I don't own Naruto, nor would you want me to. I am simply one who's imagination has been starved, so I write to let it run wild. Let me know if you like it.

Chapter 1: A New Mission!

"What a drag!"

"Shikamaru Nara," said Hozura to the white-clad shinobi before him, "once again your lazy partner has not shown up for a meeting. Do you have some kind of explanation?"

"No, I don't."

"Then the Hokage will hear about this. I'm sure that your partner will be stripped of his rank—."

"I would shut up, Hozura. The only reason you're here is because I allowed it," said Tsunade as she walked in. Ever since Danzo died, you've been trying to get Naruto kicked out, and I won't allow it. I would let the White Ops kill you before that. In case you haven't noticed, everyone here is a dear friend of Naruto. What will you do?"

Hozura glared at Tsunade and shut up. As he did so, Naruto walked in.

"Sorry I'm late. I was reminiscing."

"Naruto, you're way too much like Kakashi," said Tsunade with a sigh.

"Is that such a bad thing?" asked Kakashi, his mask concealing a very large grin.

"It is when we have an important mission for him," replied Tsunade.

"Like what?" asked Naruto.

"One of Sasuke's old team members has been located. It's Karin. I want Naruto to track her down. Shikamaru, go with him. I want word from you two as soon as you make contact. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Naruto and Shikamaru responded in unison. The Hokage handed them a single scroll and dismissed them. Naruto and Shikamaru headed out to the roof and began to study the scroll Tsunade had given them.

"According to this, it's just Karin. You could handle her by yourself, Naruto, not to mention the fact that she's only in the Land of Waves. I don't know why I have to tag along. This is such a drag!"

"Aww! Come on, Shikamaru. Can't you just enjoy a mission?"

"No, because missions are work, and only idiots like you enjoy work."

Naruto only smiled at Shikamaru's sarcasm. Over the past year, he and Shikamaru had grown particularly close as friends. Working together in many life or death situations had produced a bond that was not unlike the bond that was originally shared between Naruto and Sasuke. Although Naruto had originally argued that Sakura would have been the best partner for him, Tsunade had immediately shot that idea down. As good a team as the two made, she could not have a romantically involved couple go on a mission together. If something happened to Sakura, Naruto could not guarantee that the Nine-Tailed Fox would not try to get free. Even though Naruto had been more successful than any other in controlling the fox, they could not afford giving it an inch of freedom.

They traveled east for the next few days, stopping in towns to try ramen and rest for the night. Though they were not the tracking experts of the Leaf, Naruto could always use the tracker toad he had trained, with Kiba's help.

Finally, they arrived in the town that Karin had been spotted in. It was a small town, nothing more than a fishing town. Naruto and Shikamaru traveled through the town wearing normal clothes instead of their ANBU cloaks. They walked through the busy streets. At the end of the street was a small inn. They stopped here to ask about Karin. After describing her to the man, they learned that she had come and stayed here two nights ago, and was heading east. The innkeeper believed she planned to get a boat to the Eastern Continent, but couldn't be sure.

Naruto and Shikamaru continued to follow her through the Land of Waves. It took them a week, but they finally tracked her down. They immediately sent word to Tsunade that they were about to make contact. She had stopped in a small clearing in the swampy forest. Shikamaru motioned for Naruto to look to the left. Naruto looked to see a small child, no more than three years old, with black hair playing in the clearing. Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. Surely this wasn't Sasuke's kid. Naruto released the jutsu he and Shikamaru had been using to hide from Karin's sensor jutsu, and stepped into the clearing. Karin instantly panicked, jumped to her child, and drew a kunai.

"It's okay, Karin. It's just me, Naruto."

"Naruto? What are you doing here? Have you come to kill me, just as you did to Jugo and Suigetsu?"

"I didn't do that!" said Naruto.

"Then who did?"

"Suigetsu got himself killed by Kisame Hoshigake, and Jugo decided to attack the Stone Village. Onoki didn't take kindly to that."

"You still killed my Sasuke! I can't forgive you for that!" she screamed, drawing the child close.

"Who's the kid, lady," said Shikamaru, emerging from the cover of the trees.

"He's my and Sasuke's baby!"

Naruto and Shikamaru looked at each other, startled.

"Sasuke had a son? With you?" said Shikamaru, unable to contain the surprise.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he did."

"This is crazy!" said Shikamaru.

"The boy…,"said Naruto, "he's Sasuke's son? That can't be! Sasuke never mentioned it!"

"Why would he? You Leaf village ninja would have just tracked down the last of the Uchiha and kill it in order to rid yourselves of all ties to them. Not to mention, you never gave him the chance."

Naruto stared at his feet. Shikamaru knew his fight with Sasuke had been a touchy subject. He had only told Tsunade, Kakashi, and Sakura exactly what had happened in the Valley of the End. The news had left Tsunade and Kakashi silent, and Sakura was in tears. All Shikamaru knew was what the investigation of the Valley of the End had revealed: there had been a huge fight. Many of the kages agreed that the power of the two combatants had never been seen. It surpassed the known power of the kages. The fight must have been spectacular.

"Where are you going?" asked Shikamaru.

"I'm taking Itachi across the ocean, to a place where his power will be appreciated."

"Itachi?" asked Naruto.

"It's what Sasuke wanted."

"Listen, lady, I don't care what your plans are. I have orders to take you back to the village for questioning," said Shikamaru.

"No!" screamed Karin, who was on the verge of tears. "If I go there, they'll take my baby! I cannot allow that."

Karin made a feeble attempt at a genjutsu that Naruto and Shikamaru brushed aside with ease. She was too tired to remain conscious. She fell to the ground.

"What a drag!" said Shikamaru, "now I have to carry her. Naruto, you get the kid."

Naruto nodded and picked up the small boy. He expected Itachi to cry or scream, but he only watched silently as this unfamiliar man scooped him up and carried him away.

Later that night, Karin awoke. She struggled to get up, but realized that something was holding her down. She continued to struggle, until Shikamaru's voice rang out across the night.

"I wouldn't try too hard if I were you."

"What have you done to me? And where's my baby?"

"It's a jutsu of Naruto's invention. He calls it Gravity Bond Jutsu. He placed a seal on your wrists and ankles that manipulates gravity and causes them to be firmly anchored to the ground. As for your son, he's sleeping peacefully in the tent."

Karin looked down at her wrists and noticed the seals. She examined them closely, realizing that they were high quality seals, something that most ANBU could not have possibly mastered. Then she looked over to the tent. There was a small light inside, probably a candle. She also saw a large shadow inside, probably Naruto, she guessed.

"Don't worry about Itachi. Naruto's making sure to take care of him."

"What's going to happen to us?"

"After we get back to the village, it's in Lady Fifth's hands. You're a wanted criminal. You'll probably be placed in prison."

"But Itachi needs me!"

"He'll be placed in an orphanage. You'll find that your options are limited."

"What's the best possible outcome?"

"I'm not sure, nor do I care. I suppose the best thing that could happen is that someone of very high position in the village would speak for you, and you would be placed under house arrest in the village, with frequent ANBU checkups. As for the boy, you might be allowed to keep him, but that would be up to the Hokage."

"If I am placed in prison, and Itachi goes to the orphanage, would there be a chance for adoption?"

"Personally, I doubt it. Naruto grew up in the orphanage under the Third Hokage, and even though he's the Fourth's son, he was never adopted."

"I see…."

"You should get some rest," said Shikamaru. "You'll want to be ready for tomorrow. Naruto plans to use one of his new jutsu to get us back to the village. The last time he did that, I puked my guts out."

Karin awoke the next morning to see Itachi grinning down at her.

"Itachi, my boy!" she cried and hugged the boy.

"I thought you might want to hug him," said Naruto.

Karin looked at the tall blonde. Maybe he wasn't all that bad. Sasuke always spoke of him with the greatest respect, even before their final fight.

Flashback…

"Karin, you don't understand. Naruto will keep chasing me until he finds me, and then we will fight. I can't avoid that. It's what I want."

"But Sasuke, what about us, what about the baby?"

"The baby will be okay. I have to fight Naruto. He's my rival. It won't matter how strong I am if I can't beat him. He's the only one in the world that can beat me. He beat Pain and Madara, and now he wants to face me."

"Beating Madara was just a fluke. The Ten-Tails was too strong for Madara to control, and who would have thought that he could possibly invent that seal."

"His father was the Fourth Hokage. Naruto should have picked up something somewhere. That seal was ingenious. He managed to create a seal that locked away the Ten-Tails inside of Madara, and when Madara tried to use its power, the seal turned the power back inward, causing Madara to implode."

Karin kissed Sasuke softly. "Please don't leave me."

"I'm sorry, Karin," said Sasuke as he closed the door.

End Flashback

Naruto smiled down at Karin, waiting to see if she would escape. He had temporarily loosened the Gravity Bonds and was hoping she wouldn't try to escape.

"Alright, everyone ready to go?" asked Naruto.

"I'm good whenever," said Shikamaru.

"Good. Let's get going then," said Naruto as he began to perform hand signs in rapid succession. Shikamaru and Karin watched in wonder as light began to bend around them, blurring the forest that had surrounded them. Suddenly, they felt a jolt as if they were moving, and finally, an abrupt stop.

"That was weird," said Shikamaru, trying to keep his balance.

"At least it worked," said Naruto, taking note of the familiar forest not far from the Hidden Leaf.

"Yeah. Now let's get going."

They walked the rest of the way to the Hidden Leaf. They soon arrived. As they walked through the gate and down the main street, they received many strange looks from the villagers, but many of them went back to their own business. They knew better than to mess with the White Ops.

They met Ibiki and Tsunade at the Hokage's mansion. Ibiki took Karin into custody, while Naruto, Tsunade, Shikamaru, and Itachi went up to Tsunade's office.

"So this is Sasuke's son?" asked Tsunade.

"Yep. I couldn't believe it myself, Granny. He has Sasuke's hair, and I can feel the Sharingan in him. He hasn't awakened it yet, but he will one day."

Tsunade frowned at "Granny," but continued anyway. "I see. I'm at a loss for what to do with him."

Shikamaru and Naruto only nodded. They both knew that if the other villages knew, they would order Itachi killed.

"I suppose he'll be sent to the orphanage. There's honestly nothing else I can do."

Suddenly, a chunin burst into the room. "Lady Tsunade, I have something to report. The prisoner Karin has been taken to the hospital. She was bleeding pretty bad."

"What? Why? What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. It doesn't make since. She was fine until Ibiki-sensei started the interrogation. He asked her one question and she went into a coughing fit."

"Naruto, go check it out!"

Naruto hurriedly followed the chunin out the door and to the hospital. When he arrived, Sakura was looking Karin over.

"Sakura, what's going on?"

"It looks like her jutsu finally caught up with her."

"What?"

"She has a very old healing jutsu. By having someone bite her, she can take on the injuries of that person. She used it too much. The jutsu has severe consequences. It appears to be killing her."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Naruto. He knew Sakura had long ago surpassed Tsunade as a medic and if anyone could save Karin, it was her.

Sakura just shook her head. "I'm afraid not."

A pained look crossed Naruto's features. He immediately left the room to report to Tsunade.

"Well, that's just great," said Tsunade after hearing the news. "I guess the boy will go to the orphanage after all."

"Granny, I've been wondering, what if I adopt him?"

"Naruto, that's a lot of responsibility. I'm not sure you could handle it."

"Sakura could help me. I don't want this boy growing up without parents. If he does, it may result in him going crazy like his father."

"I agree. You can adopt him, but it will be a couple of weeks. Take that time to decide if you're really ready for the responsibility."

"Fine. I'll go through the procedures. By the way, if you need me, I'll be at the valley."

"Very well, but hurry back. You're on village patrol duty starting at two."

"I'll be there." With that, Naruto left the room and teleported himself to the Valley of the End.