After resting for a minute, Naruto examined memories that she had ignored while fighting Kimimaro. She felt a little guilty, but she scanned for memories of Hinata first. Sasuke was like a brother, but Hinata was like a sister and her best friend.
Thankfully, the Hyuuga compound had not been hit. When Hinata had heard that Haku was with her, she had taken off toward the Uchiha compound since Sasuke lived alone.
Her examination of her Shadow Clones' memories was interrupted by an ANBU. "Chuunin Uzumaki-san?" he said.
"Yes?" she answered.
"Everything under control here?" the ANBU asked.
"Yeah," she replied. "It was hairy for a few minutes." She gestured to Kimimaro's body. "That was one of Orochimaru's goons. Why'd it take you so long to get here?"
"This isn't my patrol area," he said. "Our radios were down, so there was some confusion on who would investigate without leaving the rest of the village unguarded."
"Hold a second," she said. "My teammate might have had a similar attack."
She searched her memories for any information on Sasuke. He had been attacked, but had fought them off long enough for Hinata to arrive trailed by her father, Neji, and a few other Hyuuga.
"It appears that there was another other attack, but it has also been foiled," she told the ANBU.
The ANBU nodded and moved toward the corpse. She remembered rumors of spies pretending to be ANBU during the Chuunin Exam Invasion.
"I'm sorry, ANBU-san," she said, "but I'm going to have to insist that the body be turned over to someone I know. He had a bloodline ability and our system has been compromised tonight."
"Very well, Uzumaki-san," he said. "I will remain with you until someone a known authority comes."
She walked over to where Haku was recovering.
"Sorry, Haku-chan," she said. "I didn't think he would be that tough."
"It's my fault, Naruto-chan," Haku protested. "He was right; I was moving very predictably."
The clone that had been tending Haku dispelled. The clone's memories indicated that the wound was deep, but had missed anything important. The clone had closed the wound and stimulated healing. She had also already told Haku what she needed to do to care for the wound. Haku would be fine in a couple of days.
Approximately ten minutes later Mitarashi Anko arrived.
"Looks like you had some excitement here, Brat," she said.
"Too much," Naruto agreed. "Any idea how this could happen?"
"Too early to know," Anko answered.
"Any chance I could find out?" she asked.
"Don't get your hopes up, Brat," Anko said. "It will probably end up above your pay grade."
Naruto nodded. She explained what she knew about Kimimaro. Anko sealed his body into a special scroll. While she was doing that, a pair of ANBU escorted Karin and Ranmaru back.
"I don't know about you," she said, "but I don't want to stay here tonight, even if they'd let us."
The other three all nodded agreement.
"Let me see if Sasuke-kun has a spot for us," she said. "He has that whole district practically."
She formed a Shadow Clone and dispelled it.
Before too long, a memory of Sasuke telling her clone they could stay in one of his houses arrived. Hinata would also be staying with them for company. Amusingly, Neji had also offered so that Sasuke would not be so outnumbered. Although it may have been because he was once again taking his position as Hinata's guardian seriously.
"He has a spot for us," she told the others. "Let's go."
The next morning, all those involved were at the Hokage's Office for a debrief. As Anko had predicted, they were not told much other than that several security holes had been exploited and were now being filled.
After the meeting, Tsunade asked her to stay.
"We'll wait for you outside, Naruto-chan," Hinata said.
Naruto was left alone in the office with Tsunade and Jiraiya.
"I'd like to take you on a training trip, Naruto-chan," Jiraiya said. "You'd become my official apprentice."
"For how long?" she asked.
"Approximately three years," he replied.
"Three years!?" she asked incredulously. "That's way too long to be gone!"
"You remember Itachi and Kisame?" he asked. "They belong to an organization called Akatsuki that are after the Bijuu for some reason. My contacts tell me that the group is going underground for the next few years while they wait for the Sanbi to reform. It's a good time to put you through some intensive training so that you're prepared to face them."
Naruto thought. Honestly, the offer was tempting, but being out of the village limited her high-end abilities because they attracted too much attention. She had an inkling of an idea, but she needed to talk to Hinata and Sasuke about it.
"I need to think about this, Ero-sennin," she said. "I'll tell you my decision tomorrow."
"What!?" he protested. "I'm giving you a prime opportunity here. Not just anyone is offered the chance to be apprenticed by Jiraiya the Gallant!"
"Tomorrow, Ero-sennin!" she called over her shoulder as she left the office. She could see Tsunade smirking at her old teammate.
"Come on, guys," she told her teammates. "We need to talk."
The next day, Naruto was once again in the Hokage's Office with Tsunade and Jiraiya. This time she had also invited Sasuke, Hinata, and Anko.
"Why'd you invite Anko-san, Brat?" Tsunade asked.
"It's all part of my brilliant master plan," Naruto said.
Anko raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'm calling in my favor, Anko-san," Naruto said. "Listen to what we have to say and we'll see if it's workable."
"I'm willing to at least listen," Anko said.
Naruto grinned widely. "My team and I have decided that we want to be the new Sannin by apprenticing to each of them. Since we don't trust Orochimaru, we'd like you to take his place, Anko-san."
"I'm honored that you would think I measure up to that," Anko said, "but the truth is that I don't. Whoever apprentices to me will be getting the short end of the stick."
"When Naruto-chan came to Sasuke-kun and me about this yesterday," Hinata said, "we interrogated Kurenai-sensei about you and your skills, Anko-san. We came to the conclusion that your skills would fill some gaps in my own skillset regarding medium and long range pretty nicely. Your taijutsu style would also supplement my own style of Gentle Fist, which is more flexible than the standard style. I would be honored if you would accept me as your student."
"Is your father okay with this?" Anko asked. "I don't have the best reputation."
"While I love my father," Hinata answered, "he forfeited his right to dictate my training years ago."
"Do you have access to the Snake Summoning Scroll, Anko-san?" Naruto asked. "Part of the image of being the 'Neo-Sannin' is being able to summon. We're not withdrawing our request if you don't, but it would be a huge bonus."
"Yes," Anko said, "I do, but the Snake Clan is very fragmented, as you could probably guess by the fact that both Orochimaru and I summon from them. Anyone signing it would need to be careful not to summon Manda or any of his Lieutenants."
"Excellent," Naruto said.
"So you'll become my apprentice then, Brat?" Jiraiya asked her.
"No," she said with a smirk. "I'd like to ask Baachan if she'd take me on."
"What?!" Jiraiya exclaimed, "but I'm your godfather and your father summoned Toads!"
Sasuke smirked and said, "I thought so."
Naruto laughed. "Way to blow an S-ranked secret, Ero-sennin."
Tsunade shook her head with a sigh. "Hinata-chan, Sasuke-kun, Anko-san. Please keep what the idiot implied a secret. As Naruto-chan said, it's S-rank." She turned to Naruto. "Why me?"
"I'm the team's support," Naruto said. "Plus, I find that I like healing injuries more than causing them."
"If I were to guess," Tsunade said, "that's Hinata's position too."
"That's true, Hokage-sama," Hinata said, "but I'm a better fit for Anko-san's skillset and Naruto-chan is a better choice as a medic because she isn't as likely to need one due to her heritage and her burden giving her a phenomenal healing rate. If I were the medic then, I'd be healing myself and Sasuke-kun. If Naruto is the medic, then she'd be healing me and Sasuke-kun."
"We were also planning on a certain degree of cross-training," Naruto said. "I'd like to learn seals and some ninjutsu from Ero-sennin. Hinata-chan would like to learn some medical techniques from you. Sasuke-kun would like to learn some taijutsu from Anko-san."
"I plan on being gone for three years, Brat," Jiraiya said. "That would make cross training difficult."
"We'd like you to take shorter trips," Sasuke said. "I would go with you for a couple of months and then come back for a week or two, then we'd leave again and repeat for the duration of the three years."
"Why do you want to learn from me?" Jiraiya asked.
"Ninjutsu is my specialty, which is something that both you and Orochimaru are known for."
"You realize that I'll make you learn the ninjutsu the hard way," the older man said. "I won't just let you copy it with your eyes."
Sasuke nodded. "I'm counting on it. I want to be a true ninjutsu master. We also figured that you could teach me about your spy network. I'm a better choice for it anyway, since Naruto plans on being Hokage, not me. Coming back to the village would also give me a chance to pick up genjutsu from Kakashi-sensei and possibly Kurenai-sensei."
Jiraiya nodded. Naruto could tell he was not pleased with the overall idea, but could tell the logic of it.
"You realize that if you become a medic nin it will keep you out of fights until and if you learn the Strength of a Hundred Technique, don't you, Brat?" Tsunade asked Naruto.
Naruto snorted. "That hardly applies to me, Baachan. I've always had an incredible healing rate and it's only gotten better. It would take a lot to put me down. Plus, even without the Kyuubi, I have more chakra than Konoha's entire medical corps put together—including you. I can always hang back and send in clones or take pot shots with ninjutsu without being in danger of running out of chakra."
Tsunade huffed. "I'd have to evaluate your healing rate, Brat. You willing to take the chance that I'll make you hang back from any fights?"
Naruto stared her in the eyes and said, "Yeah, Baachan, I am. Plus, I'm confident I can learn your technique, it that's what it takes."
Tsunade looked at the group, "We're all agreed that Naruto-chan will apprentice under me, Hinata-chan under Anko-san, and Sasuke-kun under the Pervert?"
The three chuunin all nodded.
Anko said, "Looking forward to it."
Jiraiya sighed and said, "I'd prefer to apprentice my goddaughter, but I'll go along with this plan."
"Don't worry, Ero-sensei," Naruto said. "You can still teach me fuuinjutsu."
The next day found Naruto, Hinata, and Tsunade at the gates, saying goodbye to Sasuke and Jiraiya.
"Take care of yourself, Emo-chan," Naruto said as she wrapped her pseudo-brother in a hug.
"You too, Bunny-chan," he said. "Try not to get too soft without me here to spur you on."
Naruto snorted. "Not likely. I saw Baachan looking at a paper entitled 'Training Plans for the Brat' and laughing evilly."
Hinata giggled. She gave Sasuke a hug too. "Try not to let Ero-sennin corrupt you too much," she said.
Sakura and Ino took that moment to arrive at a run, almost out of breath. They glared at Naruto and Hinata.
Hinata stepped back with Naruto as the two fangirls mobbed Sasuke, whining about how long he would be gone.
"You let slip that he would be gone for three years, didn't you, Naruto-chan?" Hinata asked.
Naruto flashed her a foxy grin. "Maaaaybeee."
Hinata giggled and shook her head. "Think we should let them know he'll be back in about three months for a short visit?"
"No way!" Naruto said. "After how those two have treated me? Let them know desperation."
Hinata giggled some more.
They walked over to where Tsunade and Jiraiya were talking quietly.
"Take care of yourself, Ero-sennin.," she told her godfather. "And watch after Emo-chan. He's not a bad kid, once he opens up a little."
"You too, Brat," the Toad Sage said. "Read those books I gave you while I'm gone and practice your calligraphy."
Naruto grimaced, but said, "Will do."
Jiraiya gave Tsunade one last leer and then turned and shouted, "Come on, Emo-chan. Time to go."
Sasuke scowled first at Jiraiya and then Naruto.
Naruto smiled widely. She and Hinata waved as the two men walked off.
The End (for now).
Author's Note: Thanks for reading. This was a fun story to write. I hope you enjoyed reading it. I intend to write a sequel to cover Shippuden years. I won't be doing the Anime fillers.