Things were never so simple in the Shinobi world though. Nagato had to prepare his clan for the worse if it came to it. He hoped and prayed it didn't but he had to see himself and his family prepared if it did.

He had tried to use Kage Bunshin at first by the rebound had given him a headache that he hadn't been able to heal properly for several hours from the sheer pain keeping him from using his powers. That left him to do it as a single person. It was tedious but better than the headache he had no intentions of ever experiencing again.

"We'll up the distribution of our seals in this area..." Nagato trailed off to himself, overlooking a business report. "Sealing mostly... I'll have to see to some of these myself."

Nagato spoke on and on to himself about these matters. They were trivial and essentially meaningless separately but together they demanded his time and attention. Letting them accumulate anymore would only hurt the clan. He couldn't let that happen, his own negligence would never see to his clan being hurt.

Naruto sat with Honoka on one of the benches around the koi pond in the compound. It was supposed to be relaxing watching them but he could only remember how he had once seen Arashi meditating on it. On it! He couldn't wait to learn water walking so he could do that to. He had begged Arashi to teach him but he had told him to wait. Now all he could do was wait.

He had been stuck inside the clan compound ever since whatever had happened to call Nagato-nii away in the middle of the night. The same thing that was keeping him busy all the time now. He didn't have time for anyone or anything else. He swung his legs as he looked at the koi fish swimming around, bored out of his mind but being bored with Honoka was better than having lessons with Asami. Still boredom was boredom. The bored Naruto was slowly becoming depressed as more and more time passed. Honoka quickly picked up on this, Naruto could never just appreciate some things like the koi fish pond.

"What's wrong Naru-chan?" she spoke pinching one of his whiskered cheeks. The 6 year old quickly batted her hands away. He hated that and she knew it. He turned his back to her and crossed his arms over his chest with a huff. "Don't be like that Naruto." Honoka said as she grabbed him from behind in a hug with one hand and the other coming to ruffle his hair. "Tell Honoka-nee what's wrong already."

"Stop it!" he called out trying to bat her hands away and struggle out of her grip.

"Come on Naru-chan." Honoka said having fun with the young Uzumaki. "Just tell me what's wrong."

"Never!" he shouted with childish determination.

Honoka barely managed to hold back her laughter at the declaration. She did eventually stop though, it was only fun to mess with him for so long. She quickly began fixing Naruto's hair but not letting him go, one arm still holding him close.

"It's Nagato being so busy isn't it?" she asked the red head in her arms.

"It's not fair! He's supposed to play with me!" Naruto shouted, turning around to face the older girl.

"You know he would love to play with you Naruto." Honoka tried placating the younger redhead.

"Why doesn't he?"

"Because sometimes grown-ups have to work really hard."

"Why do they do that? Why can't Nagato-nii play with me?" Naruto's entire frame seemed to drop as he fell into Honoka's embrace.

"Because sometimes people are in trouble and they need to work really hard to protect him." Honoka tried to reason with him.

"Isn't that what Kakashi-nii and Hokage-jiji do? Why does Nagato-nii have to do it too?" Naruto protested. Balling his tiny hands in Honoka's top. She placed a soothing hand on his back and began rocking them. "Nagato-nii should be playing with me."

"He'll play with you as soon as he can Naruto." Honoka promised.

"Nagato-nii promised to play with me every day." he protested.

"Some days he just can't Naruto. You need to be a big boy and accept that."

"Why? He promised." he spoke into her clothes and Honoka had trouble making it out.

"Because one day you'll be head of the clan and will have to make tough decisions like Nagato does."

"I'd never be a meanie like Nagato!" Naruto found himself gently yet firmly pried away from Honoka at that. He was forced to look up into the stern face of the usually kind Uzumaki. She glanced around them and let out a sigh of relief when no one was close enough to overhear.

"Listen Naruto no one wants me to tell you this but I don't think you'll understand all of this otherwise." Honoka again looked around for anyone nearby, never knowing when someone might join them at the pond, and leaned in closer to keep her voice as low as possible. "Some very bad people tried to do a bad thing to a girl in the village."

"Who?"

"It was a little girl." Honoka wouldn't say anymore. Naruto would definitely act differently towards Hinata if he knew what happened to her and that probably wouldn't help the girl when they met again. As far as she knew Hiashi was keeping her under the constant watch of multiple Hyuuga until he felt it was safe to have a slightly smaller team of guards. "She was around the same age as you and they tried to take her from the village."

"Why?"

"The girl has a kekkai genkai. You know what that is right?" Naruto nodded his head and Honoka smiled at the boy. "Good. You've been listening to Asami-chan then. Now they wanted this kekkai genkai for their village and wanted to take the girl away from here, her village, her family and all her friends." Honoka saw the fear going across Naruto's face at the thought of being ripped away from everyone and everything he knew. "Well they took her in the middle of the night and tried to get out of the village. Luckily an ANBU stopped them."

"That's what Kakashi-nii is right?" Naruto questioned. Remembering the times Kakashi came to visit and would let him wear the mask he always seemed to have at his side if he wasn't wearing it.

"It was Kakashi that stopped them." Honoka said with a smile, grateful to the ANBU captain.

"Go Kakashi!" Naruto shouted and then, after Honoka's admonishment at his voice level, whispered. "Go Kakashi."

"That's not the end of it though."

"But they caught the bad guy and the girl's safe, it's over right?" Naruto scrunched up his face and tilted his head in confusion, for once not getting a reaction out of Honoka.

"It's not that easy this time Naruto. This was an important man from another village and now Hokage-sama and all the village leaders need to deal with it."

"What if they don't?" Naruto asked, not at all understanding why everything wasn't over now.

"Then a war could happen. A Shinobi World War just like the last three." she suppressed a shiver at the stories told to her about the other wars by some of the older Uzumaki.

"That's bad right?" he frowned, having a good idea on what the answer was.

"Very." Honoka stressed the single word. 'Very bad' would have to be a suitable description for a war until Naruto was older.

"So Nagato-nii is..." Naruto looked like he was struggling to find the right words.

"Trying to keep everyone but especially us safe." Honoka supplied him with them.

"So he's not being a meanie?" Naruto asked and Honoka shook her head with a smile at how Naruto saw the world.

"No he's not. He's a hero right now and you shouldn't be mad at him." she smiled, little Naruto had understood everything she was trying to tell him. She could never be too sure when she tried this. Sometimes it would all go right over his head and other times it would stick like glue. It seemed like the latter had happened this time.

"So when can he play with me again?" Naruto asked and Honoka laughed as Naruto brought their conversation back to the beginning.

"I'm sure it'll be soon." She would have to wait to see if anything from what she said had stuck. "But until then how about the two of us have some fun?"

Nagato leaned back in his chair, eyes closed and his fingers on the bridge of his nose. He had been working too long by the way the words on the paper were beginning to become blurred together. Anyone else would think themselves prepared enough with the amount of work Nagato had done. Even several workaholics would look at him with wide eyes but Nagato didn't even feel himself halfway done. Maybe if Kumo saw to him quickly this would be enough but a month away from the clan was still long. He wouldn't see himself satisfied till he was sure everything was in order. He hadn't even appointed a temporary leader in the clan for while he was away yet. He had some options but he would always see a crippling fault when he felt he had made his decision.

He would decide on one later, he still had work to do.

Arashi and Ryuu stood outside their leader's door. As always. One on either side with their sensory abilities expanded to encompass the entire compound and several blocks beyond. Several disguised shadow clones wandered around outside the compound, seemingly aimlessly but there was a strict grid they were following changing their disguises every now and then to avoid attracting attention. They had taken the security of the compound and those within it as seriously as they took Nagato's own protection. Failing in either was unacceptable.

"He's tired." Arashi spoke, breaking the long silence between the two.

"I sense it as well." Ryuu answered.

"You're lying. You're shit at sensing." Arashi said not even a moment after, turning his head to look at his partner.

"I've been practicing." Ryuu defended himself and Arashi shook his head at that but smiled anyway.

"I'll take your word for it then. Should we see if he needs anything?" Arashi

"He asked to not be disturbed. He'll let us know if he needs something. Until then I'm sure he's fine." Ryuu

"He's been sleeping at his desk. Not even Hokage-sama does that." Arashi looked towards the door then. "He just fell asleep. At his desk. Again."

"He's fine Arashi." Ryuu tried placating his fellow guard.

"He's bordering on obsessed here Ryuu."

"He's doing what he thinks he has to do."

"You can't sense it Ryuu. I can. He's overworking himself. He's tired, paranoid, worried, and scared all at the same time." Arashi could've kept going but they didn't have the time.

"We serve Nagato-sama and the clan Arashi. We swore ourselves to obey his commands and he asked to not be disturbed."

"We also promised to protect him and the clan. At all costs. Above all else."

"We don't go against his orders Arashi." Ryuu's sense of duty wasn't usually a detriment in Arashi's eyes but now it was bordering it.

"He's working himself to death in there." Arashi offered, not putting such a thing past Nagato.

"I'm not sure we can judge him with our own work ethic." Ryuu seemed to be set in stone.

"We take our jobs seriously. It's handling security of the clan and the compound but, we don't work ourselves to death doing it." Arashi quickly countered.

"I'm not sure we can judge Nagato-sama." Ryuu spoke in their leader's defense again.

"He's killing himself in there. Even if he doesn't know it." Arashi tried to make the other Uzumaki see his side of the argument, his anger at his willful ignorance growing.

"It's not..." Ryuu began speaking but wouldn't be able to finish.

"He's awake." Arashi cut him off, a glance towards the door to confirm it.

The silence fell back between the two in the hall. Their conversation forgotten as their leader awoke and returned to his work. His bodyguards going silent. Their argument dropped for now but not forgotten at all.

Nagato' eyes snapped open. Knowing he had dozed off for several moments he realized how much work he had missed and quickly set about returning to it. The short dream he had during his time asleep only pushed him to work more. The village was burning this time. People screaming as the shadows were cutting them down while all he could do was helplessly watch as everything was so brutally taken from him. Again.

He ignored the cramp forming in his hand and fought to keep his eyes open until he was done.

Nagato double checked every document he had previously done. Feeling he had made a mistake but no mistake ever showed. All of them were filled out perfectly and were perfectly legible. He couldn't find any mistakes but he still checked over them again. Something was nagging him that he made a mistake and he had to find it. He had to. Everything had to be perfect before he left.

Karin sat with Tayuya in the older girl's room. She was practicing something judging by the way she was hunched over the scroll on her desk, muttering to herself as she slowly went through the seals. Karin couldn't sense any of the girl's chakra and knew she didn't have to fear the other girl putting her in the technique, which was most likely a genjutsu, to practice it.

Karin had stretched herself out across the older girl's bed. Staring at the ceiling with her feet hanging over the edge. When she became bored at just staring at the ceiling, she turned towards the older girl.

"What are you even doing?" Karin asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Trying to master something I found in the library. You know the shit only Genin and up are allowed to go into."

"I don't even know why I try sometimes."

"Not my fault you're not even a fucking Genin yet."

"You know Asami and Nagato don't like you talking like that."

"Snitch and you'll wish you were fucking dead." Tayuya looked up from her scroll and didn't have to turn around for Karin to see her face as she could picture it.

"I wish I could at least leave." Karin offered to change the subject.

"Only Chunin and up. All you little bastards have to stay inside the compounds walls."

Tayuya's voice had filled with pride at the mention of being a Chunin. Her sensei had put her squad in the exams just so they could see what they were like, to be prepared for the future when they would seriously compete in one, and had never expected any of them to pass it. Tayuya had lost in the second round of the fights but she showed more than enough ingenuity to impress the judges. Enough that she joined a handful of those promoted in their first exams. Something she had bragged about incessantly for days after receiving her vest.

"Why does this crap happen right when we start learning the good stuff." Karin protested the universe's antagonism towards her, weakly shaking a fist at nothing in particular.

"Your taijutsu's still shit." Tayuya seemed to enjoy at taking the wind out of Karin's sails.

"Says the person who doesn't help me practice."

"Cause I'll bash your bitch head in."

"You wouldn't even pull your punches for me?"

"Hell no! No one out there will so why should I?" Tayuya's brutal honesty was still there.

"Because you love me like a little sister." Karin spoke hopefully.

"You're more like a glorified practice dummy."

"That hurt Tayu-chan." Karin didn't miss the way the other girl froze at her desk.

"Tayuya." Tayuya quickly corrected. Hating the nickname Karin had decided to give her.

"Tayu-chan." Karin smiled as she taunted her with the nickname again.

"Tayuya." Tayuya was reaching for her flute.

"Ta-yu-chan." Karin emphasized each syllable of the name and wasn't quick enough to run out the room before Tayuya had placed herself against the closed door and brought the flute up to her lips.

"Now say it right, or suffer. Tayuya." she offered her one final chance for Karin to fix her mistake. "Not that stupid fucking nickname."

"Bitch." Karin's voice was flat when she said it and Tayuya merely raised an eyebrow.

"You're brave. Stupid but brave." she offered in praise already having a technique in mind.

She began playing the instrument and her sound based genjutsu quickly took effect on Karin. She would usually have gone with something to make the girl nauseous but since they were in her room and not outside that idea was quickly scrapped. She had to settle for something else this time. Spiders were always good when it came to Karin though.

"It's just a genjutsu. Just a genjutsu." Karin muttered to herself, frozen as she was terrified by something only she could see.

"At least she's moulding her chakra this time." Tayuya spoke to herself, impressed at the younger girl not immediately screaming. "Too bad it never helps."

"Just a... they're all over me!" she screamed as she tried to bat away the spiders. "Get 'em off! Get 'em off!"

"Music to my ears." Tayuya spoke as she returned to her desk. The genjutsu would only last for a few more minutes so she wasn't worried about anyone having a real problem with it. Besides, Karin knew she hated that stupid fucking nickname and still called her it anyway. What did she expect from a genjutsu user?

Honoka saw that sitting still wasn't helping Naruto at all and had decided to take him on a walk. She might have broken some rules when she took Naruto out of the compound but no one said one couldn't go out on an errand and not know one of the kids had tagged along and being so far away from the compound with no time to take them all the way back? Well she simply had to take him with her then. It would be rude to be late. Besides he would be safe. He would be in the company of shinobi after all. He caught sight of them before she did. She should've guessed what his reaction was going to be.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, catching sight of the young Uchiha out with his brother.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted once he caught sight of the Uzumaki.

The two of them met in the middle and instantly she could see them scheming something. Keeping them apart for a few days hadn't done anything to their friendship. The way their heads were huddled together and the occasional snicker from each of them made her start to regret bringing them back together. It was only for a short while as she made her way pass them and towards Itachi.

"Honoka-san." Itachi offered a polite bow to the Uzumaki.

"Sup Honoka." Shisui offered in greeting appearing with an arm around his best friend's neck, throwing the Uchiha slightly off balance. "I've been off and on watch duty all day long. It's been killing me."

"I'm off today." Honoka spoke already knowing about the anxiousness that followed everyone when they took a guard post now. The fear that they would see a dust cloud approaching or hear the alarm ringing, signaling an attack. "I have the night shift tomorrow but it's worth it to have the day to myself."

"You and this one here are lucky." He elbowed Itachi in the side. "They've singled me out for my speed. Something about messenger duty. I've been on most of the shifts."

"What has our little ANBU agent been up to?" Honoka asked playfully.

"I've been placed on medical leave after my last mission." Itachi plainly stated.

"What for?' Honoka asked checking over the Uchiha for any signs of a serious injury, the only thing that could keep an ANBU down from what she learned from observing Kakashi on his, now rarer, visits to Naruto.

"Something in my system. The worse passed on the trip back." Itachi quickly added the last part at their concerned looks. "I'm really fine."

"Whatever you say Itachi-kun." Honoka and Shisui both knew it was pointless to try and get more out of Itachi. Once he decided they knew enough he wouldn't say anything more.

"Well since I've got a few hours to kill and you two are already here, let's get something to eat." Shisui offered.

"I've just come from lunch."

"That thing between Fugaku-sama and that merchant right?" Shisui asked, remembering what he knew about the meeting. "I forgot that was today."

"Yes. I was asked to take Sasuke out for a little while." Itachi gestured towards his brother, or where his brother and Naruto had been. The usually stoic Uchiha's face quickly going through several emotions. "Where are they?"

He looked ready to launch an entire search party to find them and Honoka wasn't far behind, her eyes looking everywhere for both boys. Shisui coughed to get both of their attention before they could though.

"They're buying something from the vendor down the street Itachi." Shisui guided Itachi's eyes to the vendor and Sasuke waved at him while shielding something from view.

"They're definitely up to something." Honoko spoke after turning around and seeing the two of them after seeing the relief on Itachi's face. She had been close to making a dozen clones to look for Naruto.

"No need to go all overprotective and start interrogating everyone on the street Itachi." Shisui's eyes turned to look at Honoka then. "And no sending out dozens of clones to find Naruto. They're both fine."

"It was only going to be a dozen this time." Honoka looked towards the ground.

"I would not have interrogated everyone." Itachi found something very interesting overhead.

"The both of you sometimes." Shisui brought a hand down his face at them. "You make me look like the mature one."

They all focused on the boys as they came towards them. Picking up on the mood their disappearance had created they shuffled forward on heavy feet. Their arms were still behind their back but the three teens chose to look past it.

"You have the same look kaa-san gets when she can't find me." Sasuke's small voice spoke upon seeing Itachi's face.

"Asami does the same thing when I'm gone." Naruto spoke seeing Honoka's.

"Both of you can't just run off like that. I had to keep these two from going crazy looking for you."

"Sorry." both boys spoke in unison.

The three of them, even Itachi, smiled at the apology and the way both boys held similar postures.

"You two are so adorable when you do that!" Honoka kneeled down in front of both boys and pinched their cheeks. Already knowing how they would react to it. They predictably tried to squirm away from her with pouting faces. Honoka laughed more at their efforts but took pity on them before they dropped whatever they were hiding behind their backs. They hadn't even tried to bat away her hands so she decided it was unfair to keep going even though it was hilarious to her and the two Uchiha.

"Stop doing that Honoka-chan!" Naruto shouted at her and she almost laughed again.

"Yeah stop it!" Sasuke backed up his friend and Shisui quickly helped her up before she fell over laughing.

"Um, you guys got something?" Shisui asked them, helping Honoka to her feet.

The two quickly turned around, managing to keep their surprises behind their backs while doing so, and quietly talked to each other. The 3 shinobi's could've picked up on what they said but they didn't want to ruin the surprise the kids had gone to such lengths to hide. Turning around without showing what they had was impressive. The 2 turned back around in a similar manner and both stepped forward.

"Here!" they both revealed the rectangular boxes they had hidden from them and all three of them leaned forward to read the names hastily written on them.

"What is it?" Shisui asked, taking one.

"Open it." Sasuke pleaded, both him and Naruto looking up at the Uchiha with wide eyes.

Shisui quickly undid the bow holding the box closed. He smiled the moment his eyes saw the box's contents.

"Sweet." He smiled at the smiling children who quickly motioned for Honoka and Itachi to open their boxes.

They found them filled with sweets as Itachi had already taken a dango stick out, his eyes closed as he ate the sweet. Not caring about the looks the other 2 gave him at his love for sweets.

"We got one for Hana and Kiba too." Naruto spoke, showing he still had several of the boxes.

"Can we go and give it to them?" Sasuke asked.

'Clever brats." Honoka thought to herself. Itachi loved sweets and Shisui was like a kid if you gave him anything. 'They planned this the whole time.' She should be angry that she was being manipulated by two 6 year old kids but she was actually proud of their cunning. But a kunoichi like herself wouldn't be so easily outsmarted.

"Tomorrow." She spoke, Itachi and Shisui unable to talk with their mouths already filled.

"Why?" Naruto asked.

"Because I need to get you back now and I'm sure these three need to be somewhere too."

Itachi and Shisui nodded and at the dejected look on Sasuke's face Itachi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Tomorrow little brother."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

Honoka returned to the compound with a much happier Naruto and to the stern looks of possible Arashi and Ryuu clones. She sent Naruto inside as she dealt with any of the repercussions from their unauthorized trip. It was worth it and she knew a way to get out of anything too serious. Asami liked her too much for them to really do anything. She never understood the other's fear of the Uzumaki woman but that didn't stop her from using it to her advantage every now and then.

Naruto was already bounding through the halls. One of the boxes that he and Sasuke had brought from the stand was tucked under his arms and he ran through the halls careful not to jostle it too much. It was proving a challenging task for the child but the thought of slowing down never crossed his mind. Soon enough he saw Ryuu and Arashi at their usual posts outside Nagato's door. They didn't turn their heads to look at him but something told him they knew he was there. They always did. Arashi had once said something about him being impossible to miss but he had quickly forgot about it.

"Naruto-sama." Ryuu spoke, inclining his head to the Uzumaki heir. Arashi simply smiled at the child, not bothering with any of the protocol Ryuu seemed to so strictly follow.

"Can I give Nagato-nii something?" Naruto asked the guards.

"Nagato-sama wished to…" Ryuu began but was cut off by Arashi.

"Yeah. He needs a break anyway." Arashi was already opening the door to let Naruto in.

Naruto beamed at being let through and luckily he missed the way the bodyguards glared at each other as he passed between them and through the door.

"I don't think he'll mind seeing Naruto." Arashi offered while shutting the door, not at all regretting what he did.

"We'll speak later." Ryuu stared straight ahead then, not offering his partner another look or word.

"Yeah we will."

Naruto had entered Nagato's study and saw the clan head focused on his most recent document, he hadn't even noticed the door opening. His head was still bent over the latest document in front of him, his lips moving but the words being too faint for Naruto to hear and the pen in his hand occasionally scratching against the paper. Marking or writing one thing or another.

"Nagato-nii." Naruto spoke once he was in front of the desk, coughing as he had seen many people do when he sat with Nagato to get his attention.

Nagato's head shot up at the sound and his eyes widened when he saw Naruto in front of him. The pen fell from his hands and he stood up from his desk, coming to stand before the younger Uzumaki.

"What are you doing in here Naruto?" Nagato asked, hardly believing that he was so careless to not even sense Naruto. He made the conscious choice to sense the compound and was actually surprised. Most of the clan that had been on missions had returned at some point during the day. A glance outside his window showed it to be far later than he thought as well.

"Honoka-nee said you were working really hard and that's why you couldn't play with me."

"I've been busy." His focus was back on Naruto, he would deal with his own losing track of time later.

"Yeah she told me that you're keeping all of us safe from the bad guys." Naruto made a face at the mention of the kidnappers and Nagato smiled. "So I brought you something really cool."

"You aren't supposed to leave the compound Naruto." Nagato reminded the younger Uzumaki but he was far too excited to care at the admonishment.

"I know but it's really cool." Naruto thrust the box up and forward, presenting it to Nagato.

He took the box, seeing his name hastily scrawled on it in Naruto's handwriting, and almost set it aside to open later but Naruto's wide eyed look at him made him untie the bow right now. Nagato smiled at the candy inside, even if it was jostled together from Naruto's running.

"Do you like it Nagato-nii? It's my favorite one to get."

"It's perfect Naruto."

"So can you stop working so hard now? All the bad guys are gone right?"

"It's not that easy Naruto." Nagato set the box on the edge of his desk and kneeled down to Naruto's level.

"Yeah." Naruto let out a huff and kicked the air as if he was kicking a rock down the road. "Honoka told me. I just thought since a whole day passed."

"These things aren't so easy Naruto." Nagato ruffled Naruto's hair, the red head not trying to bat away his hands like he did to anyone else. "These things take time."

"That's not how this is supposed to work Nagato-nii." Naruto hugged the head of the clan, his small arms latching onto Nagato. "The good guys win and the bad guys loose. You're a good guy Nagato-nii. A really good good guy." Naruto looked up to Nagato. "You're supposed to win."

"It'll just take a little while longer than all of your stories Naruto."

"Fine." Nagato could picture Naruto's scrunched up face. "Can I stay with you then?"

"This is all just work Naruto." Nagato swept a hand over his desk, showing the numerous papers he still had to go through.

"Yeah but Asami-chan keeps trying to give me extra lessons and Honoka-nee keeps pinching my cheeks. All the time. They're going to fall off."

"It's not that bad Naruto."

"It is!"

"Fine." Nagato complied, knowing he would lose to the younger redhead. "But no messing up my office."

"Okay!"

Naruto quickly sat himself in his usual spot in Nagato's office and Nagato returned to his own work. Only pausing to have something brought for Naruto to do. He seemed determined to copy Nagato's movements exactly and Nagato blamed Kakashi's stories. He always told Naruto that he could copy something by just looking at it once but Naruto seemed to always forget about Kakashi's sharingan. Still Nagato worked and Naruto 'worked', the two of them having fallen into a comfortable silence. A silence broken by snores once Naruto fell asleep as he usually did.

Nagato shook his head with a smile and rose form his chair before gathering Naruto in his arms and heading out, Arashi falling into step behind him after he came out the door. Ryuu was supposed to be sleeping now but he doubted either of them ever truly slept.

"How are you feeling Nagato-sama?" Arashi asked, following closely behind Nagato.

"A little tired Arashi." Nagato adjusted Naruto in his arms. "But first I have to put Naruto to sleep."

"I'll do it Nagato-sama." Arashi quickly offered. "Go and rest."

"Take a break Arashi, wait for me at my room if you're really that worried about me."

"Hai." One bow followed by a Shunshin later, and Nagato was alone in the hall.

Arashi would eventually look for Nagato when he didn't show up at his room after a few minutes and found him asleep in the chair at Naruto's bedside. He might've sat down to rest for a moment or Naruto had awoken and demanded a story. Either way his leader was finally sleeping somewhere other than his desk and Arashi couldn't be happier.

"Thank you Naruto-sama." His head bowed to the sleeping boy and he stepped outside into the hall, assuming his post at the door.

AN: I feel like calling this chapter keeping up with the Uzumaki would be a good idea. Hope you enjoyed and there's more to come, hopefully, soon.