"No more Kakashi."

"Lady Hokage?"

"As soon as you've rested, I'm reassigning you to your old squad." Tsunade argued with finality. Just as she had promised herself, she was done entertaining, whatever game he was playing.

"You may want to hold off on that." Kakashi simply countered.

"And why is that." She demanded, impatiently.

"It appears the Mist village, isn't as enthusiastic of our alliance with the Stone."

Folding her arms and leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes in silent contemplation. Debating within herself as she did so. Something like this needed an immediate response, they couldn't afford for the Mist to get involved and jeopardize this alliance. Finally making up her mind, she reopened her eyes.

"Go on."

…..

"Finally! Took you long enough Kakashi sensei."

"Naruto wha-?"

Not two steps into his apartment and Kakashi was left dumbfounded, by not only Naruto's presence actually in his apartment, but the fact that his apartment looked like a tornado had somehow taken up residence.

"Hope you don't mind too much, we sorta crashed here, while we were waiting for you to get back."

That much was obvious.

"I can see that, We?"

Turning he wasn't all that surprised, to find Sai entering from his kitchen area, with a smile that could only belong to, well Sai, and a small wave of his hand in greeting.

"Sorry about the mess sensei, I'll get my clones on it in no time." Naruto promised from behind him. Returning his attention to his former pupil, he couldn't help releasing, an exhausted sigh, he had gotten too old to keep up with whatever he was up to.

"Captain Yamato was here too, but he got called out on a mission, not that long ago."

"I assume then, there's a reasonable explanation you all decided to commandeer my apartment?" He questioned idly, as he went about trying to find somewhere safe to rest his gear.

"Oh, we were just worried about you that's all, you haven't been around much you know?"

He paused, hearing those words. He did know.

A small pensive frown (not that they could see), etched itself beneath his masked face. It had been almost 10 months since they'd had their last mission together. It turns out though he had meant it at the time, he had ultimately lied to Sakura, when he told her everything would be ok. In the end, it seemed he had let them down too.

"Don't worry, we get it." His former student tried in his own way to reassure him. "It's just, when you have some time, its ok to join us at the fields for training, you know."

For Naruto to have matured in such a way, without him even noticing, was a testament to just how out of touch he had truly become. Even So, he was grateful, even after all this time, that he still had their support.

"Thanks."

….

*Knock *knock

"Come in." Tsunade directed.

"Excuse me, m'lady, I have the reports you requested." Shuffling into her master's office, Sakura carefully maneuvered her pile of documents, shifting them in such a way that they wouldn't fall over.

She paused, as her eyes were greeted by a familiar pair of kind, charcoal eyes.

"Oh Itsuke, I didn't know you would be coming to the leaf." She offered up surprised, considering the last few months, having him here in the village was a pleasant one.

"Hello Sakura." He turned to fully face her, for a moment her heart skipped just a milli second of a beat. They hadn't seen or heard from each other for over two months, yet still, a wave of nostalgia crashed upon her with warm memories, of playful lunch conversations and peaceful evening walks in the stone village gardens. After all this time his smile was as warm as ever.

"I was assigned as an envoy between the Stone and Leaf."

"That's great will you be here for long then?"

"A few days actually, then I have to return once more."

"Well I guess it's my turn to show you around huh?" Sakura seemed to be teasing him, clearly there was more to the conversation that only they knew. Whatever it was, Tsunade would put money on it, it had to be good, she could tell just by the way he was awkwardly rubbing at the back of his head and the rapidly emerging blush on his freckled face.

Well would you look at that. She had noticed a much-welcomed boost to her students' spirit ever since her return, however she had mostly chalked it up to having a change in environment and Naruto's infectious personality. She never imagined anything like this. Clearly, she had missed something and unlike before, she wouldn't stand idly by.

"I'm glad you came when you did Sakura." Tsunade came in, interrupting the two.

"Do you have another assignment for me, lady Tsunade?"

"Yes, I'd like for you to be Itsuke's escort, while he's here in the village."

Tsunade had to be careful with this one, he was almost as subtle as Naruto, he looked almost stunned out of his mind.

"Me, m'lady?" Sakura not far behind.

"Yes, you Sakura, is there a problem?"

"Oh no ma'am!" She quickly insisted, perhaps too quickly, before turning to Itsuke, a blush of her own.

"I'm ready to go whenever you are.