Author's note – Kishimoto Masashi owns Naruto while Guyver is written by Yoshiki Takaya.
I make no claim to either, I am merely playing in their sandboxes.

Yay! This is now the story with the most chapters that I have written so far!

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Chapter Fifty-Six

Return to Konoha

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The gates of Konoha rose ahead of the group.

"I once promised never to return." Tsunade sighed as they passed under the stone lintel. "Even so… I missed this place."

"I'm glad to hear that." A voice said and everyone's gaze snapped to where Hiruzen was standing, leaning heavily on his staff, Itachi just behind him. "Welcome back, gakusei."

"Sensei." Tsunade replied quietly, bowing her head.

"Hinata, Ino, Fu." Hiruzen continued. "Jiraiya sent a report back… I am sorry. Naruto died a hero. He will be avenged."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Hinata managed to reply.

"Why don't you take Naruto back home." Hiruzen offered. "I'll come round once I've finished my discussion with my students."

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade watched the trio depart and Hiruzen sighed.

"I had hoped that Naruto would become the sixth Hokage. It would have been appropriate, the son of the Fourth becoming the Sixth. Now, though…"

"He was Minato's son?" Tsunade asked and Hiruzen nodded.

"He was. I'll announce it this evening, along with your return."

"Is that wise. Sensei?" Jiraiya asked. "I mean… if you tell everyone about his parentage then… then…"

Hiruzen watched as Jiraiya sagged.

"It hardly matters now, does it?"

Jiraiya shook his head.

"No, Sensei. I don't suppose it does."

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Hinata placed the scroll on the low table before slumping onto the settee, her eyes filled with tears. Ino sat next to her and enfolded her in a hug as Fu unrolled the scroll and unsealed its contents.

#Hinata? Ino?#

Both girls stiffened in shock at the faint echo. "Naruto?"

"Maybe if we transform…" Ino slowly reasoned and Hinata nodded, her expression suddenly resolute.

"Outside." She commanded. "Let's not damage Naruto's house."

Fu watched them leave with a bemused expression. "Chomei…?"

"I don't know." The Nanabi replied. "Yet… It doesn't feel like Kurama's gone…"

"Fu doesn't understand."

After a long pause, Chomei replied. "I don't think I understand either…"

Hinata and Ino re-entered, ducking slightly to avoid hitting the top of the door with their head-blades, then Hinata paused.

"Ino… do you…"

"I feel it too." Ino confirmed. "It feels like a pull…"

"Naruto's metal is glowing!" Fu gasped. "Chomei, bring me in!"

Fu closed her eyes as she entered deep meditation while Hinata and Ino knelt in front of Naruto's head, their forehead-metals glowing just like the one on Naruto's forehead. A moment later, all three metals were connected by a solid beam of light.

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"Chomei?"

"Fu." The beetle Biju said in greeting, but her attention was elsewhere. "Look."

"The cage!" Fu realized. "It's still intact and… The armour!"

On the corner of the cage, Naruto's armour was fading between solid and transparent, revealing that Naruto was asleep inside it.

"They need energy!" Chomei realized. "Fu?"

"Do what you need." Fu stated. "Give Fu her brother back."

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Hiruzen stared in amazement at the scene before him. Fu was cross-legged on the floor, her Biju's chakra flaring around her before streaming across to join the beams of energy being projected by Hinata and Ino. All three streams of energy converged on what had been Naruto's severed helmet, but which was expanding and growing, tendrils already twining and forming what looked like vestigial arms and legs.

"Sensei?" Jiraiya asked in shock as he stared at the scene over Hiruzen's left shoulder.

"What's going on?" Tsunade gasped from behind Hiruzen's right shoulder. "What's happening?"

"It looks like… the armour is reforming…" Hiruzen whispered, hope blossoming in his heart. "Please, please let this be what I think it is…"

The Professor and his two students fell silent as they watched the miracle in progress before them.

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Hinata opened her eyes as her armour vanished and found herself staring at the armoured form lying on the table.

"…naruto?" She whispered, hardly daring to believe. As if answering her prayers, the armour before her detached and vanished, leaving Naruto whole and unscarred before her.

"Naruto!" She screamed in joy and lunged forwards, grabbing onto him even as Ino joined her.

"….'nata? 'no?"

"Naruto-ku-uuuuuun!" Hinata sobbed as Naruto slowly returned her hug. "Naruto… naruto…"

Beside her, Ino couldn't speak, she simply hugged her fiancee as hard as she could.

A cough from the doorway caught their attention and they looked round to see Hiruzen, Jiraiya and Tsunade all beaming at them.

"Welcome back, Naruto." Hiruzen smiled.

"Shame your clothes didn't come back with you, although it may save some time later." Jiraiya snarked, then he seemed to vanish with a yell of shock.

"Serves the old perv right." Tsunade huffed as she lowered her hand and squeezed past Hiruzen, being careful not to knock him off-balance. "Let me have a look at you, check to see if you're how you were. Fu, get him something to wear. I'd send one of the others, but I don't think they're going to let go of him for a while."

"Fu thinks you are right." The Jinchuuriki laughed as she rose to her feet. "Fu will get a kimono for her brother."

Tsunade watched her go, then she held a glowing hand over Naruto's head.

"Let me see… well, brain function seems nominal… no damage to larynx… ribs in perfect health, heartbeat strong…"

Hiruzen smiled at the litany of confirmation that proved that his favorite orphan was indeed alive.

"I'm back!" A familiar voice called from behind him and he limped to one side to let Sakura through.

"Who are… Oh! Hokage-sama! I… I didn't expect… I mean, I…"

"It's quite alright."Hiruzen said reassuringly as Sakura stammered to a stop. "Genin Haruno Sakura, I would like to introduce my former student Chunin Senju Tsunade. Tsunade, this is Sakura."

"You had to bring that up." Tsunade groused.

"Well, if you had gone through the Jonin exams like Jiraiya did…" Hiruzen countered and Tsunade sighed.

"With my medical skills, I think I should be a Tokubetsu Jonin, not a Chunin."

"You might qualify." Hiruzen mused, his eyes sparkling with suppressed mirth. "Of course, there is a test to take for that as well."

Tsunade let out a strangled growl of frustration, then turned to Sakura, only to pause as the fact that the younger girl was distracted set in.

"Why is Naruto lying naked on the table?"

"FU!" Tsunade shouted. "Where's that kimono?!"

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"What happened?" Naruto asked as he found himself in his mindscape.

"That armour of yours is even more remarkable than I thought." Kurama replied from within his cage. "It held us both at the instant of your death, then it let me send out a call to tell your two vixens to help it rebuild you. Chomei and her host provided some energy as well."

"I… died?" Naruto asked in shock and Kurama shook his head.

"No, but you were close. Once you recover, can you let me out again? Once I've had a nap, that is."

"Sure." Naruto said, then he grinned at the sight of the sleeping Biju. "Wow, that was fast."

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"Welcome back." Hiruzen said as Naruto entered the office, followed by Hinata, Ino, Fu and Sakura. Sakura quickly joined her team as Hiruzen tapped the desk to get everyone's attention.

"Although the exams were interrupted, you have all shown great bravery and skill." He said. "However, some of you have also demonstrated the capabilities required to become a chunin.
"Due to the injuries taken by many of my Jonin, I have no choice but to reshuffle the teams. Hyuuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino, Uzumaki Fu, please step forwards."

The three Kunoichi moved forwards and Hiruzen smiled at them.

"All three of you have proven yourselves worthy of promotion. Congratulations, chunins, your new assignment is to Team Armor, led by Jonin Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto's jaw dropped at the confirmation of his new rank and duties.

"Next, Higarushi Tenten. During the invasion, you took command of one of the defending squads after its leader was incapacitated and utilised superior tactics to safeguard the civilians. It is time for you to get the rank to go with the responsibilities you have shown you can handle. Congratulations, chunin."

Tenten blushed as Lee gave her a congratulatory hug.

"Sasuke Uchiha. You found yourself facing a far superior force and rather than charge to your death, you harried and distracted them long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Your choices were flawless, and so I promote you to chunin."

"Well done, brother." Itachi smiled.

"Sai. You had already reached Chunin in skill level, but your personality needed all the help it could get. Help that Sakura gave selflessly. Your request has been granted. Welcome to ANBU."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Sai said with a deep bow.

"I mentioned Sakura." Hiruzen stated. "You have proven yourself able to aid others in overcoming their flaws and willing to work hard to overcome those you yourself have. You acted as the glue for your team and have proven yourself worthy. Congratulations, chunin. Your parents would be proud of you."

Sakura blushed as Ino let out a whoop of joy.

"Given that I have arranged all my heavy hitters in one team, I need to make some changes." Hiruzen continued. "Gai, your team remains unchanged. Itachi, as you are training to become Hokage soon, you no longer have the time, so Hatake Kakashi is now the Jonin-sensei of Team 7 which consists of Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba and Uchiha Sasuke. My son is recovering in hospital and I intend him to teach at the Academy during his convalescence so Team 8 under Yuhi Kurenai is Akamichi Choji, Haruno Sakura and Nara Shikamaru.

"Congratulations to you all. Dismissed. Naruto, please stay."

Naruto watched as everyone else filed out, then turned back to face Hiruzen.

"What is it, Jiji?"

"Suna." Hiruzen stated. "My agents have sent reports of an evacuation… I need you to take your team and scout out the area, then try and make contact with whoever remains in charge there to see if they can be persuaded to surrender. I'll leave the on-site details to you and your team, but I want Suna to, at the very least, become our vassal since we can't trust them as allies any more."

"When should I leave?"

"Tomorrow morning will be fine." Hiruzen shrugged. "You were dead for a while, I think that you can take a night or so to recover."

Naruto grinned at Hiruzen's deadpan comment.

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"Fu was thinking Fu would like to move out."

Everyone at the table stopped eating and stared at the Jinchuuriki.

"Ano… was it something we did?" Hinata asked nervously and Fu shook her head.

"No, but Fu has had time to think." Fu said with a slight shrug. "Fu has never had a house of Fu's own. In Takigakure, Fu had a small hole in tree. Fu has room of Fu's own here, but it's Naruto-nii-san's house. Fu would like own house."

"What sort of house?" Naruto asked. "I can have some clones start to design it."

"Fu wants basement for library." She instantly responded and everyone grinned at the evidence of Fu's ever-increasing bibliophile tendencies. "Fu wants main area open like older part of house, but Fu not want closed in rooms."

"Open plan house." Naruto noted. "Fully open plan?"

"Fu doesn't really like walls." Fu admitted with an embarassed shrug.

"Lots of windows." Naruto added to his list. "Balconey?"

"Please!"

Naruto nodded. "How about by the foot of the cliff on the other side of our onsen. I'll put a gate in so that you can nip in easily… maybe a tunnel through the cliff so you can get here without anyone noticing if something happens."

Fu nodded in agreement,

"How cheaply can you build houses?" Sakura asked. "My… my parent's house was damaged during the attack and it'll need to be demolished, so…"

"Quite cheaply." Naruto said, not noticing Ino's smile of approval. "I'll get the old man's permission and put up several other houses as well. You can have one of them."

"Thank you." Sakura smiled.

"Hey, any friend of Ino's is a friend of mine, remember?" Naruto smiled back. "Of course, the same goes for Hinata and Fu as well."

"Thank you." Sakura replied.

"Shizune and I will be moving back into the Senju mansion once it has been repaired." Tsunade said as she helped herself to more stew. "You don't need to build a house for us, although I wouldn't say no to a permanent invite to that onsen of yours."

"No problem." Naruto grinned as everyone else chuckled.

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Authors Afternote – Did you really think I'd permanently kill off the main character?
The resurrection bit is based on Guyver Canon, one wearer was resurrected from just the Control Metal, so Naruto having a whole head to work from made it just that much easier.