I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND/OR THE CHARACTERS

That Makes Four

Sakura was going home after studying in the village library. On the way home, Sakura ran into Hinata.

Sakura: Hey, Hinata.

Hinata: Hello, Sakura.

Sakura: Where are you of to?

Hinata: I'm just heading back home after training.

Sakura: Oh, how are Kiba and Shino?

Hinata: They're fine.

Sakura: What about Kurenai-sensei, is her baby doing alright?

Hinata: Yes, but it's time for her to begin sitting out missions. Sakura?

Sakura: What is it?

Hinata: W, where's N, Naruto? I, I haven't seen him in a while.

Sakura: Oh, that's because he's now on this "special, all powerful" ninja squad with Lord Jiraiya and Kakashi-sensei.

Hinata: Really? How is it special?

Sakura: Ya' know, I don't know. I never asked, we could go find out from the hokage if you really wanna know.

Hinata: O, okay.

Sakura and Hinata leave for the hokage's office.

Sakura: So you told him that you like him yet?

Hinata's face turns an intense shade of red.

Hinata: Who?

Sakura: Naruto, of course, it's so obvious to everyone else beside him. I guess it's because he's so dense.

Hinata: I don't know why I haven't told him yet, every time I get close to him, I panic and faint before I can say anything to him. I saw him once since he's been back and I blacked out the minute he spoke to me and I spent the last two and half years working up the courage to speak to him. How do you manage being so close to him?

Sakura: I don't know, I just am. Don't worry about getting to know Naruto, just get to know him. Stop thinking so much.

Tsunade was in her office begrudgingly filling out paperwork when comes a knock on her door.

Tsunade: Come in.

Sakura and Hinata enter the office.

Tsunade: Ah, Sakura and Hinata, to what do I owe this pleasure?

Sakura: Lady Tsunade, Hinata and I were wondering about this team Naruto's been on.

Tsunade puts her paper work down and sits back in her chair.

Tsunade: They're called the 4 Virtues of Fire, when there's a threat great enough they come together to exterminate that threat and no matter what must be done. They may not be the most powerful at the time but they all have a certain killer instinct that no one else has, they have to be nothing more than sociopaths with zero empathy for their adversary, they'll take care of getting each other stronger if any of them seem to have any deficiencies. All that's required is the mentality. The original four were Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and I, the Legendary Sannin and Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of the Leaf.

Sakura: Hatake? Was he related to Kakashi-sensei?

Tsunade: Yes, he was Kakashi's father. His great tragedy happened after we disbanded the first time. The next time they formed, I was forming the Leaf's medic core so Kakashi took his father's place and my spot went to Naruto's father.

Hinata and Sakura both look at Tsunade with great shock on their faces.

Hinata: Naruto's father?

Sakura: Who was he?

Tsunade closes her eyes contemplating whether or not to tell them, she decides that it's okay.

Tsunade: Naruto's father is Minato Namikaze.

The shock on Hinata and Sakura's faces intensifies.

Sakura: You don't mean…

Tsunade: Yes, Naruto's father is the Fourth Hokage.

Hinata: (thinking) Naruto is the son of the Fourth?

Sakura: I can't believe it. Does Naruto know?

Tsunade: Yes, we told him before he joined. Is it really that big of a shock? Can't you see the resemblance?

After the shock subsides

Hinata: You said that they were sociopaths, how does that apply to Naruto?

Sakura: Yeah, he's annoying but he's not a bad person.

Tsunade: Well, you know how Naruto was before he graduated from the academy, right?

Sakura and Hinata both nod.

Sakura: He ran around causing a lot of trouble.

Hinata: He was just trying to be noticed.

Tsunade: Imagine an incredibly violent version of that. That's what Naruto has to be to do the things that he and the rest must do.

Hinata and Sakura lower their heads both deep in thought. Tsunade notes Hinata's defense of him and remembers that Naruto was her crush.

Tsunade: Hinata, have you told him you like him yet?

Sakura: We've already talked about that. Lady Tsunade, you said that there were four of them, right?

Tsunade: Yes, why?

Sakura: Well, there's only Lord Jiraiya, Kakashi-sensei, and Naruto. So, who's the fourth?

While Tsunade was speaking with Sakura and Hinata, Jiraiya was out of the village at his favorite hot spring, again surrounded with the most beautiful women around. He had decided to take some time to relax after initiating the fourth and final member of the 4 Virtues of Fire. Flashback, a month and a half ago. Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Naruto speak with the candidate for the fourth spot.

Jiraiya: Remember this, there are a lot of pleasures to be obtained being a member but there is a lot of work. It takes blood, sweat, and tears, understood?

The fourth member nods.

Kakashi: This is different from regular squads and even ANBU, you have to be cutthroat, cold, and calculating. There's no room for any softness, Naruto here has vouched for you but you still have to prove yourself to us.

Naruto: Hey, don't worry about it. You're so money, you don't even realize.

End flashback.

Jiraiya: (thinking) Naruto was right, he's gonna make a hell of an addition to our little group.

Girl #1: Lord Jiraiya, you're not paying attention.

Jiraiya snaps out of it.

Jiraiya: Oh, I'm sorry, girls. To answer your question, you're gonna be first tonight.

Girl #2: (pouting) But Lord Jiraiya, I wanted to be first.

Jiraiya looks around at the other girls that weren't going first and found that they all had dejected looks on their faces.

Jiraiya: Don't worry, girls, it's like I always say. You can't always be first but you can be next.

The girls all cheer up around Jiraiya.

Voice: Hhm, it figures that this is how you'd spend your time, you old fool.

Jiraiya: It figures that you wouldn't be dead.

Orochimaru appears before Jiraiya to his surprise Orochimaru was wearing and Akatsuki cloak.

Jiraiya: Don't tell me that you rejoined them

Orochimaru smiles at Jiraiya.

Orochimaru: As you once said, I won't tell you, but that's what happened.

Jiraiya chuckles as Hidan and Kakuzu join Orochimaru.

Jiraiya: Well, get on with it.

Orochimaru: As you wish.

Jiraiya is attacked by the trio of immortals, to their surprise, Jiraiya poofs into a cloud of smoke up contact.

Kakuzu: Shadow Clones?

Orochimaru throws a kunai at the girls that were with Jiraiya and they also poof away.

Orochimaru: Hmm, Itachi's target must be here.

Naruto and Kakashi step out of the shadows to face the immortal members of Akatsuki with a third figure remaining obscured.

Naruto: You may have survived, Orochimaru, but I believe you suffered a bit of brain damage, you've been around long enough to know that when you jump on one of us, you jump on us all. And what you thought to be a stroke of genius on your part was in fact the signing of your own death warrant because while you sit and regale those obsequious lapdogs of Akatsuki with your reprehensible acts, Copy Ninja and myself scoured the village and we found a hard-trainin', hard-fightin', skirt chasin' son of a bitch that'll knock your block off. Now that makes four and that makes for a whole hell of lotta trouble for you, The Akatsuki, and the rest of the animals that assault the shinobi world.

Kakashi: Orochimaru, you saw Jiraiya, Kakashi, or Naruto alone for the last time, it will never happen again because while we were in the Leaf Village, eking the cog that's going to run the shinobi world in the future everyone's fate was sealed and, Kabuto, shortly we're going to make an example out of you. If the Third Hokage were still alive, he'd look into that crystal ball at your demise. Enter the fourth Virtue, The Honorable Grandson, Konohamaru.

Konohamaru steps out of the shadows.

Kohohamaru: Akatsuki, it's quite obvious that you're unaware of what you're dealing with. Your ignorance will not be tolerated, your arrogance in taking advantage of a situation involving the Leaf Village will not be tolerated. You're marked men Akatsuki and soon you're going to find out just why I'm called honorable.

Naruto starts cackling at Akatsuki.

Kakashi: Get out why you can, all of you! The life you save may be your own.