DISCLAIMER!: I DON'T OWN NARUTO! Thought you'd know that by now...

(A/N): OK! This is the last chapter for the Tsunade Retrieval ark.

Next chapter starts a three chapter grace period between now and Naruto's Bijuu Chakra Training Ark!

TO THE STORY!

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Chapter 72: Home Again

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Tsunade raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes. "By the way Naruto-kun, what was that power. It didn't look like any normal jutsu, and who is Kurama?" she asked in suspicion. Naruto sighed and scratched the the back of his head. "It's a long story. Why don't I fill you in on the way home."

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"So let me get this straight," Tsunade said while she shut her eyes and rubbed her temples. "You and the Kyuubi are friends and he openly gives you chakra to fight with, it helps you out by being like another pair of eyes watching over you, and it tells you stories about ancient history and your parents...while you sit on his head in a separate dimension cheated by the seal that is in your mind?" she asked in a confused and somewhat scandalized tone.

Naruto, who had been walking besides her with his hands behind his head with his eyes closed suddenly stops and opens his eyes. "Yes the Kit and I work as a team. Why do you pathetic mortal flesh bags not understand this?" Kurama/Naruto said. Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya jump away from him in defensive positions on pure instinct when they felt Kurama's presence. Naruto looked at them with red eyes with a slit pupil for a long moment. He then burst into laughter as his eyes faded back to his natural cerulean blue. "Oh, man! That just doesn't get old!" he howled in laughter as he fell to his back holding his gut.

The others in his group didn't take to the joke. Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at him with concern while Shizune looked at him with mild confusion. Jiraiya cleared his throat to get Naruto to stop laughing. Once he had the blonde attention he looked at him seriously. "Naruto, just what was that? I know you and the Kyuubi are close, but why is he able to control you?" he asked seriously, a slight scowl on his face. Naruto looked at him for a moment before sighing. "Because I let him. I let him talk through me if he wants to, and asks first. He isn't in control of my bodily actions either, unless I let him." he said as he looked right back at Jiraiya in the eye.

The Toad Sages eyes narrowed. "Naruto, I don't think it's a good idea to let him control you. It might weaken the seal, and if that happens I doubt he would hesitate to break out." he said in a warning tone. Naruto glared at the Sage making Jiraiya's eyes to widen. "Ok, Jiraiya, first things first. Kurama is my partner, teammate, friend, comrade, Nakama, whatever you want to call it. He is like family to me. Do NOT insult him like that. He is one of the people I trust the most. Thinking he is some rage filled beast that would betray the trust of his friends to be momentarily free from a perfectly gracious host, that works along side him and respects him. And then be put into a new Jinchuriki that would most likely shun him and treat him like scum is not only an insult on his intelligence, but his morals and way of life. I will not stand that kind of insult again, do you understand?" Naruto said with a certain venom in his words he rarely ever used. Jiraiya started to sweat a bit when he felt the small amounts of killing intent radiating off of Naruto.

The old Sage held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry about that. It's just I worry about you, and the only run ins I've had with Kurama have been bad ones and I don't know what to expect from him." he reasoned. He let out an internal sigh of relief when he felt the killing intent subside and Naruto's glare lessen. "Good. I'll forgive you this time, due to your own ignorance. But, I don't want you insulting my family. I don't care if you're my Godfather or not, I will not tolerate it." he said as he picked up stride and walking ahead of the group.

Jiraiya let out a depressed sigh and looked down. He felt like what ever progress he had made to being apart of Naruto's so called family had been cut in half. He shook his head and slowly followed the boy. Tsunade and Shizune were wide eyed at the reaction Naruto had towards Jiraiya. Tsunade caught up with Jiraiya and tugged a bit at his sleeve to get his attention. "The hell was that? I thought you and Naruto-kun were close?" she said in a hushed voice so Naruto couldn't hear them. Jiraiya sighed once more and gave a sad look to his former teammate. "Well, I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. I've only known him for little over a month. I don't think he completely trusts me yet." he replied. He looked ahead at Naruto's back. "The boys adoptive father, Uzumaki Seinaru, told me that when he found him, he was malnourished to point that the Kyuubi's chakra was the only thing keeping him alive. The boy had severe trust issues as a baby and only let a select few people around him...I think that mentality carried on to know, only letting people truly in when he can trust them completely..." he said sadly as he watched the boy walk in front of him.

Tsunade, and Shizune who had been listening in, were in shock. "How could Sensei let that happen!?" she quietly yelled in fury. Jiraiya shook his head. "The Orphanage he was in was giving Sensei false reports. It wasn't until Seinaru, almost violently, ordered Hiruzen to let him adopt Naruto that he figured out. He instantly let him take him in, and ever since Seinaru has been the boys Guardian Angle. The night he adopted Naruto, their estate was attacked by some villagers, demanding that he give them Naruto. Seinaru ended up killing eleven out of the twelve villagers that night, leaving one to spread the word. Naruto is off limits...Seinaru was only sixteen and he took in a child. And not just any child. He took in probably the most problematic child in the village...and look at how well he turned out...Kushina would be proud...I know Minato was." he said while a sad smile crept onto his face.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, 'I know Minato was'?" she asked. Jiraiya sighed once more and quirked an eyebrow at himself. He felt like he had been sighing a LOT today, but he just shrugged the thought off. "Well Hime, its a long story..." he said as he began retelling the events of the Invasion.

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They arrived back in Konoha about three days later. Naruto's mood cooled down a bit, but he was still a little grumpy towards Jiraiya. Although, his mood quickly brightened when the group was met by a young Hyuuga girl, a tall white haired male, and a now obviously pregnant purple haired woman.

"Naru-kun!" Hinata cheered as she ran over to Naruto. Naruto smiled broadly and caught the Hyuuga heiress in a tight hug. "Welcome back," she said as she snuggled into his arms. He chuckled and gave her a squeeze. "It's good to be back Hina-hime." he said to his girlfriend. Tsunade and Shizune both had their eyebrows raised as they saw the young couple, and Jiraiya...well...he was being Jiraiya. He had just pulled out his notebook when he felt several killer intents settle on him. He looked at where the most intense one was coming from and swallowed at Naruto and Hinata's glares. "Ero-sennin, you're already on thin ice with me. Don't. Push. It." he said as he increased the intent with each word.

The Great Toad Sage of Myobokuzan quickly put his book away and nodded fiercely to the blonde. Naruto gave him one more cold glare before his good mood returned. "Hey Dad, Mom, good to see you again." he said with a smile. He let Hinata out of his hug and held her hand instead. Cole walked over and ruffled Naruto's hair. "Good to see you too, brat." he said with a smirk.

He then turned to Tsunade and Shizune and smiled to them both. "Hello, you two must be Senju Tsunade and Shizune. It is an honor to meet another of the Legendary Sannin." he said as he held out his hand. "My name is Uzumaki Seinaru, Naruto's adoptive father."

Tsunade put her poker face on and gripped the mans hand, giving him a firm handshake. She added quit a bit of strength to it, to try and test the man. And to his credit, and her surprise, he didn't flinch or show any signs of pain. No, he actually gave just as much strength back. Tsunade smirked at him and nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you Seinaru-san." she said with a hint of respect. Shizune walked up to him with a smile and shook his hand. "A pleasure to meet you Seinaru-sama." she said cheerily.

She then looked over to the pregnant woman with him and gasped. "Anko!? Is that you!?" she gushed. Anko smirked at the medical Kunoichi. "Yup, been a while Shizu-chan." she said with her usual smirk. Shizune rushed over to talk to her old friend from the Academy. "Oh my god! You haven't changed a bit! Well, except the baby bump...wait...does that mean that you and Seinaru-sama are..." she said as a slight blush spread across her face. Anko gave her usual snicker and flashed a toothy grin. "Hitched and expecting? Yes we are. We've been married for about four in a half years now. And I'm about four months pregnant." she said with a smile.

While the two friends caught up, Naruto and Hinata talked about what happened during their time apart, and Jiraiya sulked while drawing circles on the ground with his fingers, Tsunade decided to question, no, talk to Cole for a bit. "So, Anko eh?" she asked in a sly tone while giving him a slight elbow in the ribs. He laughed a bit and put his hand behind his head, much like Naruto, which she took note of. "Well, when I came to the village she was one of the first people I met. One thing led to another and she started coming over for dinner and watching Naruto while I had to be in the council. She was the only other person that wasn't me or Kakashi he could stand while I wasn't around. After about three years, we started going out and I married her a month after Naruto entered the Academy." he explained with a happy smile. Tsunade smiled and nodded along with some of his stories about Naruto's younger days. The fact that the boy would stare into someones eyes to get a feel for if he could trust them. How he would try to bury himself in someones chest when he was happy and scared. She hadn't known Naruto would be a snuggler. She smiled fondly at Naruto and Hinata and wondered what it would have been like if she would have been the one to take him in.

After a few minutes of talking Anbu Cat and Monkey arrived to escort Tsunade to the Hokage Tower and told Jiraiya, Cole, and Naruto they were needed at the council. Naruto reluctantly said bye to Hinata and Cole gave a quick kiss to Anko before the group left.

Anko looked over to Shizune and smiled. "You wanna get some Dango with Kure-chan and catch up more?" she asked. Shizune smiled and nodded quickly and with that, the two were off to the Dango Stand.

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(A/N): To be continued...

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