Alright, here's that new-year's special I promised. I'm cutting it a bit close, but I'm really just glad I managed to finish it.

Once again, a thank you to ncpfan for his help over the last week.

And now, on to the show!

She kept her eyes peeled during her brisk walk, searching every rooftop, storefront, and face within the crowd for the crown of red hair or his brilliant purple eyes. The early morning traffic, as think as it was, offered no resistance as she wadded through crowds that split before her. It was not wise to stand in the way of Senju Tsunade. It was even less wise to do so when she was as distraught as she currently was.

'Why the hell didn't anyone tell me he had been in the hospital for two weeks, he must have been so scared and confused as he laid there all alone.'

She knew there really wasn't anyone to blame for that. Few had known she was back in Konoha and she doubted anyone besides herself knew that she had returned at Kushina's behest to keep an eye on Naruto's health.

'Still, he's an Uzumaki prince and the heir to the Namikaze name, Hiruzen should have brought it to my attention just to ensure his health and safety, never mind the fact that he's my godson.' She had to pause her train of thought at that. Did anyone outside the Uzumaki-Namikaze family and the three Sennin even know she was the godmother of the two children? No, probably not. It wouldn't have brought any good to paint an even larger target on the kids, they were already Uzu royalty and suspected to be the children of the Yondaime Hokage, they didn't also need people to know that they had close ties to the Sannin.

'No one but ourselves to blame, then. I should have checked up on him immediately. If I had picked him up at the academy instead of putting it off we could have avoided this mess.'

She had to wonder, however, why it was that no one else had tried to care for the boy in her absence, especially when they probably didn't even suspect she was there to keep an eye on him.

'Kurenai's always been close to the family, Hiruzen's like a grandfather, and I know that Kakashi always wanted a little brother, so why am I hearing that Naruto's been on the streets? This doesn't make any damn sense.'

Something wasn't right here, or perhaps she just didn't have all the information she should, either way the last Senju intended to get to the bottom of this. No godson of hers was going to be found living on the streets, not when she had an entire empty compound and a Senju treasury she could never manage to empty on her own.

'Now let's see, where does that woman live?' If anyone would know what's going on, it would have to be Kurenai, Konohagakure's Genjutsu Mistress. The woman was like a daughter to Kushina and if the Uzumaki woman had told anyone about the full arrangements made for Naruto then it would be her.

Not for the first time, Tsunade regretted not asking for more information from Kushina when she agreed to monitor Naruto's health. 'I should have known something would go wrong, with my luck and all. If I had to guess, though, Kushina would have left everything within the compound, where she felt it would be safest. Too bad that really doesn't help anyone right now. If her own son can't get in, how the hell will anyone else?'

Tsunade stopped within the middle of the street, looking up at the roofs until she spotted an ANBU, waving them down.

"Yes, Tsunade-Sama?" They asked.

"Yuuhi Kurenai's house, where is it?"

"The shinobi residential district. Her house is build atop apartment building seven." The ANBU paused, thoughtful. "I have no idea how she managed to have a house built atop another building, or why she would choose to do that rather than buy and renovate a house at ground level." They shrugged their shoulders and pushed the thought from their mind. "Was there anything else, Tsunade-Sama?"

"No, thank you for your help." The ANBU gave a nod before vanishing to finish whatever task they had originally had.

'On apartment building seven, huh? Interesting. Though, I should expect no less of a skilled Jounin who learned under Kushina. Both she and her husband managed to train an exceptional shinobi, but both turned out kind of odd.'

Kakashi was a known pervert who was very private and not seen much. He was always late, to the point that he was almost more infamous for that then for all the Ninjutsu he had stolen over the years. The man wore a mask at all times, or so the rumors said, even when he was bedding a woman. No one knew if he even did bed woman, due to his private nature, but there were more than a few woman who claimed to have spent a night with him. Of course, most of them were civilians who claimed that he had shown them his face, so probably less than credible sources.

Kurenai, on the other hand, couldn't seem to decide what she was. On the outside she was cold and uncaring, giving off a professional aura whenever she left her home. Those that knew her, however, were aware that she was a hopeless romantic who liked to read romance novels and daydream about meeting her own prince charming. She often got after Kakashi for the books he read, only to go home and read her own books, which tended to be the same thing only of a lesser quality. She hated perverts, but would have no problem chatting on for hours about her sexual fantasies, or the latest wet dream she had.

The two were great shinobi trained by two of Konoha's finest, but they were freaking weird. Then again, in this line of work, those who survived long enough to become Jounin usually were. They were simply some of the biggest examples.

Of course, then there was Gai, but Tsunade didn't even know where to start when talking about that man's eccentricities. Some things were just better left alone.

Arriving within the shinobi residential area, Tsunade had no trouble locating building seven. She did, on the other hand, have some trouble figuring out how one was expected to approach Kurenai's front door.

'How the fuck do I get up there? She seriously doesn't expect for people to use wall-climbing or roof-jumping to get to her home, does she?' Tsunade shook her head in exasperation. This is such an impractical setup. What if a civilian was delivering something, or she ended up getting her chakra disrupted or sealed? Hell, even if Naruto tried to come to her for help, there's no way he could make his way up there with no shinobi training, the walls are perfectly smooth for fuck's sake!'

Growling in frustration, Tsunade placed a foot on the building's wall to begin her ascent, only for her chakra not to stick to it.

'Apartment building seven is the most secure housing available to shinobi other than clan compounds, of course they would have ways to keep people from sticking to it with chakra.'

She looked around to find a building close enough for her to be able to comfortably jump onto the apartments from. She didn't find one.

'Are you fucking shitting me? Not only do I have to climb up another building, but I'm expected to pump chakra out of my legs to be able to jump across?' It wouldn't be a small amount of chakra either; Tsunade doubted there were any Chuunin who would be able to get to Kurenai's front door. Giving a withering glare to the house that sat atop the building, mocking her, she made her way to the nearest building.

'This is bullshit.'

Senju Fucking Tsunade was sitting on her couch, in her home, with her, and she did not look happy.

'This is probably about Naruto-Kun, but that glare looks a bit too irritated for him to be the source. That's more of the 'What is wrong with your home' glare I tend to get.'

As much as she tried to hold it in, a small giggle escaped her lips. Giving a sly smile, she figured she may as well take this rare opportunity to tease the world's greatest medic.

"You know, Tsunade-Sama, the apartment staircase has roof access." If anything, that little tidbit of information only served to irritate the powerful woman even further.

"That would have been nice to know." Ground out the Senju, making a mental note to find the ANBU who had left that out of his directions.

"It is very common knowledge within the shinobi ranks," She silently included 'and amongst cheap civilian restaurants that deliver' "But I doubt you came here to experience my unique housing."

"That's right, I didn't" Nodded Tsunade. "I came here because I recently came to learn something that was rather surprising."

A feeling of imminent doom began to build up within Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress. Her stomach notted up as her body became numb. She could feel beads of sweat forming upon her brow and had to force her breath to stay even. Hiding the shaking in her hands, she asked; "And what might that be, Tsunade-Sama?"

'Shit, this has to be about Naruto-Kun. Why couldn't I have just been wrong this once?'

"Oh, it just seems as though my godson has been living on the streets even though both his mother's and father's students are here in Konoha. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, now, would you, Kurenai?" Accused the busty blonde. She was doing a remarkable job at restraining herself, one almost wouldn't be able to tell how furious the woman was.

Kurenai, unfortunately, knew exactly how angry the woman before her was.

"I-I had heard that the compound rejected him," Began the red-eyed woman. "But the last I saw him was a week before Kushina-sensei left, almost a month ago."

"And you haven't sought him out?"

"If I did go look for him, and he came here for help, who would help him? I've been here, ready to help him the second he comes to me." Okay, so that was bullshit, she had gone out to take care of things plenty of times, but she knew she was one of Naruto's last resorts – as much as that fact hurt her- and considering the amount of people within the village, she wasn't going to be hearing him ask her for help anytime soon.

"Is that so?"

Kurenai was beginning to get angry at Tsunade's accusations. Where was she, the world's greatest medic, when Naruto-Kun was suffering in the hospital? Why was she here, talking to her, when she could be out helping the boy who would accept her far more easily than he would herself? Why was she only now learning of these things, when Kushina had mentioned that Tsunade was coming to monitor her son's health? How dare she try to place all the blame on her, he wasn't her responsibility!

"And when, exactly, was the last time you saw him, Tsunade-Sama? His Birth? His second Birthday party? The hospital where he was lying confused and alone? On the street? Safe within your own home? He doesn't even know you, and yet you were supposed to keep an eye on his health." Shot back Kurenai. "Well? How's his health? Is he doing alright? You wouldn't even know. Don't you be trying to make me out to be at fault here. At least he knows who I am and where to find me."

"Then why hasn't he?!" Kurenai looked down to the floor, ashamed.

"We have a rather strained relationship. We get along for the sake of Kushina-sensei, but we're really not comfortable in one another's presence."

"Ha!" Exclaimed Tsunade victoriously. "You claim to be here for him, and yet you know he will never come! He might as well be alone!"

"He might as well" Kurenai countered "Be with his godmother who has been tasked with his wellbeing!"

"I didn't know until last night!"

"And why didn't you? You should have seen him on your first day back, not almost three weeks later!"

"Kushina left him instructions, you know that. I was a day late; he would have made his way to me after the academy the next day. I was waiting for him to come to me."

Kurenai scoffed. "And you didn't get suspicious hen he never showed? I don't believe that for a second."

"I figured someone else was taking care of him. They'd bring him to me when he needed a check-up."

"So you simply assumed the best without checking, despite checking being the sole reason for your return?"

"Hey! I was supposed to give him check-ups, not be his mother. Aren't you supposed to be like his big sister? You should have gone to help him, uncomfortable or no."

"I agreed," Defended Kurenai. "To aid him if he needed it. He has yet to ask for aid, he obviously doesn't need it."

"Quite," Came Tsunade's dry reply. "I here he's been doing well as a thief amongst the Konoha populace. I'm sure Kushina would be proud about how little help he needed from her eldest daughter when it came to obtaining his next meal by risking a nice meeting with the Uchiha police force!"

"And yet here you are, trying to pin all the blame on me while he's still out there without any idea that you could be taking care of him!"

"I'm not here to take care of him! I'm here to make sure his chakra coils develop properly now that he's separated from the residual chakra of the Kyuubi within Kushina and the chakra Naruko's seal is mixing with her own. If anyone should be looking after him it's you!"

Kurenai raised an eyebrow. "Me? Not Kakashi? Not Kushina's father figure Hiruzen? Not her best friend Mikoto? Not, oh, I don't know, his fucking godmother?"

Tsunade took a deep, calming breath, trying to smother the fiery temper that was building within her. This was not a time to cast blame; this was a time to determine responsibility.

"Look, Kurenai. I'm here to help him, but I can't care for him. He knows you, even if you two have a strained relationship. He's far more likely to trust you than me."

"No, you don't know anything about it. He's sooner to trust an Iwa shinobi."

"I see, but to him I might as well be an Iwa shinobi."

"Tsunade, you need to understand, there's a reason the two of us don't get along well. It's not him, it's me, and my past. I'm not going to share it with you, but you have to believe me, you are the best choice for him right now."

"Kurenai, I'm not here to play mother to the boy. But you, his sister, this is a perfect chance for you to start fixing that distance between the two of you.

"Just because I see Kushina as my mother and she sees me as a daughter, doesn't mean I see him as a brother or that he would see me as his sister."

"Are you saying you don't see him as a brother?"

Kurenai looked down at the floor, contemplative. "No, it's not that. I do see him as a little brother, but I can't be his older sister, I just can't. You have the best chance of entering his life. It doesn't have to be a constant care, but if you could simply offer him a spare room within the Senju compound we'd both know he was safe.

Tsunade thought about it for a minute before nodding. "That would be doable." She agreed. "But he would still need a constant source of guidance."

"There's you, isn't there?" At Tsunade's glare, Kurenai hurriedly continued. "And your student. And if you can convince him, he can always come to me. I might not be able to bring myself to go to him, but I won't turn him away."

"That could work, you'd be like a mentor instead of a caretaker, and I'd be more of a landlady. This is sounding good. I'll keep my eye out for the brat and ask the old monkey what he knows. Just remember, medic or not, I'm sending him to you if he asks about the birds and the bees."

Kurenai flushed but nodded as Tsunade stood up and made her way to the door. "Make sure you keep your eyes peeled too, Kurenai, if you see him send him my way or let me know where you've seen him. We can't help the boy until we've found him."

"Yeah, I will." Confirmed Kurenai as the door shut.

The two had a plan now, everything would be alright

Unfortunately for Naruto, their plan did nothing for him now. Until they could put it into effect it would not help him find his next meal, it would not offer him guidance, and it would not shelter him from the cold.

He was still alone, with no one to look after him but himself. He did not know of the two women's plans and wouldn't have been able to accept something that seemed so much like pity if he did. He would survive by himself in this new life he found thrust upon himself.

And yet, perhaps he wasn't as alone as he may have thought.

"Sempai-"A raised hand cut the ANBU agent off.

"Don't worry about it; it will be taken care of." The ANBU seemed hesitant and unsure, but nodded anyway, acknowledging the word of his superior.

"Very well, Inu-sempai, we leave this in your capable hands." With that he and his squad mates took off, leaving Hatake Kakashi, student of the Yondaime Hokage, to continue watching the streets. It was not truly the streets which he watched, however, but rather a single person on them.

Kakashi watched as they pulled into a nearby alley, emptying their latest pilfered coin purses into their cargo pants before scrambling up a wall to search for their next targets. Behind his mask, Kakashi couldn't help but grin.

'He's growing up so fast, Sensei, I'm sure you would be proud of his skills.'

Now, if only he was skilled enough not to need someone to keep the authorities off his back.

'All in good time, I suppose. He's escaped my sight a few times already; it shouldn't be too long before he can get away with this without me.'

For almost a week now he had been watching the child of his Sensei, one Uzumaki(-Namikaze) Naruto. If he was honest with himself, he was rather impressed. The child was not naturally talented, per say, but the rate at which he learned and fixed his mistakes was astonishing, leading him to adapt to his current state quite easily.

Now, being homeless certainly wasn't the life Kakashi had envisioned for the son of his Sensei, but, if nothing else, it was doing a fine job of teaching Naruto to take care of himself. It was for that reason Kakashi did not attempt to directly aid the young boy, choosing instead to look after him and correct issues out of the boy's sight.

Kakashi had been keeping authorities away from the boy, making sure he visited the academy, and had been the one who disposed of Naruto's first kill. Kakashi was proud of that fact most of all. To have killed so early and already be embracing the stealth of true shinobi, this boy was going to be a refreshing change from the last few generations of Konohagakure shinobi.

Of course, the fact that it was his only kill thus far was a bit disappointing, but it was probably for the best. After all, despite what activities they may be involved in, everyone within Konohagakure was a citizen of fire country. Both Naruto and Kakashi were actually rather lucky that no one had attempted to investigate the disappearance. The man had no family of any kind and the few friends he did have had all assumed he had gotten in over his head doing something illegal and had fled for safety in a nearby country.

Though, investigating the death wouldn't have gotten them very fa rat all, not with Kakashi himself having destroyed the body and burned away any blood, both the man's and Naruto's, that had been in the alleyway. Gods Katon were useful in his line of work. There was nothing like a good bit of fire to make everything go more smoothly.

Shaking his head clear of such thoughts, he once again focused on Naruto, who had once again snatched a coin purse off an unsuspecting civilian.

'You know, at this rate, someone's going to be brining all this theft to the attention of the council soon. He really should take a break for a while, make them all think it was some visitor who had already left for their own home.'

Choosing his next course of action carefully, Kakashi gave a shrug. Whatever, the worst that would come out of this would be Naruto becoming more cautious, which was a good thing in his book.

'Ah, fuck it. It's win-win for the kid.'

Focusing solely upon the boy, he began visualizing him as prey. The effect was instantaneous as the boy froze up, all his instincts screaming at him about a nearby predator. It only took the child a minute –Which must have felt like hours for the poor guy- to locate the one who intended to hunt him.

Once again, Kakashi found himself impressed.

Locking eyes with the child – though his own were shadowed by his mask- he gestured a low-hanging roof between the two of them. Getting the message, Naruto nodded once before making his way there.

Kakashi, on the other hand, took his sweet time. Naruto seemed a bit tense, ready to flee, and was slowly twirling a kunai with one hand, but other than that he seemed rather at ease with the situation. There was no fear, but caution, no hate or malice, but frustration, probably aimed at himself.

When Kakashi had made it to the roof, he did not begin a conversation, but rather stood tall and still, observing the young man up close. Despite his tenseness, Naruto stared right back, his shoulders apart and back straight. The boy removed his dirty brown hood and stared proudly into the empty eye holes in the dog mask that loomed over him.

Even when faced with a vastly superior opponent, he would not back down. Kakashi knew it was not arrogance or even acceptance of his impending demise, but rather a matter of pride for the boy. One was not weak until they deemed their opponent too powerful to fight. If he were to cow under the glare of the porcelain canine before him, he would be admitting weakness and defeat, and to a survivor like this boy, that was unacceptable.

He really was just like his father.

Kakashi stayed silent a few moments longer before speaking. "You're pretty good kid, but just as you raise yourself higher than your targets, both the ANBU and Uchiha police force have a tendency to travel by roof, which is higher than you. In the future, I recommend keeping a better eye on your surroundings."

Naruto nodded in acceptance of the advice, slipping his kunai away and pulling out a sack of coins. Kakashi wordlessly accepted the bag when it was tossed to him, having witnessed the same actions during Naruto's interaction with the apprentice of Tsunade.

"You know, I don't mind you practicing upon the Konoha populace, but at this rate people will start to become suspicious. You need to find another source of income."

"Thank you, Inu-san, for your advice." The boy checked a watch, one Kakashi noticed to be rather valuable.

'Huh, seems like he's a bit better than I had suspected.'

It was one thing to cut away the coin purse many within Konoha wore at their waist, it was quite another entirely to remove someone's watch without them noticing.

Making note of the current time, Naruto turned his attention back to the ANBU before him.

"I have managed to obtain permission from Sarutobi-Sama to aid his clan in the keeping of Konohagakure's training grounds and the surrounding forests. I should be able to sell any equipment I recover for a solid price as second hand or scrap. It won't be a large amount, but depending on how wasteful our shinobi are, I may be able to make a decent living as I support myself through the academy years."

Kakashi nodded slowly. It was a good plan, especially when you had permission from the Hokage himself, and the dog-faced ANBU knew exactly how wasteful his comrades were. Years of prosperity made them take for granted the high-paying missions and the surplus of available tools. It wasn't like when he was growing up, when equipment was scarce and you were lucky to go to battle with a full holster of kunai. Hell, back then, getting a kunai lodged into your flesh was actually rather fortunate if it struck somewhere non-lethal.

Free kunai were good kunai, after all.

"Well that's good then, I would suggest you focus on that and only resort to purse cutting when the fields run dry. Give them some time to accumulate new weapons and all that. Now, isn't it about time you make your way to the academy? Lunch ended about an hour ago and if you don't get there soon you'll miss the practical lessons."

A sharp nod was his reply as the boy threw his hood over his head and vaulted over the side of the roof in one smooth movement.

'You know, that actually looked kind of cool, little thief. If you're not careful, you may find yourself with some fangirls of your own, especially if you grow fully into your parent's looks. They were, after all, two fine looking shinobi.'

Kakashi was about to turn away when he saw Naruto's arm grabbed and his hood taken off by a beautiful woman in her early twenties. Curious, he watched as she gave the boy a hug before wrapping her arms around his own, pulling him to a nearby café.

'Well then, it seems I spoke too soon. It looks like you already have a fangirl, and an older woman at that. Well done, little thief, your father must be grinning his ass of in the pure world right now.'

With a final smirk, Kakashi left to finish his patrol, trusting Naruto to the pretty little prostitute that seemed to know the boy. The kid had been working hard; this would be a good break for him.

'And to think, he hasn't even met Jiraiya yet.'

Silently, he cursed himself. How could he have been so stupid as to forget those who perched above him? He was a predator, but in this village he was also prey. To lose track of such a simple fact was shameful. It was fortunate the ANBU had not seen fit to arrest him and had rather been willing to offer advice.

Naruto, of course, had always known that there were people on the rooftops, but in his confidence that those traveling directly above him were unaware as to his presence he had forgotten that anyone else would see him as rather suspicious, sitting upon the lower roofs as he was. Even then, those who were directly above him would be able to see him every time he went for a target. He had hoped that the crowds he operated in would be enough to shield him from anyone else's gaze, but it looks like he had been wrong.

'But that dog, he was strong.'

There was no denying the skill of the ANBU, Naruto could feel the power and confidence leaking off the shinobi. That had been a man who had gone through much only to return stronger than anything he had faced. But, if that was the kind of person who had caught him, he would just have to surpass them.

The hound worked solo on the words of its master, so he would have to be something above the hound, something without a master.

'A wolf, I need to become a wolf.'

The wolf was strong, proud, and answered to no man. It prowled the forest, sought prey, and took it down with ruthless precision. But he could not succeed as a lone wolf, as a wolves' strength came from its pack. Without a pack he could be as strong as he liked, but he would never reach his full potential.

'I need to find a pack.'

Before he could think more into the matter he felt a hand grab his cloak and pull away his hood. He only just managed to recognize them before lashing out.

'Tatsuki'

Her green eyes sparkled with amusement and mischief as she began dragging him to a nearby café. She gave him a dazzling smile, her arms wrapping around his right arm.

"You didn't really think you could hide from me, did you Naruto-Kun?" He gave a quick glance back to where the dog-faced ANBU had been. Seeing him take off, he turned his attention back to the woman who seemed intent on abducting him.

"Not at all, Tatsuki-san. Was there something you needed my help with?"

"Nope!" Cheered the woman brightly. It seemed as though she didn't have a care in the world right now. Naruto checked his watch and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Shouldn't you be working about now?" He asked. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Shouldn't you be at the academy?"

"I would be, but it seems I am to be abducted instead. Any reason you chose to do this?" She gave him a slight pout. "I've earned enough for today and have nothing else to do."

"You mean to tell me you're just bored?"

"Yep!" Naruto gave a sigh. Why did he have to be the mature one?

"You know, you really are rather childish."

"And you're too damn stiff, loosen up a bit, have some fun." Countered Tatsuki.

"If you're implying what I think you may be implying, you should know my answer already. I'll collect when I'm rerady."

"Aw, spoil-sport. You should know I don't like debts hanging over my head. They have a tendency to bite you in the ass."

"Your debt is to an eight year old, how exactly will that harm you?" He asked. "And it's been what, a week? It will probably be years until I'm ready for such…activities."

"Oh? Are you saying I'm not tempting enough for an eight year-old boy?"

"And now you sound like a pedophile." He used his left hand to rub the bridge of his nose. "Sometimes my maturity seems more a curse than anything else."

"Alright then, mister mature, you can pay for lunch."

"Exhibit A."

She gave him another pouty-face. "Aw, don't be like that. Would it help if I called you Tou-san? Maybe Tou-Sama?"

"I swear, I'm going to have grey hairs before I'm a teen."

She gave a giggle. "It will make you look more regal, don't worry about it. Besides, then people will only assume you're short, not young."

"I'm having second thoughts about lunch with you, Tatsuki-san."

"No, that won't do." The woman whined. "You need to call me Darling or Princess or something. If you don't I'm going to cry, you don't want me to start crying, do you daddy?"

"I preferred your flirtatious side. This childish side, while fitting, does not really become you, Tatsuki-san." She sent him a glare, but remained silent, halting their movement so that they were simply standing in the street.

After a few moments of silence, he gave in and asked; "What?"

Still, nothing.

He gave a deep sigh.

"This childish behavior is not really becoming of you, Tatsuki-Hime." Her eyes brightened in delight as she gave him the biggest grin he had ever seen. Sweeping him up into a hug, she spun him around once before putting him back down and patting the top of his head.

"Good boy, Naruto-Kun. That wasn't too hard now, was it?"

"I'm really not sure you're worth all this trouble. You think we could renegotiate so that I paid for you to stay away?" A quick hit to his head was his response as she gave him a sultry smirk.

"Oh, it's far too late to turn back now, you have to man up and finish what you started. Besides," She paused to indicate her figure. "You'll know exactly how worth it I am once you finally accept what's yours." She looked to him, only to find him searching through his hair.

"What are you doing?" She asked, hands on her hips.

"Searching for my first grey hair." Came his even response.

"Wha-"

"Ah! Found it!" He pulled from his head a single grey hair, which he proudly presented to her. "I hope you're happy, Tatsuki-san. At this rate I won't make twenty."

"Wh-what? But…how…why….when?" The poor girl was rather confused at this and Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at her dismay. It wasn't really his hair, but rather one from the ANBU agent he had just spoken to. It was only by chance that it had fallen off the taller man and landed on his own crimson nest of hair.

He wouldn't, however, be admitting that to Tatsuki.

"Alright, now that we've confirmed that you're going to be the death of me, let's get something to eat."

She simply trailed behind him, still trying to determine whether or not she had really started giving the boy grey hairs.

"Come on, keep up!" He called. "It's my treat!"

She instantly sped up to match him. Tatsuki was not one to turn down a free meal, especially when she would get to spend time with her little friend. She had spent much of her own life alone; this new sense of companionship was refreshing. He wasn't trying to get something out of her, he didn't pry about her past, and he didn't seem to judge her occupation. In the presence of this small boy, she could finally relax and be herself, and for that she was grateful.

"Wait up, I'm in heels!" He just laughed, pausing to let her catch up and wrap one of her arms around his own.

'Is this what having a friend is like?' He looked at her pleasant smile and couldn't help but give his own grin at the warmth and happiness that spread throughout his chest. 'I like it.'

Regardless of how powerful he would become or where his life might take him, Tatsuki would always hold a special place within his heart and mind as his very first friend. He would never imagine anyone else being better suited to it than the childish young woman on his arm.

Deep within a seal, two crimson eyes narrowed.

Sand, sand, and even more sand. Naruko gave a sigh as she cast her gaze over the horizon.

'This place is stupid.'

The land of wind was aptly named, but perhaps 'barren wasteland of nothingness and sandy irritation' would have been a bit more fitting. As the wind one again tried to remove her hood to play with her long blonde hair, she turned to watch as her mother received directions from the captain of the ship that had taken them here.

Rather than go through Suna and crossing most of Kaze no Kuni, the two Uzumaki women had headed north from the fire capital and hired a ship to take them to a port on the far north-western part of Kaze no Kuni.

So as to not lose the natural defense of the desert, Wind Country's capital was not a port city, but rather two days walk from the largest port- Sandfish City. Two days, however, was nothing compared to the month and a half they would have taken trying to get to the capital any other way. The distance itself should only take half that, but constant sandstorms and blistering heat effectively doubled the time it took to make the journey.

Naruko shook sand out of her shoes as her mother approached looking as comfortable as she might have if they were back in Konoha. The young girl had no idea how her mother was unaffected by this horrid place.

"Please tell me we're borrowing horses or something."

Her mother's happy "Nope!" was far too cheerful for Naruko's tastes.

"Great." Groaned the girl. She already knew this was going to be a horrible experience.

"That's my girl, ever the optimist!" Kushina had noticed the sarcasm but, like most negative things, she chose to ignore it. They were on a trip and by the gods they were going to enjoy it to the best of their ability.

"Yeah, optimism, yippee."

It took three days for them to make it to the capital due to an unexpected sandstorm, but they both arrived healthy and safe, if not a bit grouchy.

"I swear, when we get out of here, I'm never going to want to see this damn sand ever again." Naruko was promptly bopped over the head by her mother, who was straining to keep a happy face.

"Language, dear." Chided the woman. Now, where was that entrance?

Naruko took her time to look up at what they had finally come to. She was rather disappointed. Before them was a large ring of mud that stretched in either direction until it faded into the horizon. The top of this mud wall seemed to curve back into itself, as if to discourage those who might try to scale it, but Naruko had a feeling that it had to be something more to it than that.

"Ah, there it is, we must have been set off course by that storm." Her mother proudly proclaimed, pointing to a small smudge in the distance. As minutes turned to hours, Naruko came to learn that the smudge was in truth two rectangular walls growing parallel to the mud ring. The two walls were almost impossible to see, however, as sand had built up on either side, probably from that recent storm. The two women were lucky that the great mass of sand had stuck out well enough for them to take note of it.

There weren't too many trying to gain access to the city between the two walls, so the two quickly passed into the mud ring. Naruko froze at the sight.

She had formed her opinion far too soon.

The city must have extended for miles below her, carved painstakingly from sandstone. The walls were all smoothed down, engraved with great images of the land of wind's history. Everywhere her eyes could see, great bridges stretched from points that seemed random to connect every part of the city together. And then, there in the middle, was the palace.

The Emerald Obelisk was well named, a giant tower of jade green that rose up from the black depths of the city. Vines of gold and silver grew upon the tower, ending periodically in great ivory flowers blooming proudly in the desert sun.

Naruko was rendered speechless.

"It's great, isn't it?" The girl could only nod in response. Kushina slapped her on the back with a laugh. "Well, come on then, we can appreciate the sights starting tomorrow. For now, let's see about getting us some more appropriate clothes for the climate and finding a good place to spend the night.

Naruko followed her mother for a few minutes before something occurred to her. "You know, Kaa-chan, we're going to have to bring back an entire new wardrobe with us when we return to Konoha.

"Oh, and why's that?"

"Well, I don't know about mine, but I have a feeling that a lot of your clothes will have vanished with Jiraiya having access to the house."

Kushina gave a bark of laughter.

"Yeah, that is probably something he would do." She paused to ruffle the girl's hair. "But don't you worry, Kaa-chan thought ahead and reset the seals so that only the clan head can access them."

"And Nii-Kun too, right?"

"That's right. Remember at breakfast when I gave him that hug while he was eating?"

"Yeah, that was right before your food caught on fire."

Kushina gave Naruko an angry pout, reminded of the mishap.

"Yes, well, while I gave him that hug, I used a seal to copy his chakra signature to add to the sealing matrix."

"So, was that before or after you tried to burn the house down?"

"Why you little brat!" Naruko raised her hands in surrender. With a sigh, Kushina crossed her arms over her chest.

"You know as well as I it had to be after. First I got the signature, then I saved my breakfast, then we both wished your brother a good first day of school."

"And after that we grabbed our things and left to wait for that Tsunade lady you told me about." Finished Naruko.

"Exactly." Confirmed Kushina, turning away. Her daughter's next words made her world freeze.

"So when did you add Nii-Kun to the matrix?"

Kushina's stomach twisted into a million knots as her heart leapt into her throat. A feeling of cold despair and helplessness flooded her being, cloaking her fully in a blanket of shadow that threatened to drown her as it pulled her down into a never-ending abyss.

Her legs couldn't hold her anymore as she collapsed to her knees upon the sandstone walkway.

"No, no, no." She mumbled, desperately trying to convince herself it wasn't true. "I have to have added him, I know I added him. When did I add him?"

If he wasn't added he couldn't get in. If he couldn't get in he wouldn't be able to get her instructions. If he couldn't get in he didn't have access to everything she had left for him. If he couldn't get in, he'd never get her letter.

Numbness replaced the despair, which was quickly overcome by a sense of urgency she had not felt since the Kyuubi had escaped her seal.

No, this was no time to freeze up. Tsunade was in Konoha. Kurenai was in Konoha. Hiruzen, Mikoto, and Kakashi were in Konoha. But she had to make sure. She had to have confirmation that he was alright, that he was taken care of. They all should have a general idea of what was going on, that should be enough to reassure her son that she hadn't abandoned him. She'd be back, just not now, not until he was ready.

Not until she was sure he was safe from that.

Launching herself onto her feet, she grabbed Naruko's arm and began to run.

"Kaa-chan? Where are we going?"

"We have to contact Hiruzen, now!"

The two made their way to the mail station with haste, but it would make little difference. To send a letter across the deserts of Kaze no Kuni into Hi no Kuni by bird would take at least a week due to sandstorms and sending it by boat to the fire capital for delivery would take twice that. The two women would spend the next two weeks in Kaze no Kuni's amazing capital, but neither would be able to enjoy it, their thoughts fully occupied by one Uzumaki Naruto and his current situation.

A response from the Sandaime Hokage would arrive at the end of those two weeks, curt and to the point, but it would do little to assuage their worries. Nevertheless, they would press on, determined to follow through with this trip and leaving Naruto to the care of those within Konohagakure.

It was, perhaps, not their greatest decision.

Within the seal, two ruby lips parted to give a grin of pearly white.

It was a wonderful feeling after a long day of working, training, and dealing with Tatsuki that his dirty clothes melted off his form, replaced by a crisp, clean suit of midnight black.

Walking down the narrow pathway of black marble, he enjoyed the simple pleasure that came with each click of his shoes upon the freshly waxed floor. Soft green light illuminated his path, casting shadows that danced to the flickering of a non-existent breeze.

When he reached the large doors of dark wood he did not hesitate, walking through them just as they opened for his passing, shutting quietly behind the one in control of this realm. He took his place at the empty table and waited for this world's occupant to join him. It did not take her more than a minute.

She walked down the left staircase, her long red dress trailing behind her. She seemed rather surprised to see him there, but that didn't stop a smirk from crossing over those ruby lips. Wordlessly she took her own seat, leaning back with a single brow raised.

After a moment she finally spoke.

"Care to explain?"

"I don't know all that much about Biju, I must admit, but we humans call this an evening meal." Two plates appeared as he said that, seasoned rabbit on rice with a side of sautéed vegetables. It was nothing special or complicated, but seeing as she hadn't eaten since before she was sealed within Uzumaki Mito herself it was rather significant.

"Oh?" She tried to hide her shock and delight, but it was easily read by the young man. "And what do you have to accompany this meal?"

He shook his head, almost remorseful. "Sadly, I still cannot provide you with drinks more suited to your tastes. One of these days I will need to get ahold of something suitable so that we may have a proper meal. "

As he said this, a glass appeared by her hand and began filling itself.

"Tonight, I've decided to go with apple juice."

She laughed. It seemed like such a childish choice for a drink, but that's what he was, a child. It really was far too easy to forget his true age.

"I'm sure it will go well with tonight's meal, warden."

He gave her a grin. "I certainly hope so; I had no idea what to go with."

"You know," She smirked, taking a sip of her juice. "Sometimes it's best to keep your mouth shut and accept good results as though it was part of your plan."

"A sound bit of advice, Mito, I'll try to remember it."

"See to it you do, young warden. Silence can get you far in life, especially in your chosen profession."

With that the conversation came to a halt, both savoring their evening meal. It was a comfortable atmosphere between the two of them, despite hardly having interacted before, just two people enjoying the fact that they weren't alone.

Despite not having been in much company lately, Naruto still craved the presence of others. He wasn't used to being alone and much preferred a sentient being to his own thoughts. When he was with others he could forget about those annoying doubts and questions that plagued him still, which meant that simple things like a lunch with Tatsuki had become rather welcome.

Mito, on the other hand, had not had much company for decades. Sure, there was the occasional glimpse of outside life that she could pull from her hosts, or the stray thoughts that made their way to her, but that was all second hand. This was the first time in many, many years that she had shared a meal with someone and she was enjoying it immensely.

When both had finished with their food and now slowly nursed their drinks, Mito decided to start up a conversation.

"So, I sensed quite a bit of happiness from you earlier, dear warden. " She began. "Something about a girl by the name of Tatsuki, if I am not mistaken?"

Naruto was immediately on guard, something that caused Mito to frown.

"Yes, that is correct, fox, what of it?" She flinched when he referred to her as 'fox', hoping she hadn't undone all of her work so easily.

"I was just curious, dear warden." She tried to assure him. "Unlike with your sister, I cannot view your memories, nor do I always get to hear your thoughts. It's only when you're experiencing high levels of emotions that I can get a glimpse into the mind of my warden. So, when a feeling of happiness and the name 'Tatsuki' hit me at the same time, I became rather curious as to who this girl could be. She must be rather…special."

"She is the first person I can call a friend. I was rather happy to be able to say so." Mito hummed in acknowledgement but didn't seem satisfied as she leaned back deeply into her chair.

"I see. She must be quite extraordinary to have drawn your attention."

"She is certainly…different." Naruto admitted. "But I enjoy her company."

"Of course," Mito gave a strained grin. "It's important to have those we enjoy being around."

Naruto nodded. "I quite agree."

An uncomfortable silence descended upon the pair until Naruto finally spoke up.

"Say, Mito." He began, meeting her eyes. "Before your imprisonment, were you close to anyone?"

She seemed a bit off guard from the question, but recovered soon enough.

"I- well, no, I don't suppose I really did. We- the Biju- had a father, of sorts, but we weren't really close to him. I did spend a lot of time in a human form much like you see now, but even then I mostly kept to myself."

"A pity then." He said rather solemnly. "Everyone should have a pack."

A pack- she thought that was rather fitting for the boy. He was, after all, much like a wounded animal as he tried to survive on the streets of Konoha. If he actually did have a pack, however, he could probably go pretty far. She would be curious to see what would become of such a pack, actually. It should prove rather amusing.

"Well said, warden. Are you looking to start a pack with this Tatsuki?" His rather large blush was more than enough to tell her he hadn't even thought about doing such a thing before now.

"Oh? You seemed so happy with her; I would have assumed you had at least considered taking her as a…mate." His blush grew darker as she grinned.

"W-well," He confessed. "I will need to…erm…partake in her services eventually."

"Services?" The Kyuubi questioned.

"Erm, yes. She's uh, um, a prostitute." Mito began laughing.

"Oh, has the heart of the Uzumaki prince been stolen by the prostitute? It sounds like a forbidden romance novel."

"It's a bit more complicated than that, thankfully. I killed the one who was going to be her client and she refused to accept some of the money he had on him unless she earned it."

"Oh, so what happened?"

"I, uh, offered her payment in advance, so that later when I'm, erm, ready for such things, we can call it even."

"Why, that's an interesting story you have there, little warden. I'm interested in seeing how this ends."

"Yeah, me too, honestly. I have no idea if I'll ever be able to bring myself to accept her services for the night. She's my first friend, I'm not sure I could use her like that."

"I'm sure you'll figure out something." She assured him "Now, I do believe it's time for you to get some rest. You have to get up for the academy in the morning after all, do you not?"

He gave her a nod. "I do. I'll see you tomorrow evening then, Mito." Standing up, he moved to the large doors behind him and disappeared into the darkness of the seal.

He'd be back again tomorrow, and the next day, and every day after that to share a meal with his ward.

She was, after all, his responsibility.

A deep exhale of smoke came from his mouth as he removed his beloved pipe and set it down on his desk near his hat. It would appear locking him out really hadn't been a part of the plan, he had figured as much, but for her to simply have forgotten to add her son to the matrix? That was just shameful.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Hiruzen scanned the letter once more. She had quite obviously written it in haste, as many of the questions and requests were repeated several times in this jumbled mess of words. It was almost as if Kushina herself was in the room trying to speak as she sobbed her head off.

Grabbing a spare piece of parchment, he quickly wrote down his reply, covering what seemed to be her biggest questions. With any luck, his lack of detailed explanation might force her to return; he had never supported this little plan of hers, it was just too easy for things to go wrong. She had thought he was just being pessimistic and paranoid, the current evidence proved otherwise.

'Kushina,' He wrote. 'We are aware that Naruto is not accepted by the clan compound, as it activated its defenses on him almost a month ago. He has fully recovered from his injuries. Tsunade did indeed return to the village and was here when the compound rejected him. He continues, to the best of my knowledge, attending the academy. I do not know the extent of your plans for his care in your absence and would recommend your immediate return to sort out everything else.'

Signing and dating the letter, he sent it back to the capital of Kaze no Kuni, hoping that Kushina would see reason and return for his son.

A week later, his hopes would be proven empty as her reply informed him that she trusted the plans she had in place and knew she wouldn't be able to leave again should she return. They would be continuing with their trip.

Giving a sigh, Hiruzen would toss the letter into one of his desk drawers and hope that Kushina's preparations were as good as she believed them to be.

Because it wasn't as if things hadn't gone wrong already.

Iruka grinned as he looked at the graded test in his hands. He had been right about that kid; he was a damn fast learner. Considering the fact that he was only here for parts of class and observed the rest from the tree outside, it was rather impressive that he had scored full marks on his tests over the past two weeks.

He had been concerned, of course, about the student who never entered the building, but those fears were put to rest when, on the day of the test, he had climbed up to the second story window and slipped into an empty seat without any of his classmates noticing.

The civilian who was sitting next to him nearly had a heart attack when he finally noticed him.

Naturally, he had left once his test was done, but he had received full marks. The boy must have had some really good eyesight to see and understand what he wrote on the board from that distance or Iruka really was as loud as people told him he was.

He really hopped it was the former.

The boy had come through again when it came to practical exams, quickly demonstrating the required technique and knowledge before disappearing to go do whatever it was he did. Unfortunately, his full marks in exams were countered by his lack of actual attendance and his refusal to appear for any of the quizzes. It was almost as if the boy didn't really care about schooling and only participated as much as he did to confirm he understood what he needed to be a shinobi.

It reminded Iruka of back during the third shinobi war, when students were taught only what was deemed necessary to their survival and success before being shipped off to kill and die in the name of Konohagakure. No one cared what you scored on your quiz, or how many days you may have missed, they just wanted to see that you knew what you were doing.

Naruto seemed to know what he was doing.

And so, one could possibly say that Iruka had taken upon himself a third shinobi war mentality with the boy, allowing him to pass so long as he proved himself capable through the various examinations they had. He would be the lowest mark, of course, but at this point, he doubted the boy cared.

'Go on, Naruto, show them all what it is to be a shinobi. I look forward to seeing just how far you'll go.'

She breathed deeply the multitude of heavenly spices that saturated the small stand as she took a stool, idly scanning the large menu board posted behind the counter for a picture that looked the most appetizing.

"Welcome to Ichiraku's, what can I get for you today?" Asked the waitress, a pretty young brunette that seemed rather happy to be able to interact with a customer. The stand had been empty despite the wonderful aroma that wafted from it; the poor girl must have been terribly bored.

"Whatever you recommend, I can't decide." Came the answer. Her thoughts were far away from ordering lunch, focused instead on her master's odd behavior.

"Alright! I'll have that right out for you!" The girl gave a quick bow before retreating into the back of the stall, leaving Shizune alone with her thoughts.

'What's gotten into you, Tsunade-Sama?' She wondered. A week ago she had told the woman of the little thief she had seen and the woman went into a panic. The following morning she had stormed out of the house as if hell itself was on her heels. She returned later that day looking no more at ease then she had been upon her departure and immediately tried to squeeze every drop of information concerning the little thief from her apprentice.

Shizune still didn't know what it was about the boy that had her master so upset and Tsunade refused to tell her. Of course, if Tsunade wouldn't tell her, maybe the little thief would be able to shed some light on the subject for her.

Someone else entered the stall, sitting a stool away to her left. Looking at them through the corner of her eye, she found a grin make its way upon her face.

'Speak of the devil and he shall appear.'

He was covered in his brown cloak like usual, but made no effort to return the red hair that was trying to escape back into the confines of his hood. His purple eyes locked with hers for only a moment before going to the menu board.

"Oh! Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen, I hope you haven't been waiting too long." The waitress was back, setting down Shizune's food with a quick "Enjoy" before turning her attention fully to her newest customer.

"I've only just arrived, your timing is impeccable." His voice was rather bland, taking away from what the two women assumed to have been meant as a compliment.

'Ah, is that how his voice sounds? If I hadn't heard the rumors I'd assume he's just short, not a child who hasn't reached his teens. Still, to talk like that when he's supposed to be so young is impressive, if not a bit off-putting. It's like talking to an adult trapped within the body of a child.'

"I see." The waitress seemed a bit nervous at this point, and as she kept talking it was easy for Shizune to figure out why. "Well, I'm sorry to have to ask you this- really, I am- but you do have money, don't you? It's not like I think you might be trying to eat and run but with your, um, appearance and all,-"

The unfortunate girl was stopped from her rambling as he sat a pouch of coins on the counter and pushed them over to her.

"I understand completely and take no offence." He said, his voice still even and dull. "I'll take the Uzumaki special."

"The Uzumaki special?" Asked the waitress, surprised that he even knew of that particular unlisted menu item. "Are you sure? It's rather large and pretty pricey."

He waved off her concern. "I am familiar with the dish, thank you."

'So, he's got some sort of connection to the Uzumaki. Could it be as easy as him being an Uzumaki prince? It would make sense, I guess, but the last Uzumaki I knew of was Uzumaki Kushina. It couldn't be her son, could it?'

Lost in thought as she was, Shizune didn't realize she was staring at the boy. He, however, was well aware.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Broke her out of her thoughts, causing her to blush in slight embarrassment.

"Ah, sorry, I was lost in my thoughts." She paused. This was a good an opportunity as any to sate her curiosity. "Um, if it's not too much trouble, do you think you would be willing to answer some questions I have?"

She could barely make out the brow that rose within the confines of his hood. "I do not see any harm in you asking."

"Well, it's just that I mentioned running into you, and the rumors that have been going around about you, to my master. Once I told her about your hair and eyes she seemed rather distraught. I asked her about it, but she won't tell me. I was hoping you might be able to tell me about your connection to my master."

"I have very few connections outside my immediate family, and even those are rather strained at the moment. What is the name of your master?"

"Senju Tsunade."

"The Slug Sannin?" He sounded just as confused as she was. "I do not know of any personal connection I might have to the woman, but it is possible she knew one of my parents."

"I see." Frowned Shizune, slightly disappointed. That told her absolutely nothing. "You mentioned your parents, you wouldn't happen to be an Uzumaki, would you?"

The question seemed to hurt him, as he flinched. "I am of…Blood-relation to the Uzumaki, yes."

'Ah, stupid Shizune, he mentioned his family relations were rather strained at the moment.'

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any painful memories."

"Its fine, I need to accept them anyway. Hiding from reality isn't going to help me any. Did you have any more questions?"

"Just one, if you don't mind. I heard that you found yourself alone and locked out of your compound. Did your family really abandon you?" Even as she asked it, she regretted it. What could have possibly driven her to ask such a question when he had already shown a bad reaction to the simple mention of his family?

The boy stood up and turned to leave, pausing at the flaps of the stand. It was quiet and she almost missed it, but the emptiness seemed to echo within her very soul.

"I don't know."

He stood a moment longer before speaking at a more audible tone. "Your food's going cold; you should enjoy it before it does."

And with that he left into the bustling streets of Konoha.

Shizune felt like hitting her head against the counter.

"Alright, here we have-" The waitress paused, confused at her customer's disappearance and turned towards the only one in the stand.

"I, uh, may have asked him some questions that made him uncomfortable."

"Oh, so you scarred off my customer, did you?" Shinobi or not, Shizune found herself terrified at the irritated waitress before her.

"He left his coin pouch." She pointed out weakly, only to watch as the young civilian worker casually knocked it over the counter so it fell out of sight.

"Really?" Asked the girl. "Then where is it? You aren't lying to me, are you?"

"I-I'll pay for it." Oh gods this was going to empty her wallet; the bowl the girl was carrying was massive!

"Damn right you will, did you want that to go?"

Ichiraku Ayame was someone Shizune vowed to never cross again.

As he sat upon the gates of Konoha and watched the sunset, Naruto couldn't believe it had been two weeks already.

'No, two weeks since I was released from the hospital, it's been a month.'

One month ago his family had vanished without warning and now, a month later, Naruto couldn't tell how he felt about it.

He had been confused, scared, sad, and even angry at the thought of the two that left him, but as he spent his time finding his next meal or scavenging for some equipment to practice with, he found that such feelings really didn't help him.

Perhaps he just needed to accept it, to move on, to find himself a new family, a new pack, but thoughts of his two suns still lingered within his heart and soul.

'Will I ever be free of them? Can I really cast them away as easily as they left me?'

His eyes were drawn to the dying light of the sun.

'Every sun must set, I suppose.'

But another thought hit him.

'A sun may set, but it does not disappear. Each and every star is someone's sun; perhaps those two are simply someone else's now.'

It was time for him to find a new sun, a new purpose, because whatever the reason, his suns had disappeared, and there was nothing he could do about it. They might rise again one day, appearing within his life without warning, but he'd deal with that day when it made itself known. Until then, there was nothing to do but keep moving forward.

With a sigh he stood, determined to find a place to sleep for the night. Once he found it, it would be time for an evening meal with his ward. Mito had become a comforting constant in this new life of his and he was grateful for it. She was a fixed point, unchanging, and that allowed him to center himself.

Without her, all his days would blend together in a never ending quest for his next meal or somewhere warm to sleep. Without her, he feared he might lose himself within this new life. Without her, he'd probably be little more than an animal at this point.

Being honest with himself, Naruto didn't know what he would do-

Without her.

See you all next week.