AN: Quick one for you readers. I will be down in Florida from Feb. 11 to Feb. 27 visiting relatives. Not sure if I will be able to update during that time, but who knows. Hope you enjoyed the end of year one of three.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, all rights go to Kishimoto.

ITALICS – thinking

BOLD – demon speak/jutsu


Arc Three: Home is Where the Heart Lies

Chapter Six


Naruto blinked and looked at his surroundings. There was rolling green hills and various mountain ranges in the distance; the sky was blue and partly cloudy, and a cool breeze occasionally blew. A light haze blanketed the ground, but overall the place was bright and tranquil.

"So…this is what Heaven looks like." Naruto said then instantly frowned as he thought about Shizuka.

Naruto wanted to spend a lot more time with her. Enough where they could settle down in the mountains of Iron Country and have a family. Not only that, Naruto was looking forward to taking up his own apprentice someday. With a sigh, Naruto decided to explore but it was here that he realized that he couldn't sense Kurama within his body. With wide eyes, he quickly took off his armor and lifted his shirt. He tried to access whatever chakra he had but nothing was coming up.

The seal was gone as well as any wounds he sustained in the war. Somber mood now in place, Naruto put his armor back on then slowly wandered the landscape he would be spending the rest of eternity in. Time was irrelevant in this plane of existence so Naruto did not know how far he travelled. What he did pick up on, however, was the smell of a nearby forest. The aroma of pine trees, rotting leaves, and soil filled his nostrils. It was here that Naruto let out a small smile as it reminded him of Konoha.

Like before, Naruto had no clue how far he travelled or how long it has been since he arrived here. Memories of his life kept on filtering through as he traversed the woodlands of Heaven which only helped bring back that somber mood. Soon, the smell of campfire and the sound of voices was heard nearby. Confused, Naruto put his hand on Honjo and silently made his way towards the commotion.

When he arrived in the clearing, his eyes could only fill with tears, and his mouth to open in shock. There, sitting on a log with smiles on their faces and enjoying the small fire, was the Harumasa brothers.

Takeshi and Fukui.


With Shizuka

Obito turned himself over so he could rest on his back. All the while, he was laughing uncontrollably at what he just accomplished. It brought joy to his heart watching Shizuka stumble over to Naruto and slowly detach him from the wooden spike he was impaled on. Eventually, his laughter died down enough so that he could speak.

"We will meet again, my dear, but for now I have other plans to get to. Zetsu…if you would."

Shizuka didn't hear anything the Akatsuki leader said, nor did she see Zetsu take off with Obito. Her emotions were decimated. The love of her life was gone, never to see the light of day again. As Shizuka cried into Naruto's bloody chest, her eyes widened as she thought she heard something. She lifted her head and wiped the tears from her eyes and began to use what Tsunade taught her.

As she ran a diagnostic jutsu, she noticed that Kurama was desperately trying to hold not only the seal together, but something else. Something far more important. Without hesitation, Shizuka began to heal the massive wound just below the heart. Once closed, she knew it wasn't going to be enough.

"Just hold on Kurama…help is on the way." Shizuka said as she took a scroll from her vest and unsealed the contents.

In a blur, she dipped her brush in the ink and began to make strokes on the parchment in front of her. Within seconds, she completed a stasis seal and applied it to Naruto's forehead which put him in a coma. Shizuka took another diagnostic scan and sighed in relief.

Naruto was alive, but barely.

Again, she started on another seal, but this time it was on a blank scroll. This one took a minute, but once done she sealed Naruto inside for transport. After her fuinjutsu supplies were sealed and placed back in her pouch, she rushed at full speed towards Ame with a smile on her face.


With Jiraiya

The battle between the Tailless Tailed Beast and the Great Toad Sage has been a massive back and forth. For every water jutsu that Kisame produced, Jirayia countered with a fire one. Any attempt to sap the Sage's chakra failed due to Samehada almost turning to stone, and any attacks that did hit was blocked by Jirayia's famous hair jutsu. Things were not going well for Kisame, but he had one major advantage over the Toad Sage.

Chakra.

There was a reason why Kisame had the moniker he did; he had chakra in spades. Jirayia, however, only had a limited time for his Sage mode. That, and his chakra pool was smaller.

As the two engaged in taijutsu where their blows shook the mountains themselves, Jirayia noticed Shizuka rushing towards Ame with a massive scroll in tow and red puffy eyes. It wasn't a combination he liked.

"Naruto, did something happen to you?" The Toad Sage thought then ducked under a kick only to counter with a punch to Kisame's gut. "This fight cannot go on any longer, my godson and his future wife need me."

Kisame rubbed his stomach then grinned as he was ready to merge himself with Samehada and unleash a massive waterfall in order to trap the sage inside. There, he would systematically tear the Sennin limb to limb. Of course, all those thoughts came crashing down when he heard Jiraiya say four words while finishing the hand signs for a summons.

"Summoning: Food Cart Destroyer!"

A massive green toad with two katana on its back came from the sky and dropped onto Kisame without remorse. There was no way to dodge as the shark like man was in the process of merging with his sword. The crunch of bones and the scream of intense agony filled the area which made the toad open its eyes and look down. Seeing nothing, the summon nonchalantly shrugged then gave a thumbs up to Jiraiya before it dispelled.

Speaking of the Toad Sage, he looked at the crushed body of Kisame with slight pity before he followed Shizuka's example and bolted towards Ame. If he had stayed any longer, Jiraiya would have seen Zetsu pick up the barely alive Swordsman and leave the area without a trace.


Iwa – With Garra

Shukaku knew that his transformation time was almost over. Simply put, that four element blast did quite a bit of damage. The bijuu knew that it would be sleeping for a while in order to gather its strength up again. The fatigue showed as Kakuzu and Hidan were becoming more successful with their coordinated attacks. Just as Shukaku was about to play his final trump card, the screams of one of Kakuzu's beasts filled the air.

Both Akatsuki members looked over to see a new group headed their way, a group which looked well prepared and extremely battle hardened. Thanks to Orochimaru's slip before this war, Obito explained his actions in Iron Country to all Akatsuki members. With three hearts remaining and Iron Country rebels trained by Tobi himself advancing, Kakuzu knew when the right time to retreat was.

"Hidan…time to go." The ancient nin said as he commanded the rest of his hearts back into his body.

The Jashinist had but one reply to that; the middle finger.

Annoyed, Kakuzu was about to capture his crazed partner with his tendrils, but that all stopped when he saw Shukaku lift his head in the air to collect red and blue chakra bubbles. He knew what this attack was and what devastation it would cause. He had no choice. Using his wind manipulation and Earth Grudge Fear, Kakuzu made wings and flew the hell out of there.

Hidan on the other hand jumped into the air ready to blind the bijuu; a crazed smirk on his face. One which was erased as was his existence when Shukaku fired off his Bijuudama.

For the rebels and any fighting in the village, they felt the build-up of Shukaku's chakra, and looked with wide eyes at what was about to take place. It was chaos. People scrambled for cover and even attempted to wound allies just for the sake of survival. For Kurotsuchi, she was in an underground bunker, and the chakra she felt made her realize that after today, Iwa would no longer be considered a great village.

The Bijuudama flew through the center of the village incinerating anything in its path. As it neared the Kage tower, Garra managed to gain enough control to make the ball of death shoot into the air where it exploded. The force of which was like an atomic bomb.

Nearly all of Iwa was flattened. The Kage tower had collapsed which buried the document cache as well as multiple other buildings in the vicinity. Any caught under the blast was vaporized instantly…there was no pain. Allies and enemies alike both suffered casualties as a result of this, but thanks to Garra, a lot of lives were spared. Speaking of which, said jinchuriki was currently passed out on the ground with a smile on his face.

Eventually, Fuu came up to Garra while holding her right arm. It was bleeding heavily thanks to a piece of debris hitting it, but Chomei was currently taking care of that. With a sigh, she sat down beside her fellow jinchuriki and started stroking his hair. They knew their mission was over.

"Milady, are you in need of assistance." The rebel leader said with a hint of worry.

Fuu shook her head with a smile. "No, but thank you. I do have one request, however. Would you mind helping us get the wounded and everyone else back to Taki…I will lead the way."

The rebel leader bowed. "At once."

As orders were being barked out, Fuu finally got a good look of how much damage Garra had caused. On the other side of the village, Kurotsuchi was doing the same. It would take years to recover, and even then the scar would still remain.

Iwa was destroyed both physically and mentally.


Ame

Hinata, Sakura, and Ino were all around a fully awake and calm Kimimaro. The last of the Kaguya clan did not mind that his blood was being taken nor the many diagnostic jutsu done to him. All three medics were careful as to not aggravate whatever disease Kimimaro had.

"Hinata, other than the chakra issues, can you sense anything else with your Byakugan?" Ino stated as she wrote some things down on her clipboard.

Hinata scanned over the Kaguya again and noticed that his heart was weakened as was his lungs.

"Ino, we can do no more than what we already have. Tsunade will need to take over."

Sakura rose an eyebrow and asked, "Why?"

Hinata sighed, "Potential heart and lung failure…transporting him will be tricky. To be honest, I'm not sure how he is still alive."

Before they could put their patient in a medically induced coma, a code blue was blared over the intercom. The hospital was now in a state of frenzy as doctors and nurses ran towards the waiting room with a stretcher. Sakura quickly put Kimimaro in a coma then all three ran towards the nearest doctor to see what they could do. No explanation was needed, however, when they saw a severely wounded Naruto on a stretcher with a distraught Shizuka following close by. The head doctor gave a subtle nod which allowed Hinata and the others to help their fallen commander.

As the three left, Jiraiya came in with worry on his face.

"Where is he, where is my godson?"

The doctor smiled and politely said, "I'm sorry Jiraiya-san, but we cannot allow you to see him while the nurses are working on him."

The sage scowled, "Dammit! I need to see him before the Kyuubi escapes!"

This made everyone in the vicinity go quiet. No words were said, but everyone moved out of the way to let the man pass.

As Ino was taking off Naruto's armor, the doctor in the room stood by and watched to see how the apprentices of Tsunade performed under extreme pressure. To his surprise, each was perfectly calm even though a life hung in the balance.

"Hinata!" Sakura ordered which made said person nod and instantly scan Naruto's chakra network.

Like before, she had to turn it off quickly due to the Ki in his system.

"Ki reserves are still intact, but the main cause for concern is Kyuubi's chakra…it's close to overloading."

As Sakura ran a diagnostic jutsu, she asked a simple question. "And the good news?"

"Shizuka's stasis seal is keeping that at bay."

Ino cursed, "We need a seal master to deal with Kyuubi." After a short pause to insert a breathing tube and hook Naruto up to an IV, she looked to Sakura.

She handed her clipboard to the doctor which explained all the injuries Naruto had then sighed.

"For the most case, Naruto has minor injuries, but he will need a heart transplant in order to fix all the damage."
The doctor interrupted with a question to test the pink haired shinobi. "And why would that be…the wound is directly under the heart is it not?"

Sakura nodded, "Hai, but there was a previous injury before that…one which basically shut down all his major organs at once. It's old, almost a year to be exact."

The doctor blinked in shock as he wasn't expecting that, then looked out the small window to the patient's girlfriend who was being consoled by Jiraiya. Without pause, he went to the door, opened it, and told the two to come inside.

"H-how is he?" Shizuka stuttered with tears coming from her eyes.

Hinata smiled, "Your seal saved his life, but Kyuubi's chakra is threatening to overload his system."

Jiraiya nodded, "I figured as such." He motioned towards his godson. "May I?"

The head doctor nodded, "You may, but I have a question for…"

"Shizuka."

"…Shizuka-san here. Sakura tells me that Naruto suffered a previous injury about a year ago, one which shut down his major organs. If you could elaborate please?"

Shizuka took in a deep breath then let it out with a stutter. With tears running down her cheeks, she explained what happened to Naruto during the war in Iron Country.


With Naruto

The Harumasa brothers stopped their conversation when they noticed a person standing nearby; a person which made them smile even more.

"Come, come, we have much to discuss my student." Fukui motioned to the other side of the fire where another log had been laid.

"M-master…is…is that really you?" Naruto stuttered out in shock.

Takeshi nodded, "Yes Naruto, both of us are not figments of your imagination. Please, take a seat so we may begin."

After a short pause, Naruto slowly made his way towards the log and sat down. As he looked into the fire, the faces of Shizuka, Kurama, and Mifune could all be seen; faces which vanished as Fukui spoke up.

"So, have you fulfilled my dying wish? Have you taken up the Harumasa name?"

Naruto simply nodded, but said nothing. His sights still on the fire. With a sigh, Fukui got up, walked over to the broken boy and laid a comforting hand on his right shoulder.

"Look at me my student, avert your gaze from the flames of remembrance, and show me the honor and determination in which you fought."

Still no response which brought a frown to the Harumasa brother's faces.

"Naruto, the son I never had, is this how you honor my death. By doing the one thing I told you not to do? Death…it hurts; a pain which I am well versed in." Takeshi flinched at this knowing how much pain he brought upon his brother. "Loved ones, friends, you leave it all behind. But…tell me, my student, would they be happy, would they be honored, to see you in the state you are in?"

Takeshi cut in here. "Naruto, you, like I was so long ago, was a broken man. Look what happened to me, the monster I became as I held onto that hate, that depression."

Naruto looked up and wiped the tears from his eyes. With a sigh, he shook his head and responded.

"You're right, what honor have I brought to them if I spend my eternity sulking. I should be happy that the ones I left behind are still alive." After a shaky breath, he continued. "Like you master, I chose the path I would take. Yours brought redemption whereas mine brought self-sacrifice."

Fukui patted Naruto on the back with a smile, "And there's the student I know."

Naruto smiled which prompted Takeshi to speak up. "To be honest, your path has not ended just yet. Kami has given us this time to tell you that because of what you did, the prophecy has changed."

The smile Naruto had erased instantly as he had a bad feeling where this was going.

Fukui nodded at Naruto's emotions. "You have every right to be worried, my student. The child who will bring about change you still are, but now you are a child who will experience immeasurable sorrow along the way. A sorrow which will not only test you mentally, but also make you question the code you devoted your entire life to follow."

Naruto sighed and looked back into the flames to see those he lost during the Iron Country war and again, those he left behind.

"Why must death not take me…I am honored that I died protecting what I loved, and I wish I could spend eternity here with both of you."

"Your path Naruto…can't you see?" Takeshi said with a smile as he placed his hand on Naruto's other shoulder. "This is but another obstacle for you to overcome."

Fukui nodded and ruffled Naruto's hair which made said person push the hand away with a smile.

"My brother is right, my student. But now, the question of how you will fight back from the icy talons of death."

A white flash appeared behind Naruto which made him look at a door that was now carved into the nearby tree. Naruto looked back at the Harumasa brothers who simultaneously motioned towards the door.

"Go now." Takeshi said with his brother finishing.

"And remember, my student, we will be waiting…all of us will be waiting for your return."

Naruto stood up and gave his master a huge hug then stood back and bowed. It was then he turned to Takeshi and looked into his eyes. Both knew what each other was thinking, but after a tense minute, both bowed to each other and shook hands.

All was forgiven.

With a deep breath, Naruto walked to the door and grasped the handle. He took one look back to see the Harumasa brother's wave at him, the smiles still present on their faces. With a grin of his own, Naruto opened the door, and stepped inside.


Ame

It took 15 minutes for Shizuka to explain what happened to Naruto, and needless to say, most of them were shocked. Jiraiya's sigh brought everyone out of their thoughts.

"Well…do you want the good news, or the bad news?" After no response, the sage continued. "Good news is, Shizuka did a fine job with that seal which saved Naruto's life. Bad news, is that I have no way of fixing Kyuubi's seal. Something's blocking me from doing so which means that Naruto determines his own fate…I'm sorry Shizuka."

The doctor in the room sighed, "Luckily we have plenty of compatible hearts thanks to this mini-war…prep our commander for surgery, and let's hope to Kami that the kid pulls through."


Kiri – Kage Office

Simply put, Yagura was irate. Word just came through that the Hokage of Konoha decimated his entire naval fleet by himself. To make matters worse, the rebels have started to gain ground to the point where they have taken over a part of the village. Sadly, Yagura did not have enough troops to pull off a counter-attack thanks to what he committed for this war. That, and Zabuza was apparently training the rebels non-stop. In the beginning, Yagura's troops ran all over the disorganized and weak resistance force, but now those tides had turned. As he was about to call for his secretary, Zetsu appeared in his office with another person in tow.

Kabuto.

Yagura grinned as he knew who this man was. "So…what brings Orochimaru's second to my humble home?"

Kabuto fixed his glasses then fished around in his kunai pouch for something. With an evil grin, he pulled out a small glass vial filled with a grotesque looking liquid. Now the jinchuriki was confused, and his anger started to grow.

"And pray tell what this simple little vial will do…please, I'm all ears, but do understand that I am in a bind and have no need for petty experiments."

In his usual calm tone, Kabuto responded. "Ye who have little faith." A small chuckle escaped from the man's lips before he continued. "A special concoction to rid of your…rat infestation. I assure you, the results will leave you wanting more."

The Mizukage narrowed his eyes and searched for any deception, but found none. With a sick grin, Yagura turned in his seat and looked out the window of his office towards a certain sector of Kiri.

"The northeastern sector has been overrun with Mei's troops…I want them gone, eliminated, perhaps erased from existence." The Mizukage turned back to set his eyes on Kabuto's. "Oh, and do create a message that will strike fear into the rebel's hearts. This is MY VILLAGE, and usurpers have no such place here."

Kabuto nodded, "As you wish…come Zetsu, it's time to enact stage one."

As the two disappeared, Yagura looked towards the northeast sector with a mad sparkle in his eye. After a brief moment, the jinchuriki vanished in a swirl of water only to reappear on a building overlooking the small rebel encampment.

Kabuto appeared inside an ally and chuckled to himself as he watched the rebels going about their business. He estimated there was about 100 to 200 in this sector, and his special concoction would not disappoint. Zetsu appeared a short while later and made a clone of himself. The clone then drank the contents of the vial and morphed into what the usual rebel looked like before walking towards the center of the sector.

Kabuto shunshined beside Yagura and fixed his glasses. "Enjoy the fireworks Yagura, I do hope we can work together after this…spectacle."

Yagura nodded, but his focus was on the rebel casually making his way towards the center of the sector. To his surprise, not one of the rebels thought of him as an intruder. That all changed, however, when the clone started to expand, bubble and start to release a noxious green gas. Then, without warning, the clone exploded which sent the green gas to spread around the sector. The Mizukage looked on with morbid curiosity as those that came in contact with the green fog started to melt like they were pieces of chocolate left out in the sun. Within a minute, only the skeleton remained.

Yagura raised an eyebrow as he looked at Kabuto, "My, I wasn't expecting such a reaction. Hmm…alright, your piqued my interest. Finish your mission then meet me at my office, we have much to discuss."

Kabuto nodded and waited until the gas dissipated before sealing the skeletal remains in a scroll. There were no survivors.


With Mei – Rebel Camp Hours Later

Mei, Ao, Zabuza, Chojuro, and Haku were all in a meeting to discuss what to do with the northeastern sector they captured only a few days ago. They had many options, but those would have to wait as a messenger burst into the tent with fear in her eyes.

"Mei-sama, you need to look at this!"

Said person narrowed her eyes, "Speak before I melt you."

The messenger gulped before she answered, "The northeastern sector platoon is gone…no survivors."

Mei, Zabuza, and the other's had their eyes wide in shock. Without hesitation, they let the messenger lead them to the edge of camp only to find a pile of skeletons with a note at the bottom from Yagura. A note which Zabuza picked up and read.

"Usurpers have no place in MY village, let this be a warning to you. The next present will arrive when I feel like it. Enjoy your day…Yagura."

Haku narrowed his eyes in anger as he looked at the pile of remains then towards Kiri. He could almost see that bastard of a Kage's evil smirk from here. At first he was ready to gather a group and storm in, but then an idea suddenly struck.

"Zabuza-sama, perhaps we should employ the services of the samurai we met on our travels."

Mei rose an eyebrow, "Samurai? The only one I know of is of stories told about the Akuma no Senshi."

She shunshined back to the tent, then came back with a book in hand.

The Bingo Book.

She opened the marked page to let everyone see the entry.


Title: Akuma no Senshi

Actual Name: Naruto Uzumaki

Age: 13

Village Association: Iron Country

Rank: A, possibly S

Kenjutsu: S rank

Ninjutsu: Unknown

Taijutsu: A rank

Note: Reportedly can surround himself in a cloak of orange-red chakra, and can also perform attacks invisible to the human eye. Veteran of the recent war in Iron Country.

Recommendation: Do not provoke, and do not engage alone. If any more information is known, contact the nearest bounty office.

Reward: None at the moment


Ao was impressed, but like always, he had his doubts. "Mei-sama, can we trust this guy, maybe he is a sleeper agent for Yagura, maybe he is…"

Nothing else could be said thanks to Zabuza punching him in the face which subsequently knocked Ao out.

"Tch, bastard. Haku and I met this kid and his master personally…cool kid if you ask me. Definitely acted mature for his age at the time which makes sense due to his career path."

Mei hummed in thought, "Well, they say the samurai are bound by honor so why not. I will let you leave in six months as we need to reassess our situation thanks to what we lost today."

Haku smiled, "Thank you Mei-sama, we accept."

Said person smiled, "Glad you do otherwise I would melt you."


With Naruto

The moment Naruto stepped through the door, a bright flash of light blinded him, but once his vision was restored he gasped at the destruction inside his mindscape.

The skies were no longer blue, they were an ominous black with the occasional flash of lightning and the boom of thunder. The grass was no longer green, it was brown, shriveled up, and dead; much like the forest which surrounded Kurama's cave. A cold wind blew which made Naruto shiver, but despite all this he trudged forth to see if his foxy friend was still here.

"Kurama?!" Naruto shouted out hoping for a verbal response, but all he got was a howl of pain from the cave in which the bijuu resided.

Fearing for his companion's life, Naruto ran inside only to find a very sickly looking bijuu. Almost like how he looked when his chakra was taken.

"Kit…" Kurama rasped out. "…you need to get my chakra back under control. I *cough* used too much trying to heal you, to keep the seal intact."

Naruto walked up to his partner and rested his hand on the fox's snout with a frown on his face. "Rest now, Kurama, my pal, for I will do what needs to be done to ensure both our lives will endure for many years to come."

The bijuu could only nod, with a couple tears coming from his eyes before falling asleep. It was the first time since his creation that Kurama felt this way.

Afraid.

But, amongst this rare emotion, there was a glimmer of hope; a ray of sun which broke the ominous sky.

As Naruto travelled farther into his mindscape the temperature increased as did the intense euphoria that came with using Kurama's chakra. The only problem was that Naruto took this path once before, a path where he defeated Yami and expelled his dark side once and for all.

Naruto looked at the chains on the ground which once kept Yami at bay, then at the door which lay off its hinges. As he looked beyond, Naruto found Kurama's chakra scattered about the room like a dense fog. With a deep breath, and his loved ones in his heart, Naruto entered and began to overcome his next obstacle.

"Shizuka, Fukui, Kurama, Mifune, everyone who I have met, everyone who I have become friends with; please give me the strength to do what I am about to do."

Naruto grit his teeth as the chakra started to enter his system…a burning sensation so great that it felt like one was being burned from the inside out. Yet, this pain only made Naruto push himself to the center of the room. His skin, once soft and moist, started to burn and flake off as did his blonde and red-streaked hair.

Naruto screamed at the intense pain he was feeling, but he still managed to put himself in the full lotus position before closing his eyes and meditating.

"Breathe in, and out…steady now. Focus on the good, focus on the future, and disregard the here and now."

Naruto thought as his breathing began to stable; the pain becoming a thing of the past. A past which he now had to endure. From his childhood, to his training, Naruto had to relive every bit of it.

"Come on, my other half…don't you see that your life is all a lie. Merge with me, let us become whole once again." Yami's voice echoed in Naruto's memories.

"You are but an empty glass waiting to be filled." Fukui said in a sage like tone.

"My pain is yours, and your pain is mine." Shizuka was the next to speak.

"Will you help relieve an old man from his burdens?" Mifune asked.

"Naruto, my son, your mother and I are proud at what you've become." Minato said with a smile.

Naruto smiled as the good memories started to overtake the bad, and soon the white space was found once again. There, Naruto felt the weightlessness when his wind Ki is accessed; a feeling that he quickly latched onto.

"And remember, my student, we will be waiting…all of us will be waiting for your return."

That sentence, the one which Naruto's master spoke before he entered the door, made the mindscape explode in a bright red-orange flash. A flash which extended beyond its boundaries.


Ame – Hospital

Naruto was wheeled into the operating room where he was to undergo a heart transplant, but as the head doctor left to gather the necessary surgical equipment the room was bathed in a golden aura. The walls cracked, the electronic medical equipment shorted out, and a feeling of extreme peace filled the entire hospital. Hinata, Ino, Sakura, and the other staff in the hospital quickly rushed over to see what the cause was, but ended up witnessing a miracle.

There, by Naruto's bedside was an ethereal figure dressed in all white robes, had piercing sapphire eyes, and golden hair which reached to her lower back. The figure had a royal looking face, and was the definition of perfection. The aura which she gave was heavenly, yet demanded full respect.

"Go now my champion, be free of your injuries, join your loved ones; show this world what it once lost."

The figure said in an angelic tone, but only Naruto was the one who could hear it. The figure smiled and tapped her finger on Naruto's forehead which bathed him in a white light which blinded any spectators. Once the light died down, and everyone got their vision back, everyone quickly rushed to their commander's side. After a diagnostic scan reported his injuries were healed and he was at 100 percent again, they put Naruto in a recovery room and notified one person in particular.

Five minutes later, Shizuka entered the room to find a smiling Naruto and those deep blue eyes she grew to love. Without hesitation, Shizuka ran up and hugged the love of her life; tears coming from both their eyes.

"Thank you Kit." A relieved Kurama spoke. "Sleep now, Kami knows that you and your mate need it."

Naruto mentally smiled. "Thank you Kurama…and it's good to be back."

It would be hours later when Jiraiya, Tsunade, Nagato, and many others arrived only to see two lovers asleep in each other's embrace. The war was now over, and a semblance of peace had finally returned to the Elemental Nations.