AN: Yo! How's everyone doing? Hope you all are enjoying the break from school as much as i am, if you are in college that is, if you are in high school then enjoy the school days!

As promised here is another chapter from yours truely, i apologize if it is a little short, but i couldnt in good conscious spill this chapter over into the Chunin exams. Ill give you all an extra long chapter next time! Promise!

Disclaimer: I dont own Naruto

Chapter 3

Naruto was sitting cross legged atop the Yondaime Hokage's head, meditating as the sun peaked over the tops of the trees. He was deep in thought, planning his strategic emergence as the new Rikudo Sennin. He would have to do this delicately, if he went about this to hastily he was sure he would face resistance from the Council and the civilians, and that could delay his mission by months, something he wasn't willing to risk.

He opened his eyes and saw the first rays of the sun. "Absolutely stunning. It is hard to imagine such beauty exists in this broken world."

Naruto sighed and got himself up off the ground. "Guess I should meet with my team today."

Naruto closed his right eye and focused chakra to his left. "Kaumi"

Naruto shimmered out of existence and rematerialized at training ground 7. He knew his team met here every morning, and by the looks of it he had another two hours before anyone else would show. His eyes wondered over to the three training poles, and he walked over to the middle one. A smile spread across his face as he remembered being tied there for trying to sneakily eat the three lunches during the bell test.

"Taking a walk down memory lane are we?"

Naruto turned face to see his cycloptic Jounin sensei. "I guess you could call it that. I will miss this place when I'm gone, many fond memories here."

Kakashi looked deep in thought. "So Hokage-sama was serious…" Kakashi stepped towards his student, and when he was a foot from Naruto, he dropped to his knees.

"Please Naruto, forgive me! The entire time I had been your sensei I had made sure to keep my distance from you. I failed you as a sensei by subconsciously holding back on your training, and because of that you were captured and tortured. I abandoned you, a comrade and a student, and because of that I am lower than the maggots on a rotting carcass."

Naruto blinked in surprise. He didn't expect the prideful ex ANBU captain to so easily fall to his knees and admit his failures.

Naruto started chuckling. "Apology accepted."

Kakashi looked up in disbelief, and he saw amusement in Naruto's eyes. "I'll admit I am not pleased with your confession, but at least you had the guts to admit you were wrong and sought forgiveness. Also, do not think that you were the reason Orochimaru captured me. He is one of the best Shinobi Konoha has ever produced, so there was no way I stood a chance as a Genin, no matter if you trained me to your fullest potential or not."

The silver-haired man wiped a tear from his eye and stood up. "Naruto, there are no words to describe how thankful I am that I had the honor to teach one of the most compassionate and forgiving people in all the elemental nations."

The blonde youth stared at the man for a few seconds till he started laughing. "Nonsense Kakashi, I am not the saint you or Hokage-sama makes me out to be. I simply see the facts and keep an open mind. To change the world does not come about by monumental deeds and revolutionary ideas, it comes from everyday confrontations and the willingness of the people to change. I believe the day will come when people can truly understand each other, but for that to happen I must shoulder the burden of people's hatred and grudges, even those directed towards me."

Kakashi nodded. "Eloquently spoken Naruto, and for what it's worth, I believe that if anyone can find such a future, it's you. Now, if there is anything I can do to help you, please; don't hesitate to let me know!"

Naruto rubbed his chin deep in thought with a grin on his face. "Well, no that you mention it… My Taijutsu is still pretty horrible…"

The one-eyed man just eye smiled.

Sasuke was having an oddly good day. First he was promised a spot in the Chunin finals next week, despite the fact that his team was broken up and they didn't actually finish the second phase of the test. He was also promised special lessons with Kakashi on his use of his newly unlocked Sharingan, something he thought he would have to figure out for himself. He also heard that his blonde team mate had been discharged from the hospital, something he was very happy with.

Sure he butted heads with the dobe every now and then, but he was one of his few friends, almost like a surrogate brother. When he saw him kidnapped he almost broke down, it was like that night all over again, but he knew he had to swallow the pain and report the abduction to the Hokage. He pushed himself to exhaustion to reach the tower that day, and he was surprised that his pink-haired team mate was able to keep up, guess she just needed the proper motivation.

The cherry on top of his proverbial ice cream sunday was the fact that today was the day that Naruto rejoined team seven for a few days of team training before the last part of the Chunin exam.

He got up at the break of dawn for his routine training exercises, and after he showered and got something in his system he headed off to meet his team. He knew that he could probably wait another hour or two, but still held hope that one of these days his sensei would finally show up on time.

As he walked into the area of his teams meeting spot he heard the distinct sound of sparing. Curious he masked his presence and hid behind a tree, looking out to see who it was. He wasn't surprised to see Naruto there, no that dobe would always be up at the break of dawn pushing himself to his limits, but what did surprise Sasuke was that Kakashi was also there.

The Uchiha couldn't believe it, the notorious late Kakashi was actually on time, no, he was early!

Sasuke brought his hands up to flare his chakra. "KAI!"

Sasuke blinked, it wasn't a Genjutsu. This was actually happening, and now the two knew Sasuke was there.

Naruto and Kakashi stopped sparing and turned their attention towards the tree where they felt a flare of chakra.

Naruto grinned, he was anxious to see Sasuke's reaction to his changes, but he knew he couldn't reveal everything yet. "You can come on out Sasuke! You are more than welcome to join us; in fact I think Kakashi might be thankful. He looks like he's getting very tired"

The blonde looked over to his sparring partner who was panting. "Not everyone has limitless energy Naruto. It isn't very fair to compare me to a stamina beast like yourself."

Sasuke smirked and walked out from the tree. "I think you're getting rusty Kakashi-sensei if the dobe is able to push you to your limits. I guess you should start doing some physical conditioning that the weird spandex wearing guy keeps pestering you about. Speaking of weird clothes, what's with the getup Naruto?"

Kakashi paled and Naruto laughed. "True I pushed him to his limits, but it isn't because he is out of physical condition. As to my change in wardrobe, well I felt that orange and blue weren't the best colors for a ninja, and so I procured a new outfit."

Sasuke gave a 'Hn'. "Well, enough small talk for now. Since you are here how about a spar while we wait for the last member of our team? That is if you think you are healed enough to receive a beat down."

Naruto chuckled and took off his outer jacket, getting into a stance with his knees bent, his left arm bent across his chest, and his right hand extended up and over his head.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "What kind of stance is that?"

Naruto didn't answer, so Sasuke got in his own stance. The two stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move. It was Sasuke who charged first, closing the distance in a fraction of a second throwing a right hook at Naruto's face. What happened next neither Sasuke nor Kakashi could explain.

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's fist, bringing his hand to hit Sasuke's elbow. Naruto used the momentum to throw Sasuke in the air, pivoting Sasuke's fist to he was in the air upside down facing away from Naruto. Naruto then threw an open palmed strike towards the square of Sasuke's back, connecting and forcing Sasuke's back to arch.

When the hit connected it forced the air out of Sasuke's lungs and sent him skidding across the ground coming to a stop several meters from where Naruto stood.

The blonde took a deep calming breath still in the position in which he sent Sasuke flying. He lowered his arms to his side and walked over to his team mate. He sent a glance towards Kakashi who was still staring wide-eyed at the blonde. Naruto stepped towards the Uchiha's side and helped him up to his feet despite his protests to be left alone. Apparently that blow wounded his pride more than his person.

"What the hell was that!?"

Naruto blinked at his team mate. "What do you mean?"

The Uchiha glared at the blonde. "Don't give me that shit! I want to know how you were able to throw me around like a rag doll!"

Naruto made an 'oh' face, pissing off an already irate Sasuke. "Well you see, I grabbed your arm when you threw the punch and knocked you off balance to-"

"THAT ISNT WHAT I MEANT! I want to know how you knew to do that! That isn't any Taijutsu style I've ever seen, and that move was way to fluid for someone like you to pull off!"

Naruto flinched, and was taking calming breaths to keep his emotions under control. "Careful Sasuke. Don't presume to know anything about me. You are nothing more than a team mate, and I hold no obligations to you outside those parameters. Tell me, when was the last time you even cared to talk to me about my life? Do you know my favorite color, my favorite hobby, my birthday even? I doubt you know any one of those, because you simply don't care. You have been self-centered the entire time I've known you, and the one thing you've done right by me was jumping in front of a barrage of senbon for me back in Wave, but then that might've been some way to hold yourself over me. I don't owe you anything, so you have no right to make demands of me."

Naruto picked up his jacket off the ground and walked out of the training area, not sparing another glace over his shoulder. Sasuke immediately realized his mistake, he had been too caught up in the fact that he was so soundly defeated that he managed to drive one of the only people to actually give a damn about him away.

He was about to run after the blonde to apologize when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back and saw his Sensei shaking his head.

"Let him go Sasuke, he just needs some time to cool down. He is still recovering mentally, and it might take some time for him to really come back."

Sasuke looked down at the ground. "I… I'm just so angry… I'm angry with Naruto for beating me so easily, I'm angry with the village for everything they did to Naruto over the years, I'm angry at Orochimaru for doing those terrible things to him, but most of all I'm angry at myself for not being able to do anything to help him. I'm weak Kakashi, I'm a pathetic excuse for a Shinobi if I couldn't even protect my only friend!"

A tear fell down Sasuke's cheek.

"Then do something about it."

Sasuke looked up at his sensei in surprise.

"Train yourself, push yourself to your limits and beyond. Throw aside your doubts and anger and just focus on bettering yourself so something like that never happens again."

The Uchiha looked deep in thought for a moment, and then his eyes snapped open with a determined fire burning in his eyes. "Thank you Kakashi. Can you help me? Can you train me to protect my friends?"

Kakashi lifted up his headband to reveal his Sharingan eye. "Let's get started."

Naruto was upset despite his best efforts to keep his emotions in check. He wanted nothing more than to beat the Uchiha senseless, but since he knew that would probably kill the boy he had to walk away. His entire life has been one humiliation after another with Sasuke, ever since they were kids in the academy. He had done everything under the sun to surpass Sasuke all his life, to make himself be acknowledged as an equal, but now that he had finally reached his goal Sasuke only grew angry and blew him off.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he had accidentally walked into training ground 8, where team 8 was preparing for the exams. Hinata was the first to notice Naruto, since she had her Byakugan active, and the momentary distraction earned her a hit from Kiba that sent her skidding along the ground straight towards Naruto.

Naruto blinked when he saw something skidding towards him out of his peripheral vision, and he stared in disbelief as Hinata got up off the ground and brushed the dirt off her clothes. The blonde stared at her for a few seconds, looking past her at her team who were all staring back at him.

Naruto chuckled and turned to address the group. "Forgive the intrusion. I was too caught up in my thoughts and it seems that I interrupted your training. I will be taking my leave now."

Just as he was about to walk away he felt arms grip him from behind and locked over his font.

"It's o-ok Naru-kun, we were just f-finishing up a-anyway. Y-You aren't i-interrupting anything!"

Naruto chuckled and turned around in the girls arms. "I don't know Hinata-chan, your team seems to be upset with my presence here."

Kurenai stepped forward. "Nonsense Naruto, Hinata is correct, we were just finishing up for the morning. It is time they all break apart for their individualized training programs. Can't have them spy on each other now can we?"

The red-eyed woman turned to her two male students. "Run along you too, I believe your parents are expecting you for training in your clan techniques."

Said boys looked at their sensei, then at the blonde, then at Hinata, and finally at each other.

Kiba sighed. "Hey Shino, wanna go get some grub before we have to go for more training? I'm famished!"

Shino shrugged and began to walk off with the boy. "That's agreeable, I don't look forward to my father's training. He is surprisingly… brutal."

Naruto watched the pair fade into the distance, and finally looked down at the blue-haired girl who was snuggling closer into his chest with her eyes closed. "Well then I guess I came at an opportune moment, since I was heading to get some lunch, but I guess I should go the hospital now."

Kurenai arched an eyebrow. "Hospital? I never pegged you for one to enjoy that tasteless mush they called food there."

Naruto chuckled. "Oh never! I wouldn't dare touch that dirt. I have to make an appointment for an operation, I seem to have grown a rather attractive woman from my abdomen, and she doesn't look like she will detach herself anytime soon."

Hinata was silent but Naruto could feel the heat radiating from her face once his chest began to warm up. Kurenai just smiled at Naruto's sweet joke.

"I see. You have my sympathy Naruto. I heard those growths are quite aggressive and tend to be quite costly, especially if that growth enjoys the sweet taste of cinnamon rolls."

Hinata lifted her head to look at Naruto and did her best to make her eyes as large as possible. "A-Are we going to g-get cinnamon r-rolls?"

Naruto gasped. "It speaks!"

Hinata pouted and detached herself and folded her arms across her chest. "T-That isn't v-very nice Naru-kun!"

Kurenai and Naruto looked at each other and laughed, which seemed to irritate the Hyuga. "W-What's so funny?"

Naruto stepped forward and hugged Hinata, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Forgive me Hinata-chan, but your pouting was just too cute to take seriously. How about we go get you some of those cinnamon rolls, huh? Would you like you like to join us Kurenai-sensei?"

Kurenai shook her head and mumbled something about 'weak willed men'. "No thanks Naruto, I appreciate the offer but I don't think Hinata would be pleased with me if I accepted. I was going to ask you about your intentions towards her, but it looks like you are a happy couple already, and she looks to be in good hands, so that is unnecessary."

Hinata blushed. "A-Ano… we… Naru-kun… I… we…"

Naruto chuckled. "What she is trying to say is that we haven't really talked about being a couple yet, but" He tilted Hinata's head up to meet his. "I would like to be, if that's ok with you?"

Hinata's eyes half closed as a dreamy look came over her face. "Really, are you s-sure you want t-to?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. When I came here today I was in a rather foul mood, but when you hugged me all those feelings disappeared, and a warm feeling rose from deep inside me and it made me happy."

Hinata didn't want to hear any more so she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his face down to hers to meet in a kiss. She gradually got more and more into it when she felt Naruto start to return the feeling, but before it got too far they heard someone clear their throat so they shot apart. Both of they were doing their best imitation of a tomato while Kurenai had an amused look on her face.

"Ok, well I'm going to leave before Hinata passes out on us. Make sure you don't do anything that would spread rumors ok?"

Naruto bowed. "Of course Kurenai-sensei."

Kurenai chuckled. "Actually, that was aimed more towards Hinata. Just make sure you bring her to the Hyuga compound in an hour, she has personal training with her father."

She turned around and walked away back with an arm raised in the air waving back at them.

Naruto waited for her to leave and extended a hand towards Hinata. "Well, I believe we have a lunch date to attend to don't we?"

Hinata smiled and took his hand. "I guess we do, don't we?"

The blonde took notice of the lack of stutter, but did not voice his thoughts.

Naruto was standing several miles outside of Konoha, in a seemingly dead patch of land. This was one of the few places that he could train away from the unprying eyes of the ANBU. He gathered chakra in his body, and flashed through a set of hand seals.

"Mokuton: Shinrin Tanjo (Wood Release: Forest Birth)!"

All around the blonde massive trees sprang into being, creating a forest from just simple chakra. All around him life sprang into being from the harsh ground. Next Naruto flashed through another set of hand seals and sent several orbs of chakra into the sky.

"Suiton: Idaina kōu (Water Release: Great Rainfall)!"

Dark heavy clouds filled the sky and soon a torrential downpour blanketed the entire area. Naruto held out his hand to feel the raindrops and looked up at the sky with a smile on his face.

"Jubi-sama, you said that I am tasked with keeping the peace of our world. Does that only pertain to humans?"

'If I hadn't felt you just create a new habitat for the wildlife I would be forced to take my powers back. To answer your question, no. Your duty is to all life on this planet, it just so happens that humans are the species that influences this world the most, and so require the most of your attention.'

Naruto nodded. "I see, and I also had another question. What will your influence do to my progeny, will they inherit your power too?"

Naruto could feel the smirk that spilled over the Jubi's face. 'Not even a week after our merge and you already have plans to bed someone?'

Naruto blushed. "No! It isn't that… maybe in the future, but not now! I just want to be prepared for whatever may happen. I've always wanted a large family, and it looks like Hinata-chan wants to have a family with me too, so I just want to be prepared."

'You really are full of surprises. Most men would take to the carnal desires of the flesh as soon as an opportunity presents itself, but your restraint is admirable. In all honesty I don't know what will happen once you pass on your genes. The last time it happened it granted a Dojutsu to one and gave the other a very strong spiritual connection to nature. The only thing I can tell you is that your children will be special, probably giving rise to very powerful individuals.'

"Thank you Jubi-sama for your wisdom. I will let you return to your slumber."

Naruto felt the presence of the Jubi recede back into its dormant state, and Naruto sat down on a large rock as the rain continued to pelt him. Naruto closed his eyes, imagining walking up to a large house on a warm summer day. Just as he would open the door he would be assaulted by two children, possibly twins, one boy and one girl. Then he would see his eldest, hopefully male, holding his newborn and rocking it back and forth while feeding it. When Naruto finally got inside and greeted his children his wife would round the corner and embrace Naruto in a loving kiss. He would have to be careful though, since she would just be showing the slight bump that indicated yet another child being nurtured in her womb.

This would be Naruto's dream at night, one that he would fall asleep imagining and praying to whatever deity out there to wake up to. He had been alone his whole life, and had never known what it was like to be loved by family, so he had always craved to both receive and give that attention. Oh how he always wanted family, but since no one was around to claim him as such, he decided to make his own with a beautiful and faithful wife.

More and more Naruto became more comfortable seeing Hinata as that woman. Even from his limited time with her he knew she was a kind soul, one that was sure to make a wonderful mother one day. The fact that she was attractive was an added bonus, but in all honesty Naruto cared more for her personality than just her appearance. He knew first hand that even those deemed 'unattractive' were some of the most beautiful people on the inside.

Naruto opened his eyes to be met with a raging rainstorm, one of his own creations. Naruto stood up with a renewed passion in his eyes and clenched his fist and declared to the heavens.

"When this world is free from the fear of war and conflict, I will achieve my dream. I will forge a future for myself and my family, or I will die trying!"

END

AN: Well a little action here, a little fluff there, and who knew Naruto was such a family-man? Next chapter will be nice and long, to make up for this short one...

Anyway, im working on a little project, and i really want this new story to be absolutely superb. So, with that in mind i am reaching out to you all, in the hopes that someone with lots of creative talent and spare time responds. I would be grateful if someone were to perhaps be willing to read parts of my story, would send it via PM or email, and make notes or offer suggestions for the story or how to expand on parts. If you are seriously interested in helping out, please let me know! Wow... i just realized i asked for a Beta... sooooo... if someone wants to beta a new story lemme know!

Peace!