Naruto sat calmly in her hospital bed reading a medical scroll when her door was suddenly bashed open.
Snapping her head in the direction the sound came from Naruto saw not only Iruka, but all of the rooky nine and Konohamaru corps.
A warm smile spread across her face at the sight of Iruka.
"Naruto?" Iruka breathed out.
Naruto calmly nodded her head in response that had been all Iruka needed. He hurried across the room and pulled Naruto into a hug, ignoring the girl's stiff shoulders.
"My god Naruto, you look so much older now," Iruka said into her hair.
"And you haven't changed one-bit Iruka-sensei," Naruto said softly.
"Damn Naruto you really look different as a girl," Kiba said coming into the room.
Naruto smiled at him. "Hi their dog breath."
"Naru…" Hinata's voice said behind Kiba's shoulder.
"Hinata-chan!" Naruto called out happily finally seeing her best friend.
Said girl took that as a chance to walk out from behind Kiba and walk up to Naruto's bed.
"Y-you grew your hair long," Hinata pointed out Naruto's hair which was currently out of its pony tail.
Naruto nodded happily. "I see you did too, it looks nice though." Shino walked up to Hinata's side and put a hand on her should, to reassure her.
"It's nice to see you again Naruto, you look very nice," he commented.
"Naruto-chan are we still going to be able to hang out like you said we would?" Lee asked walking into the room.
Naruto's smile faltered some. "I'm sorry Lee I don't think I will be able… I leave tomorrow."
Lee smiled sadly, "Maybe the next time then?" Naruto nodded to him.
"Don't worry Lee I'm sure you two will be able to hang out like 'old times' again soon," Tenten said stepping in with Neji at her side, who grunted in agreement.
"Naruto, you look so cute!" Ino said walking in with a very bored looking Shikamaru and chin munching Choji.
"Thank you," Naruto said plainly.
Naruto averted her gaze to the door were Konohamaru, and the others still stood. She smiled kindly at them.
"What not going to force me to play ninja with you anymore?" Naruto asked softly.
Konohamaru's eyes watered up and before he could stop himself he ran up to Naruto and slung his arms around her.
"I'm glad to see you to brat," she said ruffling his hair.
"Boss don't leave!" Konohamaru begged into her shoulder.
Naruto's hold on him became tighter, and she leaned into his hair. "I'm sorry Konohamaru, but… I have to go back to Uzushio," she said.
Konohamaru sobbed slightly on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said not only to him but everyone in the room. Iruka stroked her head as an expression to her apologies; he knew it wasn't all her choice; in the end it took him the whole night to calm down so he wouldn't sob like Konohamaru was.
"Now what's going on in here, I don't think a party should be held in a hospital room?"
Everyone, but Konohamaru turned to the door where Sora, Kasumi, and Hoshi stood.
"Holy shit, a red head Naruto with no whiskers!" yelled Kiba.
Kasumi shot a glare at the dog lover and ignored him to go over to Naruto, and sit down next to her again.
Sora still stood in the door snickering with Hoshi. Naruto, still holding a very upset Konohamaru, lent against Kasumi's shoulder.
"Are you sleepy?" Kasumi asked voice laced with worry.
Naruto shook her head, "Not really."
Kasumi frowned, 'not really' to Naruto meant 'yes.'
"Just don't push yourself to hard," she said.
"So, these are the rooky nine, huh?" Sora asked.
"Don't look like much," he said in a mocking voice.
"Oh, shut up Sora, no one wants to listen to you," Kasumi growled out.
Hoshi bolted from the door and slammed a hug on Iruka, who looked stunned at the girl.
She smiled up at him, with a toothy grin. "Thank you for taking so much good care of our princesses when she was young!"
Iruka blushed lightly, "It was more than a pleasure," he said.
"I think everyone should go, our little fox fell asleep," Hakaru said walking in the room with Tsunade and Jiraiya by her side.
Everyone flicked their gaze to Naruto and Konohamaru who were fast asleep in one another's arms.
"Aw," was what half of the girls said, that is until Kasumi pushed everyone out, except for Konohamaru, that is, and closed the door behind her.
Naruto was once again alone in her room. She was packing her things in to a backpack Kasumi brought for her.
'It's sad you know,' Kurama said at the back of her head, truly sounding depressed.
'What is?' Naruto asked the fox.
'It's sad that you have to leave. I know it's my fault the villagers are so rued to you, and I'm sorry for that, but now you have to leave your friends,' Kurama said.
Naruto sat down the pants she was holding and sat down on the bed.
"It is sad," she said as she reached into her bag and pulled out a photo of team seven.
"But maybe it won't be too bad, I'll have you, Kasumi, Aunty, Sora, Hoshi, Grandma, Grandpa, and…" she trailed off as a silent tear dropped from her eye. Holding the frame to her chest she let her tears fall freely, "Oh but I'm going to miss them so much. I knew I shouldn't have been around them" she told the fox.
'I'm sorry kit,' Kurama told her.
"What are you crying for?"
Naruto's head flung up to the door. Her wide eyes soften.
"Kakashi," she said plainly to her ex-sensei. He walked over to her bed and sat in the seat Kasumi had been in not long ago.
"Well?" he pressed.
Naruto gave him a bitter smile, "Do you really have to ask?"
"It might help to talk about it," he said.
Naruto sighed, "You know I never thought about leaving the village; even when people use to follow me so they could have a change at killing the 'demon.'"
Kakashi gave her a worried glance.
"Still this was my home; a place to return to whenever I went on missions, and now I can't even call it that."
"This will always be your home Naruto; even if you leave us we will always welcome you back here with open arms."
Naruto smiled, "I'm glad we got to speak to each other again, Kakashi-sensei."
"I'm glad we could to, Oh on a second thought let me tell you what I came here for."
Naruto twisted her head to his side asking a quiet question.
Kakashi gave her his eye smile. "Team seven, Iruka, Konohamaru, and Hinata will be joining you party to make sure you return home safely."
Naruto blinked once, twice, and then three times and then ran out of her room screaming, 'TSUNADE' at the top of her lungs.
Naruto stood at the gate pouting slightly as she looked into the forest. She and her family were waiting for everyone else to show up so they could get on their way.
"Ato-chan, please don't pout; it's not like we did this to be mean," Sora said softly.
"I'm not pouting," Naruto said with a slightly winy voice.
"Could have fooled me," Sasuke said walking up with Kakashi and Sakura. Naruto stuck her tongue out at him.
"Naruto stop that, I know your mother didn't give birth to an ant eater, so don't act like one," Hakaru said sternly. Naruto just huffed and went back to staring at the forest. Hakaru sighed at Naruto's antics and went back for waiting for Tsunade.
It took another ten minutes for her and Jiraiya to come with Konohamaru, Iruka, and Hinata their sides.
Konohamaru was the first one to actually do anything, that being he glopped Naruto.
She just gently ran her fingers through his hair.
"Well then brats. I'm going to stay in the village this time; I'm sure you won't need me with everyone else here." Jiraiya grunted.
Naruto turned sad eyes on him. "Just make sure you visit us later then."
He needed and pulled her into a hug, "Take care of yourself."
Tsunade pulled Naruto away from Jiraiya and into her own arms. "I'm so sorry that I can't go with you myself…but I promise I'll keep the village safe, if only for you, because you love it so much."
Naruto gripped tightly to Tsunade's shirt and smashed her face into her shoulder as she felt tears poke at the corners of her eyes again.
"I'll come visit you when everything is figured out," Naruto mumbled into her neck.
"Then I'll wait till then," Tsunade said hugging he tight and then letting her go to look at the Konoha nin.
"I'm sure you guys will take good care of Naruto o I won't pester you about that but I will remind you that you all will be back in two months no one will stay behind because you'll end up as missing nin understand?" When she got nods of agreement from everyone she turned her attention to Hakaru.
"Take good care of her." Hakaru nodded.
"Don't worry I will," she flicked her had signaling to start moving.
Naruto glanced back, one last time and mouthed the words 'good bye' before hurrying after everyone. As she ran a gentle wind blew past her ears caring distant voices that whispered goodbye to her as well.