Author's Note: Two more arcs until the time skip. At this point I'm planning on making Shippuden era a sequel, but I do plan to do it. Although it probably won't last as long as canon.
The day of the Hokage's funeral was overcast. Because of the large number of people that wanted to be there, they had opted to have the public service outside at the cemetary. Rain threatened. In some ways, Naruto wished it would do so. That way nature would be crying like she wanted to. She refused to cry in public. One of the old fogeys that she often saw coming out of the Hokage's office was giving a eulogy, but it was all meaningless words to her. To her the most important thing was that the Hokage had treated her like family.
She could not help but look at Konohamaru, who was not able to hold back the tears, and feel for him. He was standing next to his uncle Asuma, whose face was shadowed by regret, at the front. She had seen Jiraiya's large form in the back.
She was standing next to her team. Since only Hinata in their team had any family, they had naturally gravitated together. Hinata had opted to stand with them rather than her clan. Hinata had her arm around her waist to give her comfort. Both her genin teammates knew how close she had been to the Hokage.
The funeral ended and most of the crowd left. Konohamaru lingered until Asuma led him off. Kakashi left. Soon it was only Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, and a few other lingering shinobi.
"I wish I could have done something," Naruto whispered.
"I know how you feel," Sasuke said. "When he slaughtered my clan, I would have given anything, including my life, in order to be able to stop him."
"With all my power and abilities, I feel like I should have been able to do something," Naruto whispered.
"You're only twelve," Hinata murmured. "I have no doubt that in a few years Orochimaru will be as dust before you."
"That doesn't help me protect those I care about now," Naruto said sadly.
"You didn't do too badly in the forest," Sasuke said.
"Pure luck and the Snake Jerk's ego," Naruto said.
They lapsed into silence until Hinata said, "Go say goodbye to him, Naru-chan. We'll wait for you."
Naruto walked up to the casket. The Old Man looked so different now in death. The warmth that had animated him in life was gone. He looked much more frail now.
"Hey, Jiichan, it's me," she said. "I know you'd tell me it wasn't my fault, but I can't help but blame myself. I should have helped after I was done with Gaara-san." A sob broke out. "I love you and I'll miss you, Jiichan. I know you tried your best for me."
She ran back to her teammates and threw herself into Hinata's arms. Sasuke awkwardly patted her shoulder.
After she composed herself, the three of them left the cemetery.
The next morning, Naruto awoke to pounding on her door. She glanced at her clock. It was 10 o'clock. She decided she did not have grounds to murder whoever it was.
Throwing on a robe over her sleepwear, she exited her room and then opened her front door. Jiraiya stood there.
"What do you want, Ero-sensei?" she asked.
"I've got a mission that I think you could help me with. Get going. We leave in half an hour."
"What?" she almost shrieked. "I have people I need to tell!"
"Send clones!" Jiraiya said.
"Fine! Fine!" she muttered. "Just let me get ready."
"So, what's the mission, Ero-sensei?" Naruto asked once they were a couple of miles outside of Konoha.
"We're looking for my old teammate, Tsunade," Jiraiya said.
"Really?" Naruto said excitedly. "Jiichan told me she was a cousin of mine."
"That's true," the Toad Sage said thoughtfully. "Her grandma was a great-great-aunt of your mother. I hadn't thought of that. That could actually be useful."
"Where do we find her?" Naruto asked.
"I'm not exactly sure," Jiraiya admitted. "My contacts say she's in northeast Hi no Kuni and I've got a couple of leads."
"You going to teach me anything while we travel?" she asked.
"How would you like to learn one of your father's signature moves?" he offered.
"That would be great!" she exclaimed. "Which one? The Hiraishin?"
He laughed. "I wish!" I never was able to learn that one. No, it's the Rasengan. It's actually his most famous move that he invented himself. He was more famous for the Hiraishin, true, but the Second Hokage actually invented that one. Your dad just perfected it."
Naruto stopped walking and started bouncing on her toes. "When do we start?" she asked excitedly.
Jiraiya laughed again. "In a day or two. I need some supplies in order to teach it to you."
"Why didn't you get them in Konoha?" she grumbled.
"Relax," he told her. "We'll be looking for her for at least a week or two. Maybe longer."
The first evening they spent in a roadside inn near a couple of farms. Late in the next afternoon they came to a decent-sized town. In the lobby of the hotel, Jiraiya noticed a woman who seemed interested in him. He sent Naruto up to their room alone.
"Stupid Ero-sennin," Naruto grumbled as she unlocked the door. Since he had not taught her anything since leaving Konoha, he did not deserve the title of "sensei."
She threw her things on her bed and started removing her weapons so that she could get comfortable.
A knock on the door startled her. She giggled to herself. Rejected already, Ero-sennin?
She opened the door and saw two people she was not expecting. One of them looked like an older Sasuke. He had an active Sharingan spinning with three tomoes. The other was bluish with shark-like features with a large pommel sticking over his shoulder. They were both were dark cloaks with red clouds on them.
"You're not Ero-sennin," she said.
"Is this the brat?" the shark man asked.
"Naruto has blond hair and blue eyes," the Uchiha said. Wasn't Sasuke supposed to be the last one?
Naruto opened her mouth and then shut it. "Wrong door," she said. She moved to shut the door, but the Uchiha stuck out his hand and stopped the door.
"Her face looks like her mother's," the Uchiha said. It must be Itachi, the one who murdered the rest of the clan. "She must be using a poor Disguise Technique."
His statement froze her. Itachi knew her mother?
The shark man snorted. "I don't know why anyone would Disguise themselves as an albino Hyuuga."
"Come with us, Naruto-chan," Itachi commanded.
"I'll cut off her legs so that she can't run. Just because we need her alive doesn't mean I can't cripple her." The shark man laughed uproariously.
By the time Naruto had processed his words, he was already in mid swing. Her mind was still struggling with the fact that Sasuke's brother knew her mother!
Itachi frowned and moved to stop his partner, but he was going to be too slow. Naruto's mind kicked into panic mode. Block! Block! she thought as she stretched forth her arm. She hoped the Kyuubi would be able to heal the wound she would get from this.
Itachi's arm grabbed his partner's shoulder just as a bone jutted out of her palm and intercepted the wrapped sword the shark man was swinging at her.
"Kaguya!" shouted the shark man.
"How'd you know?" Naruto asked.
"The Shikotsumyaku bloodline ability!" he said.
"Oh, right the clan," she said. "No, I'm not from the Kaguya clan. Distantly related, though."
She felt some tugging on her chakra from where the sword pressed against the bone sticking out of her palm. She wrenched back at it and the hold on her chakra disappeared.
"How are you resisting Samehada's chakra drain!?" he demanded.
"My chakra is my own," Naruto stated. "It obeys me and no one else."
"You are quite surprising, Naruto-chan," Itachi said. "I think Leader-sama would want her intact, Kisame-san." He turned to Naruto. "You will come with us. A few tricks won't protect you from us."
"Leave her alone!" a voice called from down the hall. "You won't take my new family from me!" Sasuke appeared with Hinata close behind him.
This was getting out of control. She summoned her chakra and manifested it externally, activating her doujutsus. She hoped her chakra flaring up would attract Ero-sennin.
Sasuke's eyes flashed to the Rinne-sharingan. "Divine Will!" he shouted.
Naruto's attackers went flying down the hall. Luckily for the hotel, he had directed the pulse enough that the walls were largely unharmed.
"Not a good spot for a fight," Hinata muttered as the two approached her.
"Where's Jiraiya-sama?" Sasuke asked.
"Chasing skirts," Naruto ground out. "Let's escape out the window via contingency clone."
The other two nodded. This was their plan for an ordered retreat. She created nine clones which all jumped out the window. She was disoriented by the fact that she could see through all of their eyes. She must not have ever generated clones with her Rinne-Sharingan active before. This was something to investigate, but not right now. "Downgrade your eyes," she told her clones.
The clones closed their third eyes, leaving only the Byakugan. The clones jumped out the window.
By this time, Itachi and Kisame were in the doorway.
"I see you didn't follow my advice, foolish Little Brother," Itachi said.
"Why would I follow the advice of a madman?" Sasuke snarled.
"I think you need to be retaught your lesson," Itachi said.
"Summoning: Toad Mouth Bind!" called Jiraiya from the hall. Pink flesh oozed from the walls, enclosing them in a narrow passageway.
"This is the esophagus of a fire-breathing Rock Toad from Mt. Myouboku," Jiraiya said. "You won't be escaping this!"
"Kisame-san, we're leaving," stated Itachi. "We can't face Jiraiya-san in here."
Kisame growled. "You'll get yours, brats. Just wait."
Itachi's eyes spun into a shuriken shape and black fire burst from it. "Amaterasu," he said. The black fire burned through the fleshy wall, leaving an escape route for the two men who quickly left.
"Not that I'm not thankful," Naruto said to his teammates, "but why did you come?"
"Itachi put Kakashi-sensei in a coma," Sasuke said. "We heard someone say he was coming after you."
"It was dangerous of you to come," Jiraiya said.
"Dynamic Entry," a too familiar voice called. The Green Beast's foot smashed into Jiraiya's jaw.
"Gai-sensei!" Naruto said. "You just attacked Ero-sennin!"
"Ero-sennin?" Gai asked. He looked and saw Jiraiya sprawled on the floor. "Yes, I suppose it is."
"Ero-sennin?" Jiraiya growled as he sat up. "Ero-sensei was slightly better. Why the new nickname, brat?"
"I've been with you for days and you haven't taught me anything!" Naruto complained.
"Stop complaining, brat!" Jiraiya commanded.
"Sasuke-kun, Hinata-kun," Gai said, "we need to return to Konoha."
"Ero-sennin isn't doing a good job of protecting, Naruto-chan," Sasuke said. "We should stay."
"Sasuke-kun, you and Hinata-kun are up for promotion due to your performance in the Exams and your actions in the Invasion, but a chuunin must follow the chain of command."
"Fine," Sasuke scowled. "You better do a better job of keeping my imouto safe, Ero-sennin," he added to Jiraiya.
"Ero-sennin?" Jiraiya complained. "You're corrupting your peers, Naruto-chan."
Naruto smirked. Then she said to Sasuke, "Imouto? Why am I the younger sister?"
Sasuke smirked. "Maybe because I was born first, Dead Last."
Naruto stuck out her tongue. "That's completely irrelevant. Girls mature faster."
"Real mature, Bunny-chan," Sasuke said with another smirk.
"Be safe, Naru-chan," Hinata said, hugging her.
"You too, Hina-chan," Naruto said.
"Don't frown too much while I'm gone, Emo-chan," Naruto told Sasuke, giving him a hug.
Sasuke froze and then awkwardly hugged her back. "Try not to die, Dead Last."
"See you, Gai-sensei," Naruto said to the Green Beast with a wave.
"Let's get out of here, brat," Jiraiya said.
Naruto nodded and they left out the window.