HAH! FINALLY this chapter was able to come out! Only explanation for this late update I can give is that I had been out of my groove this past month. I couldn't concentrate on writing anything...ANYTHING I tell you. It was so frustrating for me, and with the start of college it only made it increasingly difficult for me. Then finally my best friend, 'Foolish Little Brother' on this site, came to my rescue. I wrote most of this chapter on google drive with him constantly monitoring my progress.

I must say that when you know someone's viewing your work as you write gives a real boost! And when I started writing again, with my muse back, I was able to finish this chapter in two days! YEAH GUYS, I began writing this chapter only two days ago! Flame me for that if you want to! -.-

Anyways, it was thanks to my buddy sitting with me (literally) and helping me finish this. Without him, I don't think I could've gotten back into my groove even now. :(

And lastly, I'm extremely sorry for making you guys wait for this chapter- IF you were even waiting for it that is. :D

Well, let's BEGIN!

Chapter 51- A Saga of Epiphany Begins...

Sighing to herself, she tapped the Uzushio seal on her neck.

"Naruto, are you there?" she telepathically uttered, waiting for his reply.

"Yeah...what's wrong?" he was panting a bit.

"This is important. I want you to immediately come to my office along with Kakashi and Mikoto-chan."

"Is something wrong? You sound tense."

"Just come here right now," she ordered with authority as he went silent for a few seconds.

"Got it.'

Several Minutes Later: Hokage's Office

"This is definitely his handwriting..." Hiruzen sighed as he put the piece of paper down, a weary sigh escaping his lips as he sat in front of Kushina. Behind him stood Naruto and Mikoto, the duo having serious expressions on their faces. This was big, this was the opportunity they had been waiting for.

"What do you think? This could be a trap too jiji," Kushina asked, a grave look on her face with Yugao standing beside her.

"What's your take on this Mikoto? Do you want to go?" Hiruzen asked, not taking his eyes off the paper as the Uchiha clenched her fists.

"You know my answer well...sandaime-sama," everyone present could clearly hear the spite in her voice as she addressed the village's former leader.

Kushina sighed as she intertwined her fingers in front of her mouth, she knew Mikoto's grudge against the village's elders as well as the third hokage. It was...understandable, despite the possible conditions, her clan was wiped out by one of their own upon Hiruzen's orders after all. And also, Orochimaru was offering Danzo as well- someone who has been the centre of everything that has happened so far.

"When has he asked us to meet him at Valley of the End?" Naruto asked.

"No specifics regarding the time whatsoever," the godaime answered while shaking her head.

"We should reach there as soon as possible then, I'm sure they must have already set a camp around that place, waiting for us. They know we would hurry anyways," Mikoto verbalized as the blonde glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. She was surprisingly calm in such a situation. But he knew, she must be extremely anxious to just get out there and finally see her younger son.

"I agree, there's no use just sitting here and pondering whether it could be a trap. We just have to be prepared for all kinds of possibilities," Sarutobi uttered making the red haired hokage nod as she turned to Mikoto.

"I'll be sending Naruto with you Mikoto-chan," she apparently ignored the warning glare Hiruzen was giving her before closing her eyes for a moment.

"Hyuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura, Tayuya and Mi-"

BHAM!

"You called Nii-chan!" Naruto, Mikoto and Hiruzen turned to see a panting Anko standing at the door, a stick of dango in her mouth with Kurenai and Hana standing behind her- embarrassed blush on their faces as they grumbled under their breaths.

"...Mitarashi Anko will accompany you two on this mission," finished the godaime hokage with a twitching eyebrow. Naruto smirked at Anko's antics as the trio entered the office while Yugao had tensed up.

"Are you sure it's wise to send her?" the Anbu kunoichi asked in a low tone.

"Her curse seal was removed by Naruto a month ago, I'm sure she'll be fine. If she was not needed in this mission, I wouldn't have unnecessarily added her Yugao-chan," Kushina replied curtly.

"Wait! Anko is tagging along them, I'm sure I can assist them too. I'm free anyways," Hana spoke eagerly making the hokage shake her head.

"No Hana-chan, I don't want to send out more than necessary numbers. It could be a trap to lure out our main forces, leaving the village vulnerable for attacks. I have to look both sides."

"But it could be a trap from Orochimaru too! What if we need every bit of strength to counter whatever they may have in store for us. My tracking skills along with my ninken can help the mission a great deal," the Inuzuka argued with a frown as Naruto and the other fire queens looked at her.

"Hyuga Hinata is being sent for that purpose. With her Toyotama Byakugan along with Uzume, she can cover long distances with her enhanced sight. Moreover, with her technique Shinto, she can share her enhanced vision with others simultaneously," Kushina voiced calmly while others had to agree with her.

"Are you implying she's a better tracker than me?" Hana questioned with a deep frown as she stared at Kushina while Naruto gazed at her in surprise.

"Considering the circumstances and this mission...yes."

"Kaa-san!" Naruto exclaimed as he turned his head to glare at her while Kushina's eyes were closed.

THAP!

The jinchuuriki turned back to see Hana no longer present there, the door now shut.

"I'll go and check on her," Kurenai uttered, mainly to Kushina as she turned on her heels to exit the office when the whiskered blonde turned to the hokage with an agitated look on his face.

"You didn't have to say it like that dammit!" Kushina watched as her son stormed off towards the door.

"Reach at the gate in an hour Naruto."

The blonde didn't say anything as he left the office while silence filled the office. Hiruzen looked at Kushina with pity as she took a deep breath. He knew being in her position was never easy; being a Hokage was never easy. You always had to look past your personal relations and obligations to make a decision- especially in these sort of circumstances.

He had faced such situations countless times during his reign, and it always tore at his heart to make such hard decisions.

"Kushina, don't worry...it'll work out," Mikoto spoke to her best friend with a small smile making the Uzumaki nod while Yugao put a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

With Hana

The Inuzuka was currently jumping through the rooftops, a deep scowl on her usually relaxed face. She was pissed right now, her fists clenched as she sped away from the Hokage office, towards one of the training grounds- the kunoichi had to blow off some steam.

"Hana-chan wait up!" the Inuzuka sighed in frustration as she recognized that voice instantly.

"I don't want to talk right now Kurenai! Just leave me alone!" she yelled over her shoulder as the crimson eyed jounin continued to follow her.

"Dammit slow down will you?! What's with you all of a sudden?!" Kurenai shouted back while Hana's feet flared with chakra as she blurred forward, giving no response. The genjutsu mistress narrowed her eyes, she was already moving at her fastest. The Inuzuka were known for their strong chakra after all.

"Kurenai-chan!" the jounin looked back to see Naruto catching up with her.

'Great...looks like he too has surpassed me in speed,' Kurenai thought with a sigh as the blonde approached her.

"Where's Hana-chan?" he asked seriously.

"She just won't stop...says she wants to be alone right now. I can't catch up to her also," Kurenai said as she pointed in the direction where Hana went. A grin crept onto Naruto's face as he turned to the jounin beside him.

"Heehee...guess I'm getting faster than you huh Kurenai-chan?" he teased as she glared at him playfully. The blonde burst out in laughter as he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

"I was just joking, anyway, you can head back...I'll see what's wrong with her," she smiled back before pulling him by his jounin vest as both of them stopped on a roof.

"That won't do Naruto..." Kurenai uttered as she wrapped her arms around his neck while he stared at her quizzically.

"What won't do?" the blonde tilted his head in confusion when she leaned in to kiss him passionately. His eyes widened momentarily before he kissed her back, pulling her in by her waist. The duo pulled back upon hearing a loud gasp.

Kurenai turned her head for her eyes to widen in panic as she spotted a civilian teen standing in balcony, staring at them wide eyed. As stated earlier, Naruto's romantic life was hidden from the general public, especially his relation with the fire queens and Kushina. And if someone saw the former ice queen kissing him, all hell had to break loose in the village.

POOF!

"Huh?" Naruto looked beside him to see Kurenai having transformed into another Naruto. The civilian teen looked on as the transformed Kurenai, while grinning very Naruto-like, put an arm around the blonde's shoulder.

"Man, that sure felt real dattebayo! I bet Kurenai-sama's lips are soft just like that!" the transformed 'Naruto' exclaimed while the real Naruto looked on in confusion. The jinchuuriki looked on as the teen's eyes widened in horror before he dashed back into his house while yelling-

"Kaa-san! Tou-san! You won't believe what I just saw! Naruto-sama is actually a gay! That's why he never goes out with his fan girls! I just saw him kissing his own shadow clone!"

"NANI?!" Naruto shouted with an enraged look on his face as Kurenai poofed back into herself, holding the blonde back by his collar.

"Calm down Naruto, we know you're not a gay. It's not going to bring any harm, not that anyone would believe it," Kurenai spoke while giggling to herself in amusement as the blonde pouted at her.

"Well, you should go on. See you later," Kurenai articulated before kissing him on the cheek lovingly. She took off while the blonde just sighed to himself. He turned back towards the empty balcony, a few seconds going on in silence.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO IS NOT A GAY DATTEBAYO!"

With Hana: Inuzuka Clan Estates: Training Grounds

The Inuzuka heiress stood in front of a training post, panting lightly as she took deep breaths to calm herself. Her eyes were closed, her features relaxed as she clenched and unclenched her fists. Her triplets ninken- the Haimaru brothers sat some distance away, observing her.

Her nose slowly scrunched up, her eyebrows narrowing as her lips curled down in a deep scowl while her clenched fists trembled.

DHWAK!

Hana slammed her right fist into the dummy in frustration.

"Damn it!" she exhaled unsteadily when one of her ninken came close to her, barking lightly at her. The Inuzuka breathed in as she pulled her fist back.

"It's nothing...leave me alone for a while," her voice stern as Haimaru mewled, backing up when it felt a hand on its head.

"Aww c'mon, what's his fault?" Hana didn't turn around as Naruto continued to pet Haimaru while the ninken licked his whiskered cheek, showing his delight of seeing the blonde.

"Hehe, it's good to see you too buddy. Sorry I haven't been around lately," the jinchuuriki laughed as other two ninken surrounded him- licking him all over.

"Ahaha, hey that tickles!" Naruto exclaimed as the Haimaru brothers wagged their tails in joy.

"I don't want to talk right now Naruto," Hana spoke firmly, her back turned to him as he looked at her in confusion. He petted the ninken with a smile before getting up, his smile slowly fading to give way to a serious expression. Walking towards her slowly, the blonde slipped his arms around her waist-gently pulling her in as she went stiff.

Hana closed her eyes, a sigh escaping her lips when she felt him applying his special chakra to her- a feeling of sereneness flowing through her body. She soon relaxed in his arms while he placed soft kisses on her neck, her ear.

"You know how to always melt me don't you?" she muttered, her eyes closed. Naruto chuckled in response as he nibbled on her ear, making her moan lightly.

"You know Kaa-san didn't mean it Hana-chan. Why are you so frustrated?" the whiskered blonde asked her softly as she turned around in his arms- frowning at him lightly.

"Your really are clueless when it comes to women aren't you?" her frown turned into an exasperated smile as she shook her head.

"It's nothing," a tinge of sadness in her voice as she broke her gaze from him.

"Go...you have an important mission. You should be mentally prepared for anything, you're still a freshly promoted chunin after all," she teased him with a grin, pinching his nose lightly when he grabbed her wrist firmly. Hana looked at him in surprise as he stared at her with a sombre look on his face.

"Is it perhaps because I'm not being able to give much time to you? That we haven't been with each other much recently?" it was more of a question than a statement while Hana held a startled look in her eyes.

"I-It's not like that...I know you've been busy with training and other stuff. Moreover, Akatsuki is after you, I can only imagine the pressure you're dealing with. But I know you're strong and that you would never give up. I've been watching you since you were little...I know you can handle anything. So don't you go worrying about us, we're fine as it is. These problems might create a gap between us, but I'm sure we'll figure something out," Hana uttered with a light grin, her hands locked behind her back.

Naruto smiled at her as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"It's strange, I came here to calm you down. And now you're the one preaching me. You still haven't told me why you stormed out back then. There had to be something that made you so angry," he enquired making her sigh.

'Him and his stubbornness...why can't he just leave it?'

"I just..." her voice trailed as she averted her gaze.

"I really wanted to go on this mission, to fight alongside you. I mean...there's no guarantee that Akatsuki won't strike again this time. And with the mission here focusing on Orochimaru and Danzo, I don't want to just sit, knowing that I could be out there...helping you," the Inuzuka was rubbing her arm, an uncertain expression on her face as she looked anywhere but into his deep oceanic pools.

"It's...I...thank you Hana-chan. Really, that means so much to me. But you just said that you believe in me," he uttered as she lifted her eyes to meet his as he smirked at her, confidence radiating off his face.

"I'm not the same kid anymore who you always had to look out for. You don't have to worry for me like before. These past months, I've grown up considerably- mentally, physically, as well as...emotionally too. I may sometimes crack under the pressure, but you as well as everyone around me knows damn well that I won't give up. So...have some faith in me Hana-chan, that's all I ask for," Naruto lifted his hand, his palm sideways as he stared intensely at her.

The Inuzuka smiled as she slowly lifted her hand.

"You...really have grown up, haven't you Naruto?" the blonde gave his full blown foxy grin in return as she held his hand firmly.

'Rather...if you refuse to grow up, life forces you to.'

"It's my turn to protect you all."

Hana stared at him in wonder, goose bumps forming on her skin as she gazed into his bright eyes- full of warmth, self-belief and determination. Kushina had informed them that he was getting emotionally unstable, feeling stress these days due to all that he had endured recently. They had to take care of him, make sure he didn't fall and go into depression. All of them were on the lookout for him, to support him in any way possible. But he...he always managed to surprise her. Just when you thought that he was going to fall, he would adjust his footing and stand up again- again and again—every damn single time. It amazed her, no...it enthralled her, captivated her, enchanted her everytime.

'You can't help but fall in love with him again and again,' an affectionate smile on her face as she nodded with him, speechless for a lack of better word.

"My my, so I happen to stumble upon the lovebirds!" the duo turned to see Tsume Inuzuka walking towards them, a feral grin on her face.

"Oba-san! So how's it going?!" Naruto grinned widely as he stepped around while a tic mark formed on Tsume's forehead.

"When will you stop calling me that brat! I'm still pretty young!" she growled as he laughed sheepishly while Hana giggled lightly.

"Ya well, I can't get it out of my head that you're Hana-chan's mother. Can you blame me here?" the blonde verbalized while rubbing the back of his head making the Inuzuka clan head sigh in defeat. A smirk quickly found its way on her face as she slung an arm over his shoulder.

"So pretty boy, when are you going to bless me with some cute and adorable grand pups. I won't mind them calling me Obaa-chan."

"Kaa-san!" Hana's face erupted into a deep crimson blush as she exclaimed loudly while Naruto squinted his eyes in confusion.

"Pups?" his mind quickly wrapped around the ways of Inuzuka clan as he realized what Tsume was talking about.

"THE HELL?!" the blonde wiggled out of her arm, his face red in embarrassment as he pointed an accusing finger at her.

"I'M STILL TOO YOUNG FOR THAT ERO-OBA!" he quickly turned towards Hana to notice her looking at the ground, the deep blush not planning on going away anytime soon.

"D-Don't say stuff without thinking dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed as he turned back to Tsume, a freaked out looked on his face while Tsume crossed her arms over her chest.

"Young? Have you looked yourself in the mirror, who in his right mind would believe that you're just a thirteen year old kid. You look like you're sixteen or something," she spoke with a nonchalant look on her face making him sigh in defeat.

"Whatever, this topic is way too weird for me! I mean, I haven't even checked out all the ramen flavours in the world! Becoming a father is the last thing on my mind right now! I'm sure Hana-chan feels the same way too, ne Hana-chan?" he turned to the blushing Inuzuka as she snapped her head up.

"O-Of course! We're still too young for that!" an embarrassed countenance on her face while Tsume smirked at her daughter. She sighed in mocked sadness while shaking her head.

"Pups these days, you'd thought they would be more energetic than that. Anyways, don't tell you two haven't even had sex yet?" she sported a bored expression while Hana's blush went a deeper shade of red, if that was even possible.

"H-How can you talk about stuff like that so easily?! There's something seriously wrong with you oba-san!" Naruto exclaimed, trying to fight back the blush on his face as Tsume snorted in amusement.

"Heh, just like your mother. Kushina would always turn into a ripe tomato whenever inquired about such stuff. Yesterday when I asked her about her sex life with you, you should have looked at her face. Her face erupted into a volcanic blush, she began to sputter like a teen who had just lost her virginity," Tsume ranted, her hands on her hips while Naruto didn't know how to react, too embarrassed to say anything whereas Hana too was silent- inwardly cursing her motor-mouth mother.

"But hey, judging by the glow on her face- you must be banging her up real good huh?" Tsume grinned devilishly. By now Hana just wanted to dig herself deep under the ground and never come out.

"You don't have to say it like that dammit!" Naruto yelled comically as he shook his fists, making the Inuzuka matriarch laugh out loud in amusement.

"Oh I should tell you, the first time I asked Kushina about sex. She was so innocent back then," Tsume mimicked Kushina's innocent face as she put her hands in front of her chest like an eager child.

"Sex? Does it taste better than salt ramen?" her voice high pitched to match the younger Kushina while Naruto couldn't help but burst out in laughter, finding it oddly hilarious.

"R-Really? She was that ignorant?" the jinchuuriki asked with thinly veiled surprise as Tsume just nodded with a smirk, her eyes closed.

"And you should have seen the look on her face when I gave her the talk, the bird and the bees. She was so embarrassed I thought she'd never be able to look at any male without blushing"

"Damn, I forgot to tell you about that part," Ayumi spoke with a pout while Naruto laughed loudly. It was way too funny imagining Kushina's reaction.

Hana looked at Naruto and Tsume conversing without any care in the world as she smiled warmly at them.

'They get along so well...I just hope Kiba won't mind once he gets to know about Naruto and me.'

Konoha's North Gate: Roughly One Hour Later

"So, you think this mission is going to get ugly?" Sakura asked, currently standing with Hinata and Tayuya with a nervous look on her face. Kushina, Mikoto and Hiruzen stood a bit away from them, talking amongst themselves about something serious.

"It can Sakura-chan. We have to be prepared for almost anything. You should know best that any mission that involves Naruto-kun won't be normal," Hinata uttered seriously while Tayuya was rolling her flute between her fingers, a bored look on her face.

"Even if it does turn out to be a fucking bitch, it doesn't matter to me. If you had endured half the things Kin-chan and I had to back in sound, you won't be such a nervous wreck," she muttered.

"Hey! Give me a break here at least. This is my first S-rank mission after all, and I'm the only genin in this squad remember? Oh yes, that does a great deal to lift my morale," the pink haired kunoichi rolled her eyes, sighing in defeat when Hinata put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan, we are here to support you too. Besides, the fact that you were the only genin chosen in this squad means that hokage-sama has trust in you. You have improved tremendously this past month, I'm sure you'll be okay. I too was nervous in our last mission with Jiraiya-sama, but if you are focused enough, it'll work out. You just have to believe in yourself," a soft look in her pale eyes as Tayuya glanced at the Hyuga heiress.

"That blondie has such a heavy effect on you that sometimes it scares me. I won't be surprised if one day I find your hair dyed blonde, those cat marks on your cheek and you eating ramen all day," her expression laid-back while Hinata's cheeks erupted into a deep blush as she began to poke her index fingers.

"I-It's not like that Tayuya-chan," her voice barely above a whisper while Sakura stared at her in amusement.

'There's that old Hinata again, habits sure don't leave you easily,' the pink haired kunoichi thought when she froze upon feeling something soft and wet on her cheek.

"Do I taste...fear?" she heard a cold voice just behind her.

"KYAA!" Hinata, Tayuya, Kushina, Mikoto and Hiruzen all turned around upon hearing Sakura scream in fright.

Anko stood grinning as Sakura's freaked out expression soon turned into that of anger.

"Y-You're that crazy proctor from the chunin exams! Don't scare me like that shannaro!" she yelled while Kushina, Mikoto and Hiruzen just chuckled at Anko's antics, she and her pranks...

"When will you grow up Anko-chan?" Yugao stood by her long time friend as she shook her head in exasperation. Hinata smiled at the two fire queens as she greeted the duo politely.

"Why if it isn't my favourite Hyuga! How's it going sunshine!" Anko grinned as she rested her hand on Hinata's head.

"Everything's fine Anko-san. It's been a while huh?" the Hyuga smiled while Yugao greeted her too. The fire queens, which also included her sensei, were all close to Naruto. Sometimes it felt to her as if they were all one big family- and that one person and interconnected all of them.

POOF!

"Phew, right on time."

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata spoke with an enthusiastic smile as the just arrived jounin smiled back.

"Well, I couldn't let my student go on her first S-rank mission without seeing her off right?" she uttered while elbowing Kakashi in the gut making the silver haired jounin rub the back of his head as he chuckled to himself- a jovial Sakura in front of him.

"I can't believe you came too," she verbalized with a bright smile.

"Well yes, just as Kurenai said, it is your first S-rank mission after all," he replied after resting a supporting hand on her shoulder. The jounin couldn't help but look at her in pride. She had come a long way since the chunin exams under his tutelage, it was only a matter of time before she would be acknowledged by her peers too.

"Tayuya..." Kakashi called as the ex-Oto kunoichi turned to him. Frowning, she walked towards him and Sakura. She and Kin were a part of team seven now after all.

"What's up scarecrow?" she asked making the jounin sweatdrop, still no respect for her sensei.

"Anyways, I want yo-"

"AAAAAHHHHH! STOP THROWING THOSE NEEDLES YOU OLD PERVERT!" everyone turned to see a familiar blonde approaching them, running at breakneck speeds as he dodged several white needles along the way.

"GET BACK HERE YOU BRAT! YOU ALWAYS RUIN MY RESEARCHES!"

"Naruto?" Kushina muttered in confusion as Naruto ran to cover himself behind her.

"Kaa-san! Ero-sennin has gone crazy! He's hitting me with a barrage of needles from his hair!" the blonde prankmaster exclaimed as the glowering sanin came into everyone's view. He was completely wet, his clothes torn in several places, a black eye while there was a large lump on his forehead- a frown on his face.

"There you are you squirt!" his hair grew around him as they hardened into needles making Naruto, Hinata and Sakura freak out.

"WAAH! His hair just turned into needles!"

"Kaa-san stop him!" the blonde held Kushina's shoulders tightly as he swiftly dodged a needle.

"Okay OKAY! What's going on here?!" Kushina asked while Mikoto tried to stifle her giggle at seeing Jiraiya's condition.

"I'll tell you what's going on here! This brat yet again ruined my research!"

"That's what you get for peeping you old pervert!" Naruto exclaimed from behind Kushina as a tic mark grew on Jiraiya's forehead.

"I'm not a pervert brat! I'M A SUPER PERVERT!" the white haired sannin yelled with an indignant look on his face as he pointed a thumb at his chest. Kushina just sighed while Hiruzen shook his head, disappointed at his student's antics.

"Yeah yeah we know you're a super pervert. But let's get serious here. Naruto, have you packed for the mission?" Kushina looked over her shoulder as the blonde nodded, tapping the storage scroll on his utility belt.

"Alright everyone! Gather up!" the godaime ordered as the group walked towards her. Kurenai and Kakashi stood behind Hinata and Sakura, their hands on their students' shoulders.

Kushina stared at Hinata and Sakura for a few seconds before speaking.

"I know you two must be nervous, seeing as this is your first S-rank mission. But don't let it deter you. One of the village's best jounin will be accompanying you, and I'm sure Naruto won't let anything happen to you," the red head smiled as the jinchuuriki stepped forward, nodding with a confident smirk on his face.

"Sorry for interrupting hokage-sama, but Naruto-kun doesn't need to protect us," Hinata spoke with a serious expression making everyone look at her when Sakura stepped forward too.

"Yes, we can carry our own weight. We are kunoichi of Konohagakure!" she exclaimed making Kushina nod back seriously while Kurenai and Kakashi smiled at their students.

"Well would you look at that, that's quite the confidence these girls got," Ayumi uttered in surprise while Naruto had a lazy smile on his face.

"They're trying to be strong in front of us. They don't want anyone worrying for their safety on this mission. All of us...have matured Ayumi-chan. Heh, it's kind of ironic."

Kushina turned as she stared at a tree in the forests beside the road they were standing on.

"You can come out now," she verbalized loudly as a figure started to form out of the tree's large trunk. Naruto, Sakura and Hinata's eyes widened when the figure came out, wearing the traditional jounin wear of Konoha.

"This is Yamato. He'll be accompanying you on this mission," Naruto looked at the jounin with scepticism.

"Mikoto will be the squad's leader. You have to reach the Valley of the End as soon as possible. Rest of the mission details will be explained by her on the way. Any questions?" the hokage scanned Hinata, Tayuya and Sakura mainly as everyone stayed quiet.

The whiskered blonde however gazed at the large scroll Mikoto had strapped to her back.

'That must contain a sealed Kabuto. Kaa-san must have gone to extreme measures to properly seal that guy,' he thought before turning to Jiraiya.

"Ero-sennin, can I talk to you for a moment?" he questioned making the toad sage nod as the blonde started walking away from the group, followed by the sanin.

"What could be on his mind?" Mikoto wondered out loud while Kushina looked at the duo several meters away from them.

"What is it gaki?" Jiraiya asked as Naruto stared at him seriously.

"I want the Shiki Fujin's key," he articulated making the sanin's eyes widen.

"Are you serious?" he asked in shock making the blonde nod.

"Dead serious ero-sennin."

Jiraiya quickly schooled his expression as he shook his head.

"No, I can't. It's too dangerous. We can't risk setting kyuubi free, Orochimaru easily manipulated you the last time anyway," he spoke sternly making the jinchuuriki sigh as he closed his eyes.

A moment later he opened his eyes making Jiraiya step back in surprise as he found himself staring into dark crimson orbs with black slits.

"Don't worry, we aren't planning on doing anything reckless. If the situation arises, we'll only need to weaken the seal a bit. I assure you. Naruto won't take any risk," Ayumi spoke outwardly through Naruto as Jiraiya stared into those crimson eyes for a few seconds. A defeated sigh escaped his lips as he grumbled under his breath.

"Fine, but know that we're taking a huge risk with this. You have to be extremely careful with the seal. You know that once your chakra starts seeping out, its negative will may take over you as well as Naruto. Only the seal filters your chakra's negative will from you...that's the reason you can converse normally with him. You know that once the chakra seeps out, you would revert back to normal. This poses a great threat to Naruto too," his face held a grave countenance, his eyes boring into crimson orbs as Ayumi averted her gaze.

"I know. He doesn't know the complete details, but I plan on telling him soon. Right now, we need to concentrate on this mission Jiraiya. We need the Eight Trigrams seal's key," she said making him nod as he bit his thumb.

Going through a few hand seals, he slammed his right hand on the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

PUFF!

Kushina and others looked on in confusion as they saw Jiraiya summon something. The smoke soon vanished, revealing a black and orange toad with dark markings around his eyes, mouth and a circular mark just below his mouth along with what looked to be an obi around his midsection.

"I never imagined being summoned so soon," the toad spoke making Kushina's eyes widen in shock upon seeing him.

'A scroll toad...?'

"It's time Gerotora, you know what to do," Jiraiya muttered making the toad's eyes widen as he glanced at Naruto.

"Are you sure Jiraiya? He's still too young to be entrusted with the key," Gerotora spoke while Naruto reverted back to himself.

"No, he's ready. I trust him," the sanin uttered making the toad nod hesitantly.

"Well, if you say so. Open wide gaki," Gerotora said making Naruto look at it in confusion.

"Open your mouth Naruto," the blonde looked at Jiraiya before nodding. Just when he was about open his mouth...

"Jiraiya!" the duo turned as Kushina stomped towards them, a demanding expression on her face as she looked at Gerotora.

"Are you out of your mind?! What did you summon Gerotora! What's going on here Naruto?!" the godaime enquired with a frown making the blonde sigh.

"I need the key to tou-san's seal. And don't you dare say no Kaa-san, Ayumi-chan and I both agreed on this. I know what I'm doing," he warned back with an equally serious expression, letting her know that there was no room for argument.

"Ayumi agreed with you? What's going on in your mind? She does know the risks right?" Kushina articulated when Jiraiya put a hand on her shoulder.

"I just talked to her. I trust her...they know what they're doing Kushina. The brat has grown up, he's no longer a kid. Trust him with this," Jiraiya smirked as he glanced at his godson who smiled back in gratitude.

"Okay, here I go...aaaa," Naruto opened his mouth while others standing away from them looked on in confusion.

"What's going on?" Anko asked while Kurenai and Yugao shrugged.

"Beats me."

"Open wider...wider...wider," Gerotora ushered as Naruto kept stretching his mouth, his eyes closed in strain while Kushina looked on in worry.

"Wider...a little bit more wider...a little mooore."

"THE FUCK'S WRONG WITH YOU?! MY MOUTH'S NOT MADE OF RUBBER YOU DAMN FROG!" Naruto snapped comically.

"NANI?! I'M A TOAD YOU BRAT! NOT FROG! LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BLONDIE!" Gerotora yelled while Jiraiya sighed in exasperation.

"Stop fighting you two and just get on with it. We're running out of time," the sannin warned as the blonde stepped back, grumbling under his breath before opening his mouth.

"It slips out of my mind how he managed to pick a fight even with a damn frog," Tayuya shook her head at Naruto.

"IT'S TOAD YOU IDIOT!" Gerotora yelled at her making her look at the toad in surprise as she snorted in reply- before she realized what he had said.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING IDIOT YOU MOTHERFUCKER?!" the ex-Oto kunoichi snapped back, sporting shark-like teeth while others sweat-dropped at her.

'Talk about hypocrisy, she managed to pick up a fight with the toad too,' they thought simultaneously.

"Enough Gerotora, get in," Jiraiya worded making the toad grumble about 'idiot human youngsters' as he turned to Naruto.

"Here I come!" he exclaimed before jumping towards Naruto, right into its mouth.

Kushina as well as everyone in the group a bit away from them gawked at the scene.

"Mff...MFFFHH!" Naruto's muffled cries broke the silence as he fell to his knees, Gerotora struggling to go down his throat.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Kushina, along with Anko, Tayuya and Sakura screamed out in horror as they witnessed the scene with freaked out expressions on their faces. Jiraiya grinned at the situation as he walked towards Naruto. His right foot came out of his shinobi sandal as he reared his leg behind him, shaking it a bit for effect.

BHAM!

"JIRAIYA!" Kushina yelled at him, too worried for Naruto as Gerotora's final painful moan 'Ow my butt!' was heard- the toad finally being pushed down the blonde's throat- courtesy of a well placed kick by Jiraiya.

Naruto put his hands on the ground as he panted to catch his breath while Tayuya smirked to herself.

'That's what you get for fucking with me ya shitty frog...a kick to your butt!' she nodded to herself in approval of the sanin's prank while the group scuttled to where Naruto was panting.

"Naruto-kun are you alright?"

"Hey you okay?!"

"Naruto can you breathe?!"

"Y-Yeah..." the blonde answered as he lifted his head to glare at a grinning Jiraiya.

"You could've warned me ero-sennin!" he exclaimed making the toad sage snort.

"Where's the fun in that gaki? That should remind you never to ruin my research time," he spoke nonchalantly while Kushina hurried to the jinchuuriki's side- her maternal instincts surfacing.

"Naru-kun are you okay?!" the red head hugged him tightly, surprising him somewhat.

"See, I told you. Underneath all that tough hokage exterior, she's still your mom after all. She loves you very much Naruto. Look at her fussing over you like that..." the bijuu chuckled at the worried-sick expression on Kushina's face as the Uzumaki red head kissed his forehead.

Naruto blushed in embarrassment upon finding others smiling in amusement at the scene in front of them.

"Mah Kaa-san I'm fine. It was just a toad after all, nothing else," he spoke, pushing her away gently. Nevertheless, he couldn't ignore the warm feeling in his heart at seeing Kushina fuss over him so much.

"Phew, you scared us for a moment back there," Anko wiped her forehead while Kakashi continued to stare at Naruto.

"Naruto, was that what I think it was?" he questioned seriously making the blonde nod in agreement. The copy ninja turned to Jiraiya who just nodded at him.

"Well, I hope you know what you're doing. I have faith in you," Kakashi smiled at the jinchuuriki making him smile back.

"Alright, now that we're done, let's get on with this mission!" Naruto stood up with a jerk while Kushina sighed in relief.

"Well, see you later hokage-sama!" the blonde grinned before placing a kiss on her cheek, making her blink.

"Yosh! Let's GO!" the ever energetic jinchuuriki dashed forward, through the north gate while leaving behind a dust trail.

Mikoto giggled at his antics as she began walking towards the gate.

"Well come on then, let's go. See you later hokage-sama," the Uchiha smirked at Kushina as she gave a mock salute over her shoulder- Anko, Yamato, Hinata, Sakura and Tayuya following her.

"What's wrong now?" Jiraiya yelled as everyone turned to see Naruto having stopped abruptly in his path, his back facing them.

"What's wrong Naru-kun?" Kushina asked loudly, worry seeping back into her voice as he turned around with a sheepish look on his face.

"Hehe...where did you tell Valley of the End was?"

THUD!

Everyone fell anime style abruptly when Sakura got back up quickly.

"ARE YOU A GENIUS OR AN IDIOT HERE NARUTO?! MAKE IT CLEAR DAMMIT!" she yelled at the top of her lungs making the blonde rub the back of his head in embarrassment, laughing all the while.

Unknown Forests: Roughly 12 Miles Away From Konoha

WHOOSH!

SWISH!

Leaves were rustled as the group sped through the forests, leaping from one branch to another. Everyone had serious expressions on their faces as they blurred through the dense foliage, towards their destination in silence.

Hinata had her Byakugan activated, staying at the last of the group followed by Anko and Sakura. Mikoto was in the middle, her Sharingan activated with Tayuya following her. Naruto and Yamato were in the front as they remained on look out for any frontal attack.

His eyes widened upon noticing several whizzing incoming shuriken, paper bombs tagged to them. The group didn't have time to react as the projectiles reached them in a fraction of a second.

BOOM!

A huge explosion took place, rocking the area as an invisible shockwave darted outwards- shaking several trees violently. The blast died down quickly as the smoke revealed a large crater in the middle, all the foliage having been burnt in a manner of seconds with a heavily injured Hinata and Anko lying in the middle.

A few seconds went by in silence when several blurry figures landed near the crater.

"Hn...well that easy," a rather fat figure spoke, eating a piece of meat as he leaned against the trunk of a tree.

"Where is the scroll they were carrying?" another figure uttered as he stared at Hinata and Anko's unconscious form.

"I don't see it anywhere. Jiroubou, don't tell me you destroyed it in that blast?! I told you not to overdo it!" the third figure exclaimed as he landed on in crater, scanning his surroundings.

"Calm down Sakon, they're not idiots. Those leaf shinobi won't carry the scroll out in the open like that. The fact that only these two are here means the rest of them were clones."

"Tchh...don't act like you're so clever. We can't be too careful," Sakon worded with a frown as he started walking towards Hinata and Anko.

POOF!

The trio's eyes widened when the two unconscious kunoichi vanished into smoke. They lifted their heads to notice several large figures flying over them, towards the Valley of the End.

"Shit! Those bastards tricked us!" Kidomaru exclaimed as he jumped to land in the crater followed by Jiroubou.

"Let's go!" Sakon ordered when they noticed a figure descending towards the center of the crater.

Thup!

Flashback

BOOM!

A group of dragons slowed down when an explosion took place a small distance away from them- down in the forests.

"Wait! Stop you guys! My clones were dispelled!" Naruto yelled, currently riding on Kiyohime with the rest of group riding on their separate dragons.

"What happened Naruto-sama?" Kiyohime asked while others looked at him for an explanation.

"It was an ambush...wait for a bit. Looks like two of my clones survived," he lifted his hand, telling the group to be quiet; his Uzushio curse seal was glowing red as they gazed at him with serious expressions- the dragons flapping their wings to stay airborne.

"It's those three," the blonde turned to Tayuya making her eyes widen.

"The ones you used to work with before," Naruto uttered with a grim look on his face as she narrowed her eyes.

"Jiroubou, Kidoumaru and Sakon...they're fucking dangerous, especially that cocksucker Sakon. He was the leader of our group, the strongest of us," Tayuya replied, a hint of anger in her voice while the whiskered blonde turned to Mikoto- who was riding atop of Mizuchi- the commander of Imperial Guards of Watatsumi. (Check my profile if you forgot.)

"You should go forward. I'll take care of these three. I might be able to get them to spill something," it actually surprised the Uchiha to see him this confident.

"Are you fucking crazy?! I just told you how dangerous those jackasses are! Don't get cocky and try to take them on alone!" Tayuya yelled while Naruto just ignored her as he kept gazing at Mikoto, silently asking her for permission while Sakura and Hinata stayed quiet, along with Anko and Yamato.

"The Valley of the End is not much far now. Anko-chan has the Uzushio curse seal, we'll have the telepathic link activated if any emergency arises," the jinchuuriki voiced as the Uchiha matriarch nodded.

"Fine, we'll be waiting for you. Get finished as soon as you can," she ordered, greatly surprising Anko and Yamato.

Naruto nodded seriously while Tayuya sighed in frustration, muttering 'fucking idiot' under her breath.

Mikoto turned back to face the direction of their destination.

"You're free to assist him Tayuya-san. You have the Uzushio curse seal too after all," she spoke before patting her dragon.

"Let's go Mizuchi-san," the wind dragon nodded before taking off along with other dragons.

"Do your best Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed making him nod as he glanced into Sakura and Anko's eyes- nodding at them.

"You know what to do Kiyohime-chan," Naruto crouched on his toes, a dead serious expression on his face.

"Hai Naruto-sama!"

Flashback Ends!

"Are you sure it was the correct decision to send Naruto-san off like that," Yamato enquired as the group sped to their destination.

Mikoto kept staring forward, tresses of her hair ruffling with the wind.

"Kaa-san said that you won't be able to handle this, that you would break down! I fought with her! I said no! NO! That Mikoto-chan is not weak! That she is a strong kunoichi, a strong woman! That she can handle it!"

"Don't worry Yamato-san. He's strong. We need to place our trust in him. He knows what he's doing," she vocalized with a solemn countenance while Anko couldn't help but smile at her answer.

'You can't help but have faith in him. That's my whisker-kun for you,' the fire queen thought fondly.

Meanwhile back in the forests, Naruto stood up slowly, a smirk on his face as he glanced at Jiroubou and Kidoumaru, before staring straight into Sakon's narrowed eyes.

"Sorry guys, but the Valley of the End is a far more peaceful place without you there," the blonde uttered.

"You heard him motherfuckers," Tayuya landed beside him with a predatory grin on her face.

"You bitch!" Jiroubou exclaimed in anger as he threw away his piece of meat while she smirked at him.

"Feeling's mutual fatso," she responded calmly while Sakon frowned deeply.

"I see...the man I wanted to fight, you'll regret the moment you made this decision," the leader of ex-Sound Four articulated, a smirk curling his lips as he entered the first stage of curse mark- it's black marks stretching over his face- the same happening with Jiroubou and Kidoumaru.

CRRK!

Lightning suddenly materialized around Naruto's hands as he took the jyuuken stance with Tayuya taking out her demonic flute.

Jiroubou, Kidoumaru and Sakon's eyes widened when, within a blink of an eye, they found themselves staring into the legendary purple orbs.

Naruto's eyes blazed with the Rinnegan as he flashed them a fierce predatory smirk.

"Uzumaki Naruto, at your ass kicking service!"

Had to end this here. Hope this makes you eagerly waiting for the next chapter- cause this arc's going to be anything but boring. It's going to be full of intense fighting scenes, plot twists and drama. Hope you're ready for the wild ride! XD

I REALLY hope you liked this chapter- because only I and my buddy knows how much it took for me to finally get back to writing. It was really tough for me this time- I had even considered quiting altogether once. O.o

Forgive me if this was not upto the level you were expecting, but as long as I know that people are reading and enjoying this story, I won't quit! You have no idea what your helpful reviews can do to an author, especially a struggling author like me. :)

Also, thanks for your continued support until now. It's the only thing that has kept me going in times of conflict lol. Well, see you next time! :D

N6023