Disclaimer: I changed my mind about Masashi's inspiration for Naruto. I think it might have acid involved.

The second and final night of camp for team seven and company started out as a reasonably comfortable evening. Between the pleasant weather and low-key mood that the camp created, very few words were exchanged during what was a magnificent sunset.
Sasuke Uchiha distantly admired the colors of twilight and brought the last rice cracker of the package to his lips. Unfortunately, his mind was still abuzz with many loosely conjoined thoughts. None of them were pleasant, and very few of them were positive to his bodily health. His calm mask was difficult to read, however, and even Kakashi didn't sense the steady flow of hatred from the black-haired genin that evening, and left him alone.

Naruto watched the sky from Sasuke's right after making sure there was elbow space between them. He stared at the golden horizon for a decent twenty minutes before he felt someone sit down beside him. The newcomer cleared her throat delicately, and Naruto turned his head to see Sakura looking at him nervously, the sun shining brilliantly on her pale hair.
The Uzumaki gulped, his hormones attempting to break through from his adolescent body.
"Naruto," she addressed him formally,"-I've been meaning to ask you something."
Apprehension wracked his frame. "Y-yes, Sakura-chan?"
"Why did you give this to me?" she asked, pulling the rich wooden summoning scroll case out of her satchel. Naruto's puberty-driven haze cleared to make way for confusion.
"Give you what?" he murmured, not being familiar with the object before him at all. "-I would have given you my things, Sakura, I really would, but I think I would remember i-"
"This summoning contract!" she clarified, sounding suddenly impatient. "Why did you send me this summoning contract, and where did you get it?"

Naruto became uncharacteristically thoughtful for a moment, his face glued to the object in Sakura's hands. "I didn't... I didn't give that to you, Sakura."
The kunoichi blinked. "What?"
"I didn't give that to you." Naruto repeated. "I didn't even know what that was until you told me."

While the female ninja gaped, Naruto heard a choked sound of surprise and felt something soggy and warm hit the back of his neck. Obviously, neither of Naruto's companions had banked on the source of the contract being anyone else. Given the situation, there really wasn't a way they could have.
"You sent the squirrel. You told us so yourself." Sakura said quietly.
"I sent the wild squirrel, Sakura. I sent it in a random direction." Naruto explained, removing the chewed cracker bits from his neck with a grimace. Sasuke would pay for that later; right now, the lovely Sakura was to have his full attention.
"Then why did it speak to me? Why did it address me as 'Sakura-chan'?!" she nearly shouted, suddenly worried about what she had gotten herself into.
"Hell if I know, Sakura-chan." Naruto replied seriously, unsettled once more by a familiar canine laugh in his his subconscious. "-but there's something very strange at work."

Jiraiya, the infamous toad sannin, invader of baths, peeper of outstanding proportions, and the author of the popular Icha-Icha series couldn't sleep that night. His snoring was heard under the starlight, but he was used to faking things that were expected of him. That being said, the white-haired man dreaded returning to his home village. He had neglected his duties for so long, and he dreaded to think of how the hokage would receive him. When returning to someone you so looked up to and let down, sometimes it isn't their rage you fear most. Somehow, Jiraiya was more concerned with his teacher's disappointment in him.

Through it all, Jiraiya's life had always been somewhat short of honorable, and the only evidence of his one-time responsibility was a face carved on a cliff. A face that belonged to a dead man. The evidence of his great failures, on the other hand, painted the town orange with badly-written literature and the disregarded abuse of an innocent child who could have been rescued from his torments if the sannin had only been brave enough. The book that was to be Jiraiya's greatest achievement hadn't sold, and his surrogate son had left him with his legacy, only to have him lose both. Now, a whole twelve years later, they both had been hand-delivered to him by fate. Consequently, for the first time in twelve years, Jiraiya couldn't help but worry about someone else as well as himself.
The council would be ruthless to the boy; there was no doubt about that. From what Jiraiya had heard, and the pain the sannin had seen in his abandoned godchild's eyes, he knew that there were groups that would try to break him, and it wouldn't be the first time that they had tried. Every emotionbal wound the kid had withstood proved Naruto to be a better man than he. It was a cold comfort to know that the village couldn't kill or exile the kid, but he didn't know if those alternatives would be merciful compared to what they would do.
Naruto Uzumaki had the Kyuubi inside of him. To them, Naruto Uzumaki WAS the Kyuubi. It was possible that they would imprison him and destroy his mind. It was also conceivable that they would take his dreams of being a shinobi away from him forever. With these thoughts fueling an already strong escapist mindset, Jiraiya made a rash hasty decision.

Carefully, so as not to wake anyone but his target up, the toad sannin stealthily stepped over to Naruto's side, where he placed a hand over the boy's shoulder and shook him gently. Within about twenty seconds, the genin's eyes opened sluggishly and focused on him. The young shinobi attempted to say something, but Jiraiya put a finger to his lips.

"Come on, Naruto." he whispered. "We're leaving."

The Uzumaki sat up and wore an expression of drowsy disbelief. "Wha?" he asked quietly, yawning.

"I'm leaving, and I'm taking you with me, kid." Jiraiya stated, tugging on Naruto's tattered sleeve.

"No." the blonde protested, reclaiming his arm. "I'm going back to Konoha."

"Do you know what they'll-" Jiraiya almost shouted, but lowered his verbal volume before anyone stirred. "-do you know what they'll do to you back home?!"
Naruto nodded, his sleep-frizzed hair bobbing. In all honesty, he hadn't been expecting any behavior like this from Jiraiya at all. This pervy sage was somehow different from the one who taught him. There was something fundamentally wrong with what he was suggesting. What changed to make the guy act so damned weird?
"Then you know why we're leaving. Come on! Grab some food, and we'll split this joint."
Naruto defiantly stayed in place. "Konoha is my home."
"Not anymore, it's not."
"Why do you even care?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms.
Jiraiya froze. "I just wanted to-"
"-to run away?" Naruto muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"Of course not." the sannin responded indignantly. "-but I know how the council will treat you. You're an object to them."
"Hokage will protect me." Naruto sleepily argued.
"With all due respect, kid, the old fart can only do so much."
"Too bad. I have to stay in Konoha to be hokage myself someday. Leave me alone, old man, or I'll wake them all up." Naruto grumbled, lying back down, promising himself that the whole argument was a dream, and all would be normal come the morning.
Jiraiya was forced to back away and return to his bedroll, but he couldn't mask his own shame. Once again, the genin had proved himself to be a far better man(and shinobi, for that matter) than he could ever be.

When Naruto awoke the next morning to Kakashi's foot in his face, the events of the night before did indeed seem to be a dream. Jiraiya was still in the campsite, talking to Sakura about something that earned him a slap within twelve seconds. The man didn't avoid meeting Naruto's gaze, and there was no sign of the desperation of the night before. With a sigh of relief, the blonde was able to go about his business without conflict.

The walk back to Konoha was an uneventful one. With Naruto at the head of the group, and Jiraiya picking up the rear, the group travelled well into the afternoon before the familiar gate became visible in the distance. With a whoop of joy, Naruto picked up his pace and barreled towards the village like a long-lost friend.

The chuunin watching over the gate had been informed by the hokage that the group would be returning soon, but he still had a startle when the presumably dead demon container beamed up at him from below. Unaware of the protocol for the situation at hand, the shinobi just stood there for a little while. It wasn't until Kakashi gave him the heads up that he allowed the gate to be opened.

Once inside the village, Naruto gave another yelp of joy and rolled around in the dirt, prompting stares that were even more confused than they originally would have been from the two chuunin inside the gate. Iruka laughed at his young friend's antics cautiously, all too aware of the attention Naruto was unwisely attracting directly upon his return.
Kakashi rolled his eyes and gave the older sentry some papers before prying his student from the street that he appeared to be in love with.

Iruka was ordered to watch over Naruto and make sure he remained in the same place outside the Sandaime's office when he met with the Hokage first. The meeting allowed fear to surface in the jinchuuriiki at the thought of the talk he undoubtably was about to have with the old man. Minutes passed by like hours, and after what seemed an eternity, Kakashi casually strode outside of the door.
"Naruto, the Hokage would like to see you alone for a few minutes." he commented and exitted the building, his gait almost giddy. Iruka looked from Kakashi to Naruto for a moment and then directed Naruto inside and left.

The office felt eerily empty. Naruto gulped. He was alone with the most powerful shinobi in the village, and though he rather liked the man, he dreaded the question that was about to reach him. It didn't help that the fire shadow wasn't facing him. It made him feel like a child in trouble.

"Sit down, Naruto." Sarutobi said genially, his voice gentle and somewhat relieved. Naruto complied, and soon the Sandaime was at his desk, looking at him with an unreadable but kind expression.
"Hokage-sama..." the village pariah stammered, feeling his strength leave him.
"While I am very happy that you have returned, I fear the next few days will not be the nicest you will have experienced." the elderly man remarked dryly, traces of bitterness directed at someone not present.
"Sir?" the Uzumaki asked, only to be rewarded by a reluctant chuckle from the old man.
"'Sir'?" he echoed, slightly saddened. "No insults today?"
Naruto looked down and fidgetted with his hands.
"Is there something you want to tell me, Naruto?" Sarutobi asked gently.
The addressed suddenly lost all ability to speak. He had planned to tell the hokage everything, but now he wasn't sure he would be able to.

Taking the pause as a 'no', the sandaime sighed and pulled a blank envelope from his desk. Inwardly, Naruto winced.

"I think we should talk about your grocery receipts, Naruto." the old man said firmly, opening the package and pulling out a few seemingly ordinary slips of paper. "Now."

Author's note: Another update! I'm on fire! No... I'm literally on fire. It hurts.