Here is Chapter 2. I hope you like it. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

"Ino-nee chan!" some people called out her name. She turned around and saw Konohamaru and his teammates Moegi and Udon. "Konohamaru, how are you and your friends?" Ino cheerfully asked.

"We're fine, only I wish we had a different mission than finding a lost cat," Konohamaru complained.

That brought a smile to her face it just brought back memories of her and her team taking on that same mission with Naruto and Sasuke. So to ease the young Genin's frustration, she replied, "We had that same mission, it is very nostalgic actually. We all complained about it too, but soon after we got a difficult mission that proved to be more difficult than we expected. So don't worry, your team will get a difficult mission soon. You just have to be patient."

Konohamaru smiled up at her and then he asked, "So, what are you doing?"

"I have to pick up a report for Lady Tsunade, so I'm heading to the gate now. Would you three like to join me?" she asked the young genin.

All three chimed together, "Sure,"

So they all walked to the village gate, while two who had just entered the village were unknowingly walking in a different direction than Ino and the others. The younger of the two said, "It has been four years since we have been in Konoha." While the other replied, "It has hasn't it?"

When they reached the gate, Ino asked Kotetsu and Izumo, "Hi Kotestu-senpai and Izumo-senpai, do you have the report for Tsunade?"

"Yes, we do. By the way, you should look around on your way back to the Hokage Tower." Kotetsu said. While Izumo added, "You might find something interesting." They both smiled at the confused Chūnin and three Genin.

Then Ino suddenly realized what they meant, "Could it be?" She quickly took the report and ran back into the village with the three Genin tailing her.

While in an area of the village, a young man wearing an orange track suit ran up a pole, happily shouting, "Wow, this place hasn't changed a bit!" He looked up at the Hokage Monument and noticed that it slightly changed he exclaimed, "Oh, they added Tsunade-baa chan's face to the Monument. Konoha, hear me now, Naruto Uzumaki has returned!"

Ino had been running until she saw Naruto on top of the pole with Lord Jiraiya at the base of it. She called out to him, "Naruto, is that you?" Naruto noticed her and came down instantly to greet her. "Hey Ino, it's been a long time."

She replied, "Yeah, it has." Then she was looking him over and said, "Hey Naruto, I think you are taller than me now."

"Really?" Naruto said as he was comparing their heights. "I guess you're right," he added happily.

"He's grown so much, it's kind of hard to believe," Ino thought to herself. While she asked out loud, "So do you think I look more mature now?"

Naruto then replied, "Don't worry I think you have grown a lot but you are still the same to me."

Ino was a bit unnerved that he said that but she silently thought, "Oh well, I guess I should have expected that from him, but I know he means well."

"Naruto-nii chan!" Konohamaru shouted happily and he did a new "Sexy" Jutsu to Naruto and asked," What do you think?" when he dispelled it. Ino was a bit disturbed by it but she was a bit surprised when he started to chuckle.

"Konohamaru, I'm older now and I don't do that kind of jutsu anymore. You must learn different jutsus than that." Naruto told the younger Genin.

Ino was impressed, "He must have grown up while he was training. I've never seen him so serious." But that impression was shattered when he suddenly exclaimed, "So now I'm going to show you a new Sexy jutsu that you'll be impressed by."

That ticked her off and she punched him in the stomach but not before shouting, "You idiot! I was about to praise you and you come up with another one of your stupid jutsus!"

She kept on shouting at him to grow up while he held his stomach in pain and silently noted, "It was just as I thought, Ino is the same as she always was but at least she doesn't hit too hard."

Then she, Naruto and Lord Jiraiya went up to the Hokage Tower to report to Lady Tsunade. They went in her office where she greeted Naruto, "Welcome home, Naruto." Then she turned to Jiraiya and said, "I take it that his training went well, Jiraiya?"

"Of course, it did. What do you think I haven't helped him improve?" Jiraiya asked acting offended.

"That's good, I would like to put Naruto's skills to the test, you will be fighting an opponent that hasn't been on missions lately so you'll display how much stronger you have gotten against him," she said just as they heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Tsunade said. Then a lazy voice drawled, "Hey."

There was a young man of about fifteen with black hair tied in a ponytail, brown narrow eyes, and a lazy expression on his face. He was wearing a green flak jacket with a black shirt with matching black pants. Next to him, was a young woman who had her blond hair tied in four ponytails, a black forehead protector, and wore a black dress with a red sash. On her back, she had a big fan strapped to her.

Ino and Naruto turned around to them and Ino called out to them, "Hey Shikamaru, Temari-san, can you two guess who this is?" She pointed to Naruto as she asked them which made Shikamaru look at him curiously.

"Naruto? Hey, it is Naruto isn't it?" he said with a smirk.

Naruto smiled and exclaimed, "Shikamaru."

"It's been a long time, when did you get back?" Shikamaru asked his friend.

"Just a while ago," Naruto explained.

Shikamaru looked him over before saying, "There is something different about you, did you grow up or something?"

"No, he is the same as before," Ino pointed out Naruto's lack of maturity.

"Oh, just as I thought," Shikamaru said in a somewhat teasing voice.

"Ino," Naruto said in an exasperated voice. Until he suddenly said, "So wait, is Shikamaru my opponent?"

"What are you talking about? I'm just here to report to Lady Tsunade with this lady accompanying me," Shikamaru explained as he gestured towards Temari with his eyes.

Naruto looked over at her but got a look of confusion on his face before asking, "Who are you again?"

Temari retorted, "You don't remember me?" She sounded like she was a bit offended.

"Naruto, Shikamaru isn't your opponent. Your opponent is out there." Tsunade interrupted while pointing out the window.

Naruto went towards the window, opened it, and heard a voice say, "It's been a while, you have grown."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed happily. He jumped on the roof of the building to greet his teacher and said to him, "It's great to see you again, Sensei. You haven't changed much at all. Oh, that's right, I have something for you."

Naruto pulled something out of his back pouch and held it out to him which made Kakashi exclaim, "What?! This is… is"

The item that was in Naruto's hand, turned out to be a copy of Icha Icha Paradise, which made Naruto say, "It's a new book that is the first publication of the Icha Icha Paradise in four years. It's boring, but you like that kind of book don't you Sensei?"

Kakashi had been excited to read it until Tsunade said, "Okay, enough fooling around, Kakashi."

So he closed the book and came to the window and said to Ino, "It's been a while since I've seen you as well Ino."

"Yeah, it has Sensei," she replied.

"So Kakashi-sensei is my opponent," Naruto spoke out.

But Kakashi replied, "Well, not exactly. I will be fighting both of you, Naruto and Ino." He gestured to the both of them. He continued, "You will fight against me and I shall test how much the both of you have grown these past two and a half years. We will meet in training ground seven but since you must be tired Naruto, I'll give you time to rest up. See ya."

With that, he just disappeared in a puff of smoke. "I wonder why he went away so quickly," Ino said sarcastically, not expecting an answer.

"He's going to read that book," Shikamaru replied.

Ino turned to look at him, which Shikamaru turned away from her quickly, but then he said, "As if we all didn't know that, Ino," He had a little smirk on his lips as he directly gave that smirk in her direction.

Ino giggled to herself, "He always knew how to make me laugh."

Later on, Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru and Temari had walked out of the Hokage Tower while Naruto complained, "He really hasn't changed at all, and I'm not even tired. Couldn't he have just read that book later?"

Ino answered back sympathetically, "Well, you know that's how he is, Naruto. Don't complain too much."

Naruto sighed, "Yeah, I know." Until he looked at how Shikamaru and Temari were behind them then he asked impishly, "Hey Shikamaru, are you two on a date?' he didn't notice that Ino flinched when he asked.

Lately, she was puzzled about her sudden peeve of Shikamaru being in a relationship with Temari. Personally, Ino respects Temari as a strong and capable kunoichi, but she suddenly gets angry if she had to follow Shikamaru around.

"It's not like that," Shikamaru answered. This made Ino sigh out in relief, although she had no idea why.

"Hmph, like I would ever go out with someone like him," Temari said in response to that. Somehow, Ino seemed to be offended for Shikamaru, "What's wrong with going out with him? Shikamaru is a good guy."

Ino was brought out of her thoughts when Temari continued, "The Chūnin exams are coming up and I'm acting as the Sand Ambassador which takes me to and from Suna and Konoha."

Shikamaru added, "It's troublesome, but I'm acting as a proctor for the exam and I have to be this lady's escort."

"The Chūnin exams, huh? That brings back memories," Naruto reflected.

"Oh, that's right. What are you going to do, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked him.

"About what?' Naruto asked, confused about the question.

"What do you mean, what? It's about the Chūnin exam, you are the only one in our age group who isn't a Chūnin," Shikamaru explained.

Naruto had a blank look on his face before he shouted, "What?!" He looked over at Ino and asked, "Then, you are a Chūnin too, Ino?"

Ino smiled and said, "Yes, I am."

Shikamaru also added, "Not only that, but Neji, Kankuro and this lady are Jonin now." He pointed to Temari to prove his point.

Then Naruto suddenly asked, "What about Gaara?"

Meanwhile in Suna, a messenger came out to a balcony to call to someone standing out there, "Kazekage-sama, the meeting is about to start."

The one standing on the balcony, had auburn hair, green eyes with black rings around them, a tattoo with the kanji for love on his forehead and was wearing a white cloak. He merely replied quietly, "I'll be there shortly."

Back in Konoha, when Naruto heard about Gaara's new title he suddenly became quiet. But then he exclaimed, "Just wait Gaara, just as you have become Kazekage, I'll become a great Hokage soon. Just watch me."

Shikamaru smirked, Temari smiled, and Ino looked at her teammate with admiration, commenting in her thoughts, "Maybe you have grown up a bit, Naruto."

That is chapter 2, please feel free to leave a review. I hope that you liked it.