Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. However, the original characters and plot of this fic belong to me.

Author Notes: Yes, back again. Not really much to say except thanks for the reviews and enjoy.

Chapter 32: The Arrangement

Naruto walked inside the huge building, ignoring the countless people at work inside. They were all busy handling paperwork or other activities. The atmosphere hadn't changed since the last time he had been here. It was still a hectic environment where everyone worked efficiently and quickly. The matters of economy, governance and the way of life in the village were handled here.

Naruto passed through the centre of the hallway and began to climb the shining silver steps. He hadn't bothered returning home the night prior, instead falling asleep on the beach. Upon awakening, he had decided what he needed to do before anything else. Reaching the top of the stairs, the sun shone through the glass ceiling. It brightened his spiky yellow hair.

Arriving at his destination, he opened the wooden doors. The conversations occurring within instantly stopped and several heads turned his way. The jinchuuriki observed the several figures, all seated around a long table. They were the advisors of Hideaki and the leader himself was seated at the end of the table.

Hideaki put his papers to a side and addressed his companions, "We'll finish discussing this later. Make sure to prepare the appropriate amount of weapons and nourishment."

The group of men and women stood up from the table, all exchanging glances with Naruto upon leaving. There were individuals of various ages, all gifted with intellect and physical prowess.

Sakumo was the only other person who remained behind with Hideaki, and closed the door behind Naruto when the advisors had departed. "We weren't expecting you."

Naruto strolled around the table, coming to a stop near the window behind Hideaki. He gazed upon the village of the Confederation, the sky full of glorious white birds, "I want you to train me."

Hideaki didn't turn around in his chair, simply clasping his hands, "What brought about your change of heart?"

"I don't know what the future holds…" Naruto closed his eyes, "…whether I'll be able to fly like you said, or finally be at peace. But I can't let Hajin get away with everything he has done. That's why I'm asking you…" He faced the old man, sincerity etched within his eyes, "…please, train me."

"You've undergone the first two stages of the training programme already. But, the amount of time you've been inactive will have affected your abilities a great deal." Hideaki took a deep breath, "You're not ready to undergo the final step."

Naruto sighed, a despondent expression appearing across his countenance, "I know I'm a lot weaker than before, but I won't give up."

Sakumo smiled underneath his mask, "Those are the words I've been waiting to hear. You won't give up because that was your way of the ninja."

Naruto was stunned; remembering that he had given up on his path as a shinobi. But now he was back on that same trail. He nodded, "I won't take back my words and I won't ever give up; that is my way of the ninja."

Hideaki stood up, "What you need is training partners. Along with me and Sakumo, a few more will push you beyond your limits. This will help your body remember what it used to be, and quickly set us on our course to help you reach beyond that limit."

Naruto smiled, "Thank you." Turning around, he moved towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Hideaki asked the man.

Naruto looked back over his shoulder, "I need a training partner right? I know just the person." He left the chamber, his mind already made up.

Sakumo folded his arms, turning his attention back to Hideaki, "It seems Yuudai's faith in him wasn't misplaced."

"Indeed." Hideaki stroked his beard before watching over his village, the people dashing through the streets and the children playing. He remembered one of the last talks he ever had with Yuudai, one which changed his outlook on certain things.

Flashback

"I'm surprised to see you here, why the sudden visit?" Hideaki placed his pen down.

Yuudai unwrapped the mask around his face, putting it on the table. "Akatsuki has caught every bijuu except for the Kyuubi. We failed in stopping them."

Hideaki sighed, knowing that their plans hadn't been very successful. The organisation turned out trickier than expected. "Naruto is still with us and it isn't over until every last one is collected. But, what do you suggest?"

"I want to fight him." Yuudai didn't make eye contact with the old man.

Hideaki's shock was imprinted across his face, "No, you're not good enough. You know this already."

"He's the one who's pulling all the strings. Without him, the organisation will be futile." Yuudai said in a serious manner.

"I can't risk your life Yuudai." Hideaki uttered his words calmly.

Yuudai was intrigued, "Why not? What makes me so special?"

Hideaki cleared his throat, "I don't plan on leading this group forever. I will step down and I want you to take over. Do you now understand why I can't have you die in battle against him?"

"What about Naruto?" Yuudai asked.

Hideaki shook his head, "I don't understand."

"Apart from me, who else is there willing to face him? If he isn't defeated then Naruto will always be in danger. I…" He hesitated before resuming, "…can't let him hurt Naruto."

"You've grown fond of him, haven't you?" Hideaki was smiling.

Yuudai was surprised by the bluntness. He answered anyway, "He's different from others that I've met. He always looks at the best qualities of a person. I want him to continue to grow."

Hideaki had a serious demeanour. "With or without you?"

Yuudai was confused by the question, realising at that moment that he wouldn't mind anything as long as he could stay with the boy he took under his care. But at the same time, he would do anything to ensure he had a future. The answer as to why escaped him though.

Hideaki chuckled, "I'm coming with you to the encampment when you go back. I'm interested in seeing how Naruto has grown since I last saw him."

End Flashback

XXXXXXXXXX

Hajin brushed his red hair back, sweat trickling down the side of his face. He was seated on the ground, cross-legged. He still hadn't finished drawing the seals completely, now feeling annoyed with whoever destroyed the ground in the first place. Due to the mist, he hadn't seen who the culprit was but it still infuriated him.

Feeling the ground slightly shaking, a smile formed on his face; he knew what that represented. Vanishing from his position, he appeared on a building at the edge of the ruins. Overlooking the entire landscape, he observed the thousands of shinobi walking towards his location. They were all wearing the insignia of Iwa proudly, with Tenjou leading in front of them.

Hajin waited until the huge army halted in front of the ruins. Tenjou continued into the ruins and jumped to the crown of the building. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, "I've gathered most of the shinobi. There are those who have remained behind in order to send caravans with provisions regularly."

"That is for the best. We need to rely on them for support and the village can't go completely unprotected; it wouldn't be wise." Hajin responded calmly, his eyes focused on his army. The size was grand and the sight itself filled the Tsuchikage with pride. It had taken him over a decade but he had restored Iwa's strength. All that remained was to establish its position as the most glorious of all villages.

"Gen and Tai haven't returned yet." Tenjou recognised their absence swiftly. "I suppose scouring countries takes a long time. Maybe I should head out to help."

Hajin stared at the sky, the sun beating down, "No, you need to remain here. I still haven't completed the seals and the army needs someone overlooking it." He turned around, "Gen and Tai are capable of finding a scent if one has indeed been left behind."

Tenjou nodded, "Understood."

XXXXXXXXXX

Sakura sighed, blowing the dust away before leaning against the barricade. Her pink hair accentuated her beautiful face, her eyes glowing. She questioned where Naruto had wandered to, since he hadn't returned home the night prior. It confused her but her life always dragged her into uncomfortable situations. From the death of her team mate and the loss of another, peace seemed to come and go quickly.

She rested her head on the palm of her hand, staring at the fish playing in the pond. After learning about certain details about Naruto's life, she felt sorry for the man. It seemed his own life was treating him unfairly. His past in Konoha sounded terrible, but knowing he had lost people close to him in addition, made everything a lot worse.

"It seems like everyone has problems." Sakura said in a despondent tone. Her eyes twitched as she saw the gate to the garden open.

Naruto looked brighter than usual, walking along the path towards the entrance of his house. Upon seeing Sakura, he stopped for a moment. It looked as if he was contemplating something before eventually arriving at the wooden plateau.

Sakura watched him observe her before turning around and deciding to head elsewhere. The atmosphere was uneasy and she didn't like it.

"Wait." Naruto called out.

Sakura halted, looking back at the man questioningly.

Naruto started laughing in order to lighten the mood before scratching his head, "I owe you an apology." He adopted a more serious attitude, "The things I said to you, I shouldn't have. You were only trying to help."

Sakura fully turned to face the blonde, her thoughts in slight confusion; whatever was troubling the man had seemingly disappeared for the moment. She clasped her hands, responding coolly. "It's okay; you've been through a lot."

"If that was enough of an excuse to hurt people's feelings then a lot of us wouldn't be happy." Naruto grinned, "I appreciate what you did for me. It's nice having you around."

Sakura felt her words come to a stop at the tip of her tongue upon hearing his last statement. A slight tint of red coloured her cheeks, "Thank you."

Naruto opened the door to his house and walked through. As far as he knew, the person he was looking for should be here. Hearing the sounds of voices, he sauntered through the hallways of his house into one of his largest chambers.

The group from Konoha was gathered, all seated in different parts of the room. Their chatter silenced when they saw the new arrival. Naruto could see they were wary of speaking to him.

"Naruto-kun, are you feeling better?" Lee had genuine concern for the person he considered a friend.

Naruto took a deep breath, preparing himself to speak, "I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. I can't really explain myself but things are better now."

Jiraiya tapped his chin, noting the honesty he admired Minato for appearing in front of him again. "Don't worry about it. We all slip up at one point or another."

Neji agreed with the legendary ninja, "Every one has something which they regret. Not letting it eat you up is hard for us all."

Naruto was stunned, expecting a different reception. Nonetheless, his mood brightened and he smiled, "Well, you're all my guests. I should start acting like a better host. I'll treat every one of you to something later tonight."

Shikamaru played with the toothpick in his mouth, "What do you have in mind?"

"I'll think of something but make sure you're ready. Before that though…" His vision shifted to the Uchiha sitting in the corner, "…can I speak with you alone Sasuke?"

All of the eyes in the room focused on the warrior who was sitting nonchalantly. Sasuke stood up, showing he acknowledged the request. He walked past Naruto into the hallway.

"You're back then?" Konohamaru quickly asked before Naruto could leave.

Naruto thought of a few things, casually answering, "Yeah, I'm back. Your words helped." He left the room as Konohamaru was inwardly beaming.

Gai launched himself to his feet, "Konohamaru did something useful!"

Konohamaru's expression turned into a scowl, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Hey, hey, why are you making so much noise?" Tsunade's eyelids were half closed. She had noticeably been awoken from her slumber.

Tenten stared at the cards in her hand, before at her idol. It seemed like she had taken too long on her turn, "Uh, Hokage-sama, it's your turn now."

Tsunade picked up her cup of sake, "Finally!"

XXXXXXXXXX

The waves thrashed and exploded from the sea. The wind was rough while the water seemed to have a mind of its own. Tai dodged the wave coming towards her, running across the water. Her clothes and hair had been soaked and she was becoming irritated with the circumstances. "We can't get through!"

Gen was speeding along across the sea, avoiding the hammering waves. He was in a similar condition to that of his sister. They had travelled across the sea, eventually arriving near a humongous cyclone. Even completely circling it, both the Titans found no gap and it seemed as if the weather was becoming worse. The sight felt unreal and Gen knew the cyclone was not natural. Retreating, he rushed away from the waves as Tai followed.

Both of the ninjas came to a halt when they arrived at a calmer part of the sea. Tai was exhausted, clutching her knees, "What is with that thing?"

Gen was breathing hardly, "There's another presence here."

"You felt it too?" Tai was glad to know she wasn't imagining things due to her tiredness.

Gen stared into the sea, "When we got closer to the cyclone, the waves started getting worse. It was an attempt to keep us away."

Tai took off her mask, spitting into the sea, "The scent disappeared near that cyclone. It's big enough to hide a few islands in there judging from the circumference."

Gen watched closely, recognising the waves in the distance calming down slightly, "I think we found our targets. We should head back and let Hajin-sama know."

XXXXXXXXXX

"What did you want to speak to me for?" Sasuke asked, standing near the pond in the garden.

Naruto put his hands in his pockets, staring at the frog jumping out of the pond. It began hopping across the garden, coming to a halt under the shade of a plant. "I owe you my life."

Sasuke was puzzled, "What are you talking about?"

"Back in Konoha, you let me go. Then again in the ruins, you stopped Tenjou from ripping me in two." Naruto looked at the Uchiha, "Don't you think that counts?"

Sasuke realised what he was referring to. He had indeed tried to protect him but he didn't feel like he deserved his appreciation, "Don't thank me."

"Why not?" Naruto smiled, speaking serenely, "I don't believe in fate, I want to carve my own path. That new path that I make is the one I'll call my true destiny. We all have a choice in what we do, whether it's a good action or bad. You had a choice with me, and it ended up saving my life."

Sasuke listened to the retired shinobi. His words made sense but he couldn't accept them, knowing of what he had done. He closed his eyes, his head lowering, "One or two good choices don't make up for the repercussions of several bad ones."

"It's a start though, right?" Naruto resumed speaking, "You feel lost, I can tell."

Sasuke's eyes opened, looking directly at the face of the novelist, "What did you say?"

"I'm the same. I didn't know what to do for a long time; I kept questioning what I wanted." He smiled, his eyes hiding his pain, "But both of us, because we're sad, we're looking for hope."

Sasuke breathed heavily, his insides feeling contorted. Why was the man in front of him reading his soul? He hadn't been happy with his position, but he tried his hardest not to let people know what he was thinking.

"I need your help to train. I've decided on my new path and I want to forge it with my own hands. In return, I'll help you too." Naruto said.

Sasuke curiously reviewed the request, "Why do you want to help me?"

"What are friends for?" Naruto laughed.

Sasuke was intrigued by the choice of words. He hadn't interacted with the blonde many times but he did feel he understood him more than the usual person. "You don't know me."

"I already told you once before remember? I know what you've done; I don't hate you for it." He moved forward, holding his hand out, "What better way to look for a future is there except with a fresh start?"

Sasuke shook his head, "I don't what to forget my past; it made me who I am."

"But don't let it define who you'll become." Naruto kept his hand held outwards, waiting for the Uchiha to accept. "Don't you agree?"

Sasuke looked into the crimson eyes of the blonde, recognising the honesty within. Walking forwards, he clasped hands with the man. "You sound like an idiot." His grip tightened, a slight smirk appearing across his face, "But I guess I'll give you a chance to pay me back."

"Did you forget about us?" Kakashi was watching in amusement at the scene.

Naruto turned his head, "Eh? What do you want?"

Sakura was also with the Hatake, following him towards the two men in the garden. Kakashi placed his book inside his vest, "Sasuke is a part of our team. Wherever he goes, we follow."

Naruto looked at the older man before towards the kunoichi at his side. Sakura avoided direct eye contact with him as he answered, "Well, Hideaki-san did say I needed a few training partners."

Kakashi moved forward, holding up his hand. His eye was closed, taking the shape it always did when he smiled, "That's good news then. You can be a temporary member of our group. Welcome to Team 7, Naruto."

Author Notes: And so, a new Team 7 is born. As you should be able to tell, the relationship between them all is about to pick up and i can finally start concentrating on Naruto's training. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy it because i've got a new take on certain things which i'm sure you'll never have seen before. I look forward to reading your comments and laters.