AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well guys it's been a while, and I'm happy to put out this latest chapter for you. It took a lot longer then expected, partially because I just started going back to college so things have been pretty hectic, plus I started a new job so my time has been a lot more limited. But enough with my foolish excuses haha.

I'm happy Naruto's parents were finally confirmed in the Manga, but at the same time it makes me sad because a lot of stuff is going on that could bring the end to Naruto in the near future, which sadly I would love to see it continue on for a long time. I would to rant more on this but I don't want to spoil any more for people who don't read the manga.

I know some of you wondered why Naruto would buy an engagement ring for Sakura at such a young age without being together very long. My answer to this is the fact they are in a profession that has a low life expectancy, and the fact they are able/forced to kill people or be killed at such a young age I think would also have a factor on their maturity, but perhaps it was a little much but at the time I felt right going with it.

I noticed a lot of peeps also wondered why I didn't include Hinata in the vote, and the answer is simple: Way too many Hinata fics, and it would be way too easy to write her with him. In theory she would be among the top 3, if not top person in my opinion to help Naruto and help with some other issues later in the fic, but I think it would have been way too easy, and I kind of want a challenge with this fic. I would like to point out I really like the idea of Naruto and Hinata being together as a pairing but it just isn't for this fic.

Quite a few people stated in their reviews that Anko/Kurenai would be too old for Naruto for it to be realistic. I'm sorry to say but I actually had a friend at age 18 who hooked up with a 34 year old mother of 3 (one of them being 15 years old, who we actually saw at school…awkward) and had a child of their own together. If that can happen in real life I think it could easily apply to the Narutoverse, even if it's different circumstances.

Also, a few said Kurenai being with Naruto would be "way too soon after Asuma's/He would just be a replacement for him and wouldn't be real love". 1. It's been almost 3 years since Asuma's death, and if they were together its not going to be an overnight "I love you so much, have my babies now" kind of relationship. 2. I think its an insult to Kurenai's character to think she would be so underdeveloped/shallow to not be able to get over Asuma's death and reject anyone who tried to ever get close to her again. If she is the one I go with I can promise you I can make it work, even with her kid (which again it's not going to be overnight "Hey, you're my daddy now" development.

On another note I got my first bad review last chapter, which I responded to that person in a PM wondering what exactly made them displeased with it since their review was very vague, and have yet to get a response. I was expecting one eventually, but it made me happy that it took 250+ reviews before I finally got one.

Last issue would have to be the vote:

THE VOTE IS OFFICIALY CLOSED.

I thank everyone that participated in the vote and enjoyed reading a lot of your points of view on that matter; some of which I never considered. Taking you're votes into consideration I will have the pairing labeled next chapter so it will be known to all.

I hope next chapter won't take as long, and if so I apologize in advance.

Now on with the story!

AUTHOR'S NOTE (EDIT): I edited chapter 5 so that the girls like 4-5 not 5-6. Its minor but I intended her to be slightly younger and finally fixed it.

Chapter 9

"I've received word from our spies confirming he has returned to the leaf" said a figure shrouded in a black cloak adorned with red swirling clouds. His words fell onto other similarly dressed people who stood in a circle each within their own respective places. The chamber's rock walls reflected his voice making it echo throughout the dim recesses of their lair.

"So he finally shows himself...but why now?" another said

"I'm curios too as to why he would reveal himself. He has evaded us as well as our spy networks for far too long to allow such a careless move. I'm sure he is aware that if he returned to his village we would find out" another figure hissed.

"Then we must act now and capture the jinchuuriki before he escapes our grasp!" another shouted

"No."

All faces turned to the new speaker amidst the group. They waited for his explanation as he stood watching their reactions, almost as if he was amused by their shocked expressions although his features remained obscured.

"The vessel has become very dangerous over these last few years, and as you know we have yet to discover the extent of his power since he doesn't show himself unless he is going in for the kill. He has even taken out a few of our higher paying clients which has stressed our revenue quite a bit. We must not underestimate the Kowareta no Kage (Broken Shadow)"

"Then what do you propose we do leader…"another figure spoke bitterly.

"We will wait."

Before they could protest he raised his hand, silencing their rabble.

"A Shadow is always weakest when surrounded by light"

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It didn't take long before the blonde teenager saw the looming structure of his old home in the distance. Thinking back he recalled this area being a lot more slummed down noticing that a few new shops and other buildings has been constructed since his time of absence.

'The locals must have started coming back to this area when they realized I was gone' he summarized glumly.

He jumped off the current shop he was standing from and walked towards his apartment complex as he was only a few hundred feet away. The blonde eyed the old rickety steps that led to his apartment, the red paint almost completely chipped away from the years of exposure to the outside. He took a few steps up testing the stability and then continued on his way moments later. The outside hallway that housed his little apartment had not changed much in his eyes; The walls still bore the cruel text of graffiti and other expletives ranging from "Demon" to "Die" and sometimes both combined. He walked until he was in front of the door covered with similar ugly text. Using his key he opened it slowly letting the dank air wash out of the residence as if re-opening an ancient tomb. He walked in and turned the light on and didn't expect to see the condition it was in.

The place was cleaned flawlessly with almost no signs of the fury he unleashed the last night he had spent there. The walls had been re-plastered where he had made holes throwing the couch and other items in his drunken stupor. He walked in further seeing the kitchen reflected the same amount of effort with who ever had cleaned the place. His dinner table was in its rightful place with his chairs around it in their proper places as well as the floor looked like it had been swept recently. Something seemed weird about the apartment though, as if it was missing some things but he put that thought off for later. His legs led him towards the bed and dresser in the corner of his room as he subconsciously ran his hand over the mahogany furniture. He reached into his vest pulling out a scroll opening in quickly and throwing it on top of his bed. Nipping his thump he quickly spread his blood over the scroll's seal and a second later it began glowing dark red before bursting into a ball of smoke. The smoke cleared quickly go revealing a large leather back pack along with various scrolls attached to the arm straps for easy access to grab. He took his jacket off folding it lightly setting next to the pack along with his ninja sandals he had neglected to remove earlier and set them by the door. He turned to go back to his door when he heard a knock behind him.

'I wonder…'

He turned around hearing the knock again and reached for the door knob before the door swung open on its own accord. On the other side of the doorway stood his ex, her face looking rather startled seeing him right there in front of her. She wore her normal attire he noticed, the same thing she had been wearing since his return from the training trip years ago, however her hair had grown a few inches longer. Her arms were crossed across her chest, holding tightly to her sides as if trying to ward away the chills from the cold night's breeze. They stood their looking at each other, his weary dimmed blues staring into her vibrant emerald irises. She couldn't describe it but something about the emptiness in his eyes struck something deep inside her, causing her to break her gaze looking down at her feet. Wordlessly he moved aside allowing her to enter, which she took the hint and stepped inside. She walked into the house removing her shoes quietly and made her way to the kitchen table and took a seat. He closed the door lightly behind him and walked to the table, taking a seat on the opposite side of his late-night visitor. Silence descended upon them once again while both stared at the table top, the only sound being the light ticking of a clock in his kitchen.

"Were you the one who cleaned my place?" He looked up to see her nod, her eyes remaining glued to the table's surface.

"Do I have any tea?" she responded in the same fashion which he in turn rose from his chair looking for where it was usually stored. He found the tea in the cupboard above his stove and grabbed his kettle from bellow the sink then added water and put it on a lit burner. He then turned around and walked back to the table sitting down with a light squeak from the old chair. The blonde tried to think of something to talk about but kept drawing blanks; and his guest wasn't exactly being forth coming either. Still, he waited for her to start; after all it was her that came to his apartment without yet to say a word. She finally looked up with a tiny smile adorning her lips.

"I stopped by the hospital earlier today; the little girl will be cleared to leave tomorrow"

"I see" he replied

His head drifted up trying to exchange his own smile but all he could muster was half of one. She sighed inwardly seeing that he seemed relaxed and not tense that she was around him.

"Do you know when the Uchiha will be returning with his squad? I went by the ANBU HQ and didn't see them"

She felt a tiny prick at her heart hearing how he referred to their old teammate, but that was something she had expected after what had happened.

"Sasuke-kun left with his squad three days ago. He should be back within a week's time but he is usually back early." She waited to see some sort of reaction but he merely nodded to her.

"I assume you guys are still together?" he questioned impassively. Her body fidgeted nervously at the inquiry; she hadn't thought on the way there how to explain they broke up a short time after he left.

'How exactly can I tell him I threw away our close to 6 month relationship for a fling that lasted almost 2 weeks and then didn't stay together afterwards?'

She looked down at the table again refusing to make eye contact.

"We broke up a month after you left." She said quietly. Again she expected some sort of reaction from him but she got nothing in return. Before she could say something else the tea kettle began whistling, effectively disrupting the tiny bit of conversation they had started. The blonde paced from the table into the kitchen and grabbed the kettle along with two cups and strode back to his seat. He slowly poured tea into both glasses and set the kettle down. He brought the old clay cup to his nostrils breathing in the delightful scent that he had just created. Bringing the cup to his lips he drank only a tiny bit, as if testing it for poison; it didn't kill him.

"It's nice" he stated, gently placing his cup on the hard wood surface bringing his hands to his lap under the table. She nodded in agreement mirroring his action and setting her cup aside. She decided in the end that perhaps keeping their conversation as simple as possible for now would be best; she was hesitant to go into such deep waters too soon. The pink-haired medic took in an exaggerated breath and finally looked up to her host, forcing herself to look at him and taking on his stone gaze.

"How does it feel to be back?"

"It's ok"

She smiled even though there was definitely a weird aura between them, a feeling she couldn't quite place. She decided to get one question out of the way, something she had to know.

"Have you been seeing anyone?"

"No" the blonde replied with a frozen expression.

'Hmmm….for some reason that makes me happy….and sad at the same time' she pondered.

"So….How long has it been since you last set foot in the fire country?"

"Two years 10 months and 27 days" he replied seconds later, practically like he was reciting a memorized fact from a text book.

'Well that was a quick answer…but if what he says is true -'

"Wait, you haven't been in the country since that night you left?"

"Correct" the hunter nin voiced.

"Where did you go after you left the leaf?"

"Many places all over the shinobi nations. I had to track many of my targets far and wide."

'So he really did become a hunter-nin' she mused, Her memory of the blood red mask causing her to unconsciously shiver. It was expected of ninja when you would have to go on missions and possibly kill people. Hunter-nins were a different story. Many of them were very isolated and away from the village for long periods of time; leading to there being a very select few who did the job. She watched his hand slowly raise his cup to his lips, closing his eyes taking in another sip of the warm liquid.

"Do you really hate me?"

His eyes shot open mid-swig, looking at her with the same expression. He then lowered his cup back to the table.

"No…..I don't hate you" he said quietly.

Her chest felt on fire from the sudden warmth of the statement, even if it was a minor confirmation that he didn't harbor ill feelings towards her. She let a genuine smile grace her features beaming at the hunter-nin.

"Thank you Naruto. When Sasuke-kun comes back we-"

"No"

Her eyes gleamed in confusion at the two letter word he had just spoken.

"What do you mean?" she questioned, her heart starting to come down again.

"Things cannot be as they were"

She wasn't sure what he meant, but the effect was still the same; it was like her heart was just thrown into a vat of ice. She tried to say something but couldn't find the words; she was speechless. He rose from his chair, walking into the kitchen looking out the small rectangular window above his sink at the half crescent moon glowing in between the dark clouds.

"When I said I didn't hate you, I wasn't lying"

She stood up from the table, walking over to the counter a few feet from the blonde, leaning her back into it looking at the floor.

"Then why can't we be friends?" she looked up trying to see his eyes but his eyes remained focused outside in the distance.

"When I look at you I see a person that I must protect so that they can enjoy the things I cannot have. In time you will understand why this must be." She stiffened from his statement but wouldn't allow herself be cast aside.

"What about the rest of our friends? Are you going to just stop everything with them and act like nothing happened?" his eyes shot from the window to meet her gaze at her remark.

"I have many enemies now, and I can't allow them to use my precious people against me. Therefore I must remain in the shadows… to keep you safe."

"We can watch our own backs Naruto! You act as if we are helpless to defend ourselves" she yelled involuntarily at her blonde host. His eyes flashed momentarily with a gleam she wasn't familiar with.

"Against some of these people…you would die within minutes"

"But were all Jounin now!"

"Do you think that matters? I'm still a Genin according to the records, so does that mean you or anyone for that matter in this village could take me down?" he took a step forward towards the medic-nin.

"Do you think you could kill me?" she felt herself shrinking in his towering presence as he looked at her for an answer.

"But Sasuke-kun coul-"she caught herself in time before finishing the sentence realizing what she was insinuating however the message was already clear. The blonde's face drifted towards the ground, his face obscured by shadow.

"You still hold that blind faith in the Uchiha after all these years?" he said, raising his head to face her. She bowed away knowing she did indeed automatically assume the raven haired teen would some how be the best of any situation. He walked past her grabbing the kettle along with the cups from the table and set them in the kitchen sink, pouring out the contents.

"Why did you come here?" the blonde said, his eyes cast down towards the metal sink.

"I want to be happy again…and I can only do that if your there with me" she took a few steps forward towards the blonde.

"I told you already we can't-"

"I still love you"

The blonde's eyes traced to the pink haired medic nin who stood a few feet away from him, her face shadowed by her bangs. She took another step before stopping in front of the blonde, his face towering over her smaller figure.

"I know what I did was the worst thing a woman can do to their lover, but I knew the day you left how much of a mistake I had made"

Her hand slowly rested on his chest, the blonde unflinchingly watching her and not moving as if he wasn't even breathing. Her face rose slowly meeting his tired eyes.

"I am so sorry for the pain I put you through, and I can only imagine how much it must of hurt seeing us, but please…forgive me..." her arms slowly snaked around him as she took her last with her body pressed against his, her head resting on his chest as she lightly squeezed her arms around him and closed her eyes. His arms remained at his sides captured in her embrace as he stood there in silence. They stood unmoving for a long while as she breathed into in chest, holding on tightly to the blonde hunter-nin.

"If you ever loved me…then forget about me" she opened her eyes seeing his dull expression looking down at her, his face emotionless. She took a painful step away from him removing her arms from him looking at the ground once again. He walked past her still figure towards the front door and stood in front of it, his hand on the handle.

"I'm sorry…but this is the way it has to be" he said as he opened the door, exiting the apartment closing it behind him. She walked into the living room sitting on his couch taking everything in that had just happened, her mind digesting the information.

'You have changed so much Naruto….but even I know there are things you're hiding from me' she thought as the built up tears finally spilled from his eyes, falling quietly onto the couch cushions. She sobbed lightly in the quiet apartment before laying on her side and closing her eyes, hoping sleep would help her push away her troubled thoughts. From the outside window a masked hunter-nin watched as the medic-nin drifted into slumber before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

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The morning sun showed no mercy to the busty blonde whose upper body slouched over her desk with her head resting sideways in the middle of it, a pool of drool forming next to her lips. Bottles of different varieties of sake and other alcoholic beverages were all over the desk, many on their sides just waiting for a chance to roll off. Outside the office the voices of the secretary and another woman exchanged greetings before the door began to creak open from the other side. A raven haired woman in a modest dark kimono took a step in looking towards the desk.

"Good morning Tsu…….." the woman's face suddenly lost its color, which followed moments later by the color returning only it was very red this time. Her hand that still held the door handle suddenly threw the door away from her, slamming it with enough force that it almost flew off its hinges. The resounding vibration caused many bottles to roll of the table, meeting their untimely fate of breaking all over the floor, however the Hokage didn't stir one bit.

"Tsunade-sama! You past out at the office again?!" screamed the fuming attendant of the Hokage none other the Shizune. The Hokage's head rose an inch off the table top for a second before falling back down with a distinct thud, a long sigh leaving her lips in the process. Shizune ran back around the table from the front of the room and looked down at the Hokage, her face starting to calm but still very displeased with the site in front of her.

"I didn't realize Baa-chan snored so loud; louder then Jiraiya believe it or not"

The attendant immediately switched to a defensive posture, grabbing a kunai out of no where and looking towards the voice out of surprise, but moments later calmed down realizing who it was. She watched as the figure resting his back against the wall pushed off it, walking towards her. The new of his return had got to her but she had yet to see him since he left almost three years ago. Walked to the front of the desk, taking his mask of and setting it down on the surface, smiling lightly at the closest person he ever had to a sister.

"Jeez you don't need to kill me nee-chan, I didn't make her do it!" he said almost playfully, watching her drop her kunai and jump over the desk, almost tackling him to the ground. She held onto him tightly, her face hidden from view in his chest. He followed suit hugging her snugly rubbing circles into her back with his hands. Her heard her sniffle quietly as a tiny smirk tugged at his lips.

"Don't tell me you're going be a big cry baby like Baa-chan" he said as he felt her pull away from him, trying to hide her face from view out of embarrassment. His eyes lightened a bit seeing her display only to return to serious when she turned to face him. She smiled warmly at him with her watery eyes and tear streaked face.

"I'm glad you're finally back nii-san" she said quietly leaning upwards and planting a sisterly kiss on his unscarred cheek. They were brought out of their reunion by a quick flash from the desk, which they both turned seeing the other blonde holding a Polaroid camera in both hands. Shizune turned red for the second time that morning; only this time she wasn't angry. The tall blonde on the other hand just looked at the Hokage with tiny smile watching her shake the fresh picture in the air.

"That's one picture I couldn't resist taking" she said laughing at the dark haired girl's expression. The hunter-nin took a seat at the front of the desk watching the others clear away all the bottles and other trash from the area. Moments later Shizune walked to the side taking her post next to her mentor, said mentor folding her arms with her hands holding her chin up.

"So how long were you there watching me?" she said slightly annoyed.

"Long enough…" he whispered

"What?!"

"Nothing!"

The dark haired attendant cleared her throat getting their attention back at hand.

"I assume you're here about the little girl?" the Hokage said.

The blonde nodded. Shizune shifted uneasily between her feet looking at the ground before meeting eyes with the hunter-nin.

"I went by the local orphanages and none of them reported having any runways recently. I also stopped by the district where you found her, asking around if anyone had noticed the child which resulted in no clues as well. Given those facts, there are only a few things that could explain why she was there all alone" the blonde looked down at the ground realizing what she meant.

"She either isn't from this village or she has lost her family" the hunter-nin voiced. The raven haired woman nodded solemnly. The blonde looked down at the mask on his belt.

"What is going to happen to her?" Naruto said. Shizune stiffened at the question and looked at the Hokage before looking back at the other blonde.

"Since she is unable to speak, we can't really know what happened to her or why she was there all alone. Without any information to go with...the best we can do is to take her to one of the orphanages" the hunter-nin twitched slightly, which didn't got unnoticed by the two women.

"What about having someone from the Yamanaka clan do a mind walk on her?" the Hokage seemed to think about his question momentarily but shook her head.

"She is too young to handle that technique. Even if she could handle it, it may cause more damage then what was already there" Tsunade said which the hunter-nin cursed under his breath. They two ladies watched him as he stood in deep thought staring at the ground.

"What if.." he paused as if unsure of what to say.

"What if I…looked after her for a little while?"

The busty blonde had heard the rumor from Shizune about how her surrogate son had supposedly shown a liking to the child from the nurses she talked to, but this was unexpected. Shizune kept her shock hidden even though she too was a little thrown off by the idea; although it wasn't because she didn't approve. The hunter-nin took his mask from his belt, running his fingers along the black streaks that poured from the eye slits.

"I know I don't know much about taking care of a kid, but at her age I was practically on my own. I think I can handle keeping an eye on her for a few months"

"I don't doubt your abilities being able to watch over her, It's just there is one thing that I need to know" the Hokage spoke sitting up straight.

"Why?"

The blonde continued running his fingers along the mask, staring down at the dark eye slits. They watched him as silence descended upon them, waiting for him to speak.

"When I look into her eyes…I see myself when I was her age" the hunter-nin spoke finally. Shizune and the Hokage listened in intently, knowing well how hard it was to get the blonde hunter-nin to speak about his past.

"But something isn't right about this… a child so young has no reason to be so closed from the world. I only became that way because of the hate of the demon"

"What makes you think you can help her?" Tsunade said regretting it. He looked up from his mask looking her directly in the eyes.

"None of you would understand." He voiced coldly. The Hokage unconsciously trembled slightly hearing such a voice come from the other blonde; a voice far too old for someone his age. She recovered quickly seeing his apologetic smile, but she could tell it was not one of his real smiles.

"There is one big difference between us. I was too foolhardy and stubborn to allow myself to be consumed by my own darkness. It took failing the academy exam and learning the truth about my tenant to bring me close to finally losing it…Until Iruka-sensei saved me from it" The hunter-nin began remembering that terrible day that changed his life; one of the worst and best days of his existence. He suddenly stood from his chair, almost knocking it down behind him.

"I'll save Hime-chan too"

The Hokage smiled at the nickname, remembering how a certain pervert used to try to woo her with a similar name. She looked at her attendant and saw an equally approving smile at the chosen name. The Hokage stood from her chair walking around the side of the desk as the hunter-nin's eyes followed her closely.

"Let's go and see what she wants"

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Inside the hospital a certain little girl sat quietly on her bed, the various beeping machines and other equipment turned off the night before upon her hearth becoming stable. She sat with her knees to her chest, staring down at the unfolded picture in front of her feet as if waiting for it to come to life. She had been up since a few hours before sunrise, unable to return back to sleep or lay back down. A few nurses had come in to ask her if she needed anything which she would remain motionless as if not understanding their words. She continued staring at the photo zoned out from any other worldly distractions until a soft knocking brought her out of her little world. Her eyes raced towards the door as it opened slowly, her heart racing in anticipation. Upon seeing the busty blonde followed by her attendant her eyes returned to the photo. Shizune closed the door quietly behind her and walked at the side of the Hokage to the front of the bed, both noticing the worn photo in front of the child. The busty blonde put on her best smile, noticing the child's fixation on the photograph.

"I'm the Hokage of this village, Tsunade"

No response.

"I'm also a good friend of…"

No movement.

"Naruto…."

Her eyes instantly focused on the blonde Hokage, watching her intently. She laughed lightly at her display, Shizune also was amused.

"I knew that would get your interest." She said, taking a seat in one of the chairs next to the bed, followed by her attendant. The girl's eyes returned back to the photo.

"The doctors say you're free to go today, so luckily you can stop putting up with the hospital food and be on you're way." The Hokage said. The girl's knees sunk a little deeper into her chest, although the others didn't notice it.

"If we knew more about your situation we could perhaps find out where you came from, but we haven't found out anything" she paused, thinking of how the word the next few sentences.

"The good news if that you don't have to live on the street anymore. We've talked it over and if you want we can take you to some orphanages and see which one you like and you can live there with the other children." The child's head looked away from the photo, pulling her head between her knees hiding her face from view. The Hokage looked to Shizune and she nodded in response.

"However there is another option" she said quietly. The child's head remained buried in between her knees, but they could tell she was somewhat interested.

"We have someone who could watch over you for a while and try to help find out more about your past. It wouldn't be permanent and you would be staying with him at his house which hopefully in time he could help you discover you're origins or where you're family is." She remained unresponsive, pulling deeper into herself as she finished explaining. The blonde motioned for Shizune to go to the hospital door which she nodded and proceeded to walk there.

"Shizune would you open the door and let him in?" the blonde spoke, which she opened it allowing the dark clad figure enter the room. He walked in noticing the child's posture and felt unsure if perhaps she would want this; after all they barely new each other. He walked up to the other side of the bed, removing his mask looking down at the top of the girl's head.

"Hime-chan?"

Her head instantly uncovered from her knees, watching the hunter-nin in utter surprise. He smiled lightly at the child as he sat on the bed next to her.

"So what will it be little one, would you like to stay with me for a while?" Her brown eyes suddenly lit up in excitement, almost as if thinking this was all some sort of trick before her blonde savior confirmed it from his own lips. The dark haired child suddenly shot from her sitting position into his arms, squeezing tightly as much as her little arms could muster. The hunter-nin felt startled at first from her affectionate display, but soon returned the gesture feeling that it was right.

-FLASH-

The blonde looked over seeing the Hokage smiling holding the same camera from earlier that morning with Shizune giggling behind her.

"Where did you put that? In between you're saggy old lady boobs Baa-chan?!"

Suddenly her smile disappeared.

Hime-chan was brought out of her moment as she felt herself picked up from the bed. She looked up seeing the outside of the hospital window, her hair flying wildly in the wind, held tightly in the hunter-nin's arms.

"NARUTO!!!"