Kasumi glanced behind her, to look at Naruto who had been lagging behind the whole group, with only Konohamaru stood next to her and held her hand as they walked.

"What's wrong with her?" Sasuke mumbled.

"She's just sad she has to leave," Kakashi explained.

"Well that's stupid, it's not like she can't come back and visit," Sakura growled.

"That's exactly the problem," Kasumi said drawing their attention to her.

"What do you mean by that?" Iruka asked.

Kasumi sighed, "Naruto and I will be unable to leave the village until one of us takes the throne, and that could take years."

"So, what, if she has to be away for a few years, at least then we don't have to see her," Sakura said, mumbling the last part, which made only Hinata heard and made her blow a fuse.

"And what would you know?! Some of us actually like Naruto, ever thought of that?!" she yelled shocking everyone.

"And just who would that be?" Sasuke said getting over his momentary shock.

Iruka gritted his teeth tightly together.

"I'm sure everyone but you two would," he said with a cold voice. Kakashi gently put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze to show his support but still calm him down. Iruka gave Kakashi a grateful glance. He sped up with Hinata at his side and walked along side Hakaru and Sora.

"We're going to stop here for the night," Hakaru said, looking over her shoulder at the others.

"We only have two more days travel to get to the village. Tomorrow will be the hardest of all, so I suggest you get your rest."

The others nodded and started to set down their bags.

"I'll go hunt and see what I can find," Sasuke said leaving with Sakura at his side.

"I'll help put up the tents," Konohamaru said, letting go of Naruto's hand and walking over to Iruka and Kakashi's side.

"'Ato come over here, Sensei wants to take a look at you," Sora explained.

Naruto walked over calmly and slowly took off the blue shirt, showing only her fish-net shirt to cover her up.

Hakaru placed a glowing hand over Naruto's curse seal, checking that everything was proper.

"It's a bit erratic so just take it easy," Hakaru said taking her hand away and handing Naruto's shirt back.

Naruto pulled her shirt back on and turned around to see Sasuke and Sakura staring at her.

"What?" she asked softly.

"How did you get that scar?" Sasuke asked.

"With something sharp," Naruto said stating the obvious.

"That's not what I meant," Sasuke growled out.

Naruto opened her mouth to say something back but seeing Hinata coming back into the clearing with the water containers she had gone to fill.

Naruto walked away without looking back; stopping next to Hinata she gave her a soft smile.

"I found a nice stream not too far from here," Hinata said softly.

"That's good, it means were right on track then," Naruto said equally softly.

The rest of their evening had been spent eating and talking until everyone had gone to their tents.

The next morning Naruto had been the first one to wake up. Crawling out of her tent she went to the still barley lit fire and threw more wood into it. Grabbing a small pot, she set it up so she could cook with it. Pulling out a scroll she summoned out the vegetables and other ingredients she had stored in it and started a small stew. Sitting there she calmly stared into the fire, until a gentle hand touched her shoulder.

Looking up she saw Iruka smiling at her with a sad smile.

"I see my lessons haven't gone to waste."

"No, no they haven't," Naruto said scooting over so he could sit next to her.

Pulling Naruto into a hug Iruka sat next to her.

"Would you be bothered if I visit you every so often, once you settle in?"

Naruto clung harder to his shirt because of his words.

"I don't want to be a nuisance," Naruto mumbled.

"That's not possible, not for you at least. It won't be a nuisance Naruto. I want to see you," Iruka said stroking her head.

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes.

"I would like that very much," she said flinging her arms around his shoulders.

Iruka shushed her to calm her down. Even now he couldn't stand her crying; she would always be a daughter to him.

After eating the breakfast made for them and fawning over how good it was, everyone finally started to pack up and get on their way.

Naruto walked calmly next to Kasumi, chatting about something no one else could hear.

Everything had been going well and they had made good time but as they carried on the trees grew to be thicker and thin out, along with there being more streams passing by them.

Coming close to a clearing everyone but the Uzushio nin gasped at the sight in front of them.

Running off a cliff was a field of water that covered all the ground, and growing from that ground, trees even bigger than the ones at Konoha grew and covered the sun from sight.

"Wow," Hinata breathed.

"Pretty isn't it?" Hakaru asked, while everyone else just nodded.

"Well let's get going!" Hoshi yelled as she jumped into the trees and sped away. Taking that as their que to follow.

Iruka glanced around and notice Naruto wasn't with them. Looking back he saw a pale Naruto standing at the edge of the cliff, frozen.

He jumped back to her side and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"You okay Naruto?" Naruto looked up at him and slung her arms around his chest shaking with fear.

"Something wrong?" Kakashi asked coming up to him.

Iruka shrugged at him, he glanced down at Naruto who was loosening her hold on him.

"Sorry," she mumbled quietly before jumping into the trees following everyone else.

The two teachers glanced at one another in confusion but carried on after her.

Naruto jumped through the trees but her gracefulness had been left behind at the cliff. Every so often she'd have to use a tree to regain her balance.

Sasuke jumped on to a branch that Naruto was just about to hop to, but as she landed her footing became uneven and she started to fall. Sasuke, on instinct, grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled her to him.

Naruto of course clung to Sasuke tightly, trembling strongly enough that her knees kept trying to buckle and would have if Sasuke wasn't holding her up.

Kasumi quickly ran to their side and put a gentle hand on the small of Naruto's back. Naruto instantly strengthen her hold around Sasuke.

"What's wrong with her?" Sasuke gasped out, with it getting harder to breath.

Kasumi glanced at Sasuke for a moment.

"She can't swim, and has a very large fear of water," Kasumi said as she wrapped her arms around Naruto's waist.

"How's that possible, I've seen her swim a lot of times when we were genin," Sasuke said sharply.

"Sasuke-san I'm sure you can figure out why on your own," she said as she started pulling Naruto to dislodge her from Sasuke.

"Itoko, let go," Kasumi grunted when she was having little luck pulling Naruto off.

"No," Naruto wined as her hold on Sasuke got stronger.

Kasumi gave up with a huff. "I'm sure if you don't let go now we may end up having to deal with a jealous, homicidal, raven."

Naruto's arms immediately flew off Sasuke and to Katsumi's waiting arms.

"There see, no problem at all," Katsumi said with triumph.

"Shut-shut up," Naruto whined as the two took off and started jumping through the trees leaving behind a very confused Sasuke.

They had traveled a great amount of land with nothing happening but as everyone stopped on one of the larger trees to catch their breath, it was then a random barrage of shuriken were sent at them.

To avoid getting hit everyone ended up scrambling to other trees; Kakashi, Hinata, and Iruka in one; Sasuke and Sakura in another; Hosaka, Kasumi, Sora and Hakaru in another; Naruto and Konohamaru were in their own, and farther away from the rest. Naruto, who had grabbed Konohamaru as she jumped, was panting heavily as she sat down her brother figure.

"Don't get hit, okay?" Naruto said to him as she pulled out a kunai to guard herself and Konohamaru. Konohamaru took the hint and pulled out his own kunai and took stance next to his 'sister.'

"Don't worry about me! I'm a genin now!" Konohamaru said with a grin.

Naruto smiled at him. "That's what I'm worried about!" she said cheerfully as she dodged another kunai.

Konohamaru pouted at her words, but his attention was taken away from her when he had to hold some strange man dressed in a pure white coat.

Naruto on the other hand had also got into her own fight, like everyone else.

Flinging a kunai at one of the men' head she hit dead on between his eyes.

The fight for her was easy for the most part, if was just sitting to the branch properly that had taken her attention away from a man that was coming at her.

Before she had the time to defend herself she found that her wrists had been bound together. A kunai was placed at her throat before she could turn around and retaliate with a kick.

"Ah Kitsune-chan, it's so to see you again. I was so worried that I wouldn't get to play with you anymore," a slick, deep voice whispered into her ear.

Naruto paled, she knew this voice, how could she ever forget it? She shut her eyes tightly together and gave an attempt to stop shaking.

"Weak," he said before shoving Naruto harshly off the tree branch.

She squeaked slightly with fear, but refused to scream as she plummeted towards the water.

Kasumi had just knocked some woman that Konohamaru was having trouble with off the tree, when she heard a familiar squeak of fear. Glancing around she spotted Naruto falling towards the water with her arms bound.

She moved herself to jump in and save her cousin, but before she could even move from the branch she saw a black cloak cover Naruto and whisked her way form the water and stood quietly on one of the tree branches.

Katsumi jumped at the chakra signature, but was happy to know who it was, no matter how suddenly they had appeared.

Running over to the clocked figure and Naruto she quickly forced chakra around her hand and cut the rope binding her arms.

Naruto flung her arms around the shoulders of the clocked figure and shoved her face in the crook of their neck. The figure tightened his hold around her and shushed her softly.

Kasumi glanced around and found that they were no longer under attack anymore but everyone had their eyes on the trio.

Sora was the first to make a more, before slapping the figure, which was taller than him by a head, in the shoulder.

"Do you know how late you are? Ato-chan been waiting for you since we left the village!" he yelled.

The figure had yet to say anything at the accusation though.

"Who's that?" Kakashi asked from his branch.

"That's 'Ato-chan's fiancé!" Hoshi exclaimed gleefully.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Hinata asked walking towards the silver head girl.

Hakaru stepped forward. "This is the man that Naruto plans to marry; she meant exactly what she said."

"But-but she's so young!" Iruka all but gasped.

Hakaru inclined her head a bit. "True, but I do know some nin get married when their twelve, and I don't blame Naruto in wanting to get married no either, considering she has known this man for years, and he was the one that saved her."

This statement caught everyone's attention.

"But who is he?" Sasuke asked, stepping towards them.

The Uzushio nin glanced at Naruto and the cloaked man.

"I will allow Naruto to tell you that later, when she wants to," Hakaru turned back to the group.

"Now then unless you want to sleep in a tree to night I suggest we get moving we still have quite a bit of land left to cover before we are away from the water."

Casting curious glances at Naruto and the man again everyone followed after Hakaru once again.

Everyone sat calmly around a fire Sasuke and Sakura had made.

Naruto was still clutching tightly to the mystery man refusing to let go or even talk, but at least she had stopped shaking.

"Karasu, do you want to join us by the fire?" asked Katsumi leaning back to look at him.

After a few moments of thought he finally stood up from the base of the tree he sat at, and walked over to sit with the rest of the group.

"Did your abroad mission go well?" Hakaru asked. The only response was a slight inclined of his head.

"That's good, at least we have one less man we have to worry about," she said with a sigh.

Naruto mumbled something into the man's shoulder which caused everyone to snap their attention over to her.

"What was that?" Hakaru asked.

Naruto pulled her faces away from his neck and looked over to Hakaru with sad, fearful eyes.

"Their coming back," she said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked leaning towards her.

"It was him, he's back," she said in a ghostly whisper.

"You don't mean him, do you?" Kasumi asked leaning down next to her. Naruto nodded numbly. Kasumi turned ghostly pale.

"This isn't good," she mumbled.

The cloaked man strengthens his hold around Naruto, who only turned back to hold him as well.

"Who is he?" Kakashi asked getting worried about his student.

"The man who kidnapped Itoko, Kuro Maki."

"Wait, isn't he an illegal slave trader?" Iruka asked out raged.

Kasumi nodded. "Yes, in a way we could say we're lucky if it had not been for Karasu here Naruto would have either died or been sod as a slave."

Hinata pulled Konohamaru to her side and rubbed the sobbing boys back. "What does she mean he's back thought?" she asked softly.

"Because of who Naruto's parents are, master sealers mind you, there are seals made by them all over the nin countries; only someone with their blood can brake those seals and Naruto is the last Namikaze and the only one birthed by Kushina, making her the only one able to brake the seals. This is what they used her for, but not without having their fun first," Kasumi explained anger.

There was a small growl that came from the clocked man as he pulled Naruto closed to him possessively, which caused Kasumi to smile.

"Don't worry Karasu, Naruto won't end up back with them even if it kills me," Kasumi said lightly stroking Naruto's head before standing up and going back to her spot.

"I don't think you have to worry Kasumi Naruto does have her own knight in shining armor. I think she'll be okay," Sora said placing a hand on Kasumi's shoulder.

Kasumi blushed and looked away from him.

"I know that," she pouted sticking out her bottom lip in a similar way to Naruto.

Iruka giggled at the familiar action. "You and Naruto are so much alike, it's hard to believe that you two didn't grow up together, or as sisters."

Kasumi smiled, "Like mom always says about that," Hakaru joined in at this part, "all Uzumakis are joined at heart, even if we aren't together at all times."

Sora and Hoshi snickered at this.

"How's that even possible?" Sakura asked.

Hoshi smirked. "It's a blood limit, though it doesn't work on the battle field it does come in handy when they're locating family members, that's why 'Ato-chan didn't freak out when she first met Kasumi and her mother, she already knew them."

"That makes sense," Kakashi mumbled.

Konohamaru sat himself next to Naruto and Karasu.

"Nee-chan could we see who he is?" he asked pointing at Karasu.

Naruto smiled sadly at him. "Can you wait till morning?"

Konohamaru nodded softly. Naruto stretched out a shaky hand and stroked his head. He smiled at her and softly removed her hand.

Naruto brought that hand back to her face to try and stifle a yawn.

"Looks like someone needs to get to sleep," Hakaru said standing from her spot. "As should we."

Sora stood from his spot and made signs for a jutsu and spat large amounts of water on the fire.

"Well let's get to bed so we can continue in the morning."

With that everyone went to their tents, for the night, not knowing what would meet hem the next day.

Naruto crawled out of her tent and calmly got to work making breakfast for everyone as she had done the day before. Just as she had finished throwing in the last ingredient, snake like arms made their way around her waist and pulled her to a large warm chest.

Glancing up she smiled at his soft obsidian eyes.

"Morning," she whispered while using her hand to stroke his cheek.

"Morning, Koi," his silky voice rumbled past her ears.

Gently turning around in his arms, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips and was pulled into a more intimate hug.

"Get a room."

Naruto broke the kiss to glare at Sora.

"Well maybe you should get a shirt," Naruto commented on the fact Sora was still only in his boxers.

Sora blushed and quickly retreated back into his tent to get dressed.

"Will he ever learn?" Karasu chuckled. Naruto shrugged and kissed him once more before pulling out of his hold and going to stir the pot.

"I think he will always be that way," Naruto commented.

Karasu walked over to the pot and glanced inside.

"Rabbit then?" he asked spotting rabbit meat in the mix.

Naruto puffed out her cheeks. "What I have a fox demon inside me what else do you expect?"

"Hn," Karasu smirk.

"Something smells good," they both looked up to see Kakashi walking over with Iruka at his side.

Naruto smiled at them. "It'll be done soon."

The tow sat down next to Naruto but their eyes were on Raven.

"So you are going to tell us who he is today right?" Kakashi asked looking skeptical.

Naruto nodded. "Yup, after everyone eats."

She looked over to Iruka who had threatening eyes pointed at Karasu which made Naruto nervous.

Pulling out some bowls Naruto handed one full with the stew to Iruka before he could say anything bad.

She finished handing everyone their portion and sat down next to Karasu, leaning against his shoulder.

"So how did you guys sleep?" Naruto asked around a mouthful of meat.

Kakashi smiled, "I slept well."

"Same here," Iruka said nodding.

"Food"

Everyone turned to Konohamaru who was walking like a zombie.

Naruto grinned at him and pulled him down to her side.

"Food it is young prince," she said handing him a bowl.

Konohamaru gladly took a bite and hummed at the great flavor.

"Nee-chan you really cook too good for your own good." Naruto chuckled at the compliment and shoved another spoon full into her mouth.

By the time she finished her bowl everyone else had come out of their tent and started eating what was left of the stew.

"Ato-chan, don't forget you promised to tell them who Karasu really is today!" Hoshi said cheerfully.

Naruto growled under breath. "Of course, we wouldn't want to forget that," she said with fake happiness.

Gently she placed her hands on either side of Karasu's head, and gazed into his eyes calmly asking for permission. Seeing trust in the other's eyes she gently pulled the hood back reviling creamy white skin, dark almost black eyes, and black hair.

Everyone remained silent, some because they were too stunned to even move and others because they knew this was not their place to speak.

Naruto pulled away and glanced at the others, it was this action that caused Sasuke to finally spring into action. Summoning chidori to his hand he flung himself at Itachi; Yelling his name loudly, making the birds scatter.

Karasu means raven in Japanese.

Koi means lover or my love as a pet name.

Ato was an anagram of parts of Naruto's name to have her called by something cute and short but not what everyone else uses such as naru or ruru or whatever else there is.