A/N: Some of you may be wondering why Naruto's behavior regressed last chapter especially since the events responsible for that change weren't spelled out specifically. Those things that happened in the darkness were brought to light. Two of them were hinted at but you'll just have to be patient if you want the full details.

Also, with regards to the last chapter, a guest reviewer made a very astute observation. Naruto has not revealed that he was the son of the Yondaime; he did reveal to his team who his mother was (indirectly). Sorry, that's a different story. So, I made the necessary correction to Chapter 12. (Good catch there.)

Guest #1: The Senju are a branch family of the Uzumaki and the summons clan is tied to both in this fanfic. I will be going more into the relationship of the Ubihemi and the clans in the next few chapters as we sort out the relationship between the sea serpents and the Gama.

Zabzab: Chapters 11 and 12 have been rewritten to fill in some of the missing blanks to help explain why Naruto has withdrawn from his team a bit. Remember the fic summary about his precious people disappearing from his life? Looks like our hero is wilding out a bit. Of course, that could never bite him in the ass, nooooooo.

Jh831: Yes, Naruto graduates the academy at age 14 in my fanfic. Yes, it's intentional. No, I don't think clients are going to be traumatized by the one kid two years older than the others on his team. Additionally, Naruto hung up his pranking gear several years before he graduated so him pranking the village isn't an issue. Not to mention that his desire to become ANBU took over his desire to become Hokage when Hiruzen tried to "scare him straight out of a life of pranking." All of this is in the fanfic in the first few chapters. This is not a canon fanfic, it's just going to be following major events in the timeline. Whether or not he runs off to train with Jiraiya remains to be seen.

Guest #2: Yes, Ino found a shiny but it wasn't the staff she originally thought. It makes its debut this chapter.

Guest #3: Opal, or Opalessa as she is known among the Ubihemi, is a Celestial-class summons with a special relationship with her chosen summoner. I will have a rather large section on her this chapter so no spoilers.

Guest #4: I added the poll winners at the beginning of Chapter 11 as part of the chapter rewrite. If you have not read the special Anko addition shedding some light on their strained relationship, then I highly recommend doing so.

Guest #5: Opalessa is a Celestial-ranked summons from the Ubihemi Clan. Don't let her incredibly sexy human form fool you; she is a 35m-long sea serpent. The bond she's referring to is a chakra-based one that will tie her to her summoner until one of them passes on, most likely Naruto since the Ubihemi tend to live for several thousand years. She will be a standard in his life, not a wife in the harem.

(*) Confucius provided the reference for the quote borrowed by the Yondaime.

Onward and upward they say. We find our intrepid adventurers trying to return to a normal semblance of daily life. I sure hope Tora takes the week off…

As always, back to the story.

~Siva'a-tasi

~III~

Chapter 13: A Bridge Too Far

~ Previously on No More ~

The cry of a falcon high above them not only brought Naruto out of his revelry it brought him to an abrupt stop in the branches high above the ground. Asuma called down the messenger bird and pulled the tiny scroll from its leg before reading through it twice then passing it to Anko with a sigh.

"Change of plans gang. Naruto, hang an immediate right and make best speed for Kōraru Mura." Anko hissed and cursed. Loudly.

"Troublesome," joined the chorus of malcontent.

Kamakura was, in the "public" eye, the only harbor town in Hi no Kuni. Loaded with tons of fishing vessels and transport ships, it was perfect for rapid transport to and from the Land of Fire. Too bad it was too far away to be useful for their immediate needs.

Instead of Kamakura, Tazuna had been leading Team Seven to the sleepy fishing village just across from Nami no Kuni's main island. According to the message Asuma received, Team Ten would have to make a bee line for Kōraru Mura so they could meet up with Sasuke's squad and support them in Nami.

Naruto was originally so not-pleased to hear this news wanting nothing more than to go home and be done with people for a while. Trying to get a grip on his volatile temper, he schooled his emotions and stilled his face. He had a lot to sort through and he couldn't do that with constant distractions. Then his mind perused its stores of Hi no Kuni geography and what lay near both Coral Village and Nami.

Nami, before the destruction of his clan, was part of Uzushiogakure.

'Come to me.' The voice was like a whisper on the wind and his face went blank so quickly that Ino was wondering if he'd had a stroke or just plain snapped.

Without a single objection, the blond Genin changed course and leaped from his perch towards the eastern coast of Hi no Kuni.

It was the fact that he didn't argue that worried the senior shinobi, one wondering why he'd shut them all out for the last three days and the other afraid that she already knew the answer.

~III~

~ Eastern Road to Coral Village ~

Team Seven mustered for gear check at Konoha's eastern gate with faces aglow. The first real adventure was about to begin and Sasuke could not have been more excited.

He was finally going to prove himself and get an accurate measure of his progress. At the end of this, he would be one step closer to his first goal.

Kakashi strolled up lazily with the customer in-tow, his nose buried deep inside his favorite orange distraction. Without looking up from his "erotic literature," he barked out a terse "Gear Check!" then stood off to one side while his Genin began rifling through their belongings.

"Sakura, fewer clothes and more shuriken next time." The pinkette's indignation rose to the surface as she glanced frantically towards her crush. After all, how could she look perfect for him with all that messy metal taking up space in her back pack? It was heavy and she had to take fewer items to compensate for the weight.

"Choji, nice pack out but," his one eyebrow rose in confusion, "are you sure you brought enough food for the entire two-week mission load like I asked?" Choji beamed his trademark grin as he stuffed storage scroll after storage scroll back into his pack.

"Don't worry, Sensei. This is just to get me to Nami. I'll buy more once we get there." The young man had such an easy-going personality Kakashi didn't have the heart to challenge his eating habits at the moment. The Akimichi had a system that worked for them but Kakashi always thought it could be improved upon. Instead he moved on to the last of the three.

His eye scrutinized the very military-esque layout of Sasuke's gear. Shuriken were arranged in neat rows of ten. Kunai were lined up in alternating positions five to a row and five rows deep. Three spools of wire with a refill spool started the second row of auxiliary gear. Two bags of caltrops and a pristine set of climbing spikes for slippery surfaces and a host of other necessities capped off two spare changes of clothing and his rations. All in all, a very functional pack out until he got to the three scrolls.

"And these?" the silvered Genin inquired.

"Two storage scrolls filled with an exact copy of this set of gear and an empty storage scroll for war trophies."

"Hn, stow it all and be ready to leave in five," Kakashi replied while stepping away to the guards to sign them out. 'I wonder if any of the other sensei have problems with paranoid gear hoarders?'

~III~

As the Blue Mermaid tossed over lines to the handlers on the pier, Asuma sneezed rather violently. Anko jerked away trying to stay out of the plume.

"Get me sick and I'll gut you, Sarutobi," the annoyed kunoichi sneered out.

Asuma merely ran a finger under his nose as he anxiously awaited the brow. Not being able to smoke at sea was killing him and now this nonsense? He needed a smoke badly.

~III~

Walking at a civilian's pace was beginning to annoy the brooding teen. Sasuke looked back from his lead spot to his sensei, the man's nose once again buried in that insufferable smut he loved so much.

'Hn. If he trained us half as much as he read, I'd be much farther along than I am.' Choji guarded the threat side nearest the trees and Sakura watched the road, a standard manji formation with Kakashi strolling along at the rear. With a final grunt, he turned his eyes back to the front running over his thoughts on how to activate his sharingan.

'The scroll I kept talked about focusing chakra to your eyes. I've learned how to stream it to my ears to improve my hearing, but the nose didn't work so well. Remembering the distinct unpleasantness near the public bathrooms, he'd resolved not to repeat that attempt after the five days it took to purge his sinuses.

'All it does when I push chakra to my eyes is make my vision a little sharper. What am I doing wrong?' So, engrossed in his dojoutsu problems he nearly missed a large water puddle off to the side of the road. His right hand stopped swinging to hover over the holster strapped to his right leg. His left hand dropped and began signing [Suspicious puddle. No rain in weeks. Plan?]

Choji couldn't see the signs from his position in Sasuke's blind spot and Sakura was too busy mooning over him to notice until the last bit asking about a plan caught her attention. Not hearing a verbal order from Kakashi, he decided not to wait for an ambush and hurled a brace of shuriken into the tiny pool startling everyone behind him except for Kakashi.

"What the HELL!" Tazuna's yell wasn't all that surprising especially since a red liquid began filling up the puddle. Spreading out from one of the shuriken sticking up from the glistening pool, the puddle erupted as a ghastly scream tore from its rippling surface. Then something jumped out of the now crimson mess in a blurring motion, a long chain trailing behind it until it drew taught and snapped.

"You little bastard! I'll flay you alive!" Dressed in brownish-grey camouflage and a horned forehead protector, the shaggy maned shinobi wore a clawed metal gauntlet with four wavy lines in it. Losing himself to the rage of his brother's death, Meizu forgot about the bridge builder and rushed the Genin responsible for his death.

Kunai clashing against a clawed glove, Sasuke's eyes noticed the thick liquid smeared on its sharp edges. Meizu's foot lashed out catching Sasuke in the chest driving the air from his lungs as the ground rushed up to slam into his back. Rolling up to his feet, Sasuke's sandals eventually gained purchase and halted his rearward slide. Standing up and grateful that he still had his weapon, the Uchiha prepared to defend against the next charge only to stare blankly at the now choking Kiri nin being strangled in Kakashi's strangle hold.

Rubbing his bruised ribs and waving off Sakura's concerned wheedling, the brooding Genin meandered back over to check on their customer while scowling at his sensei. He'd robbed him of the chance to prove himself in this fight and that did not sit well with the last Uchiha.

He secretly hoped for another strong enemy to prove himself against on this trip. He felt alive for the first time and wanted to feel that rush of adrenaline once more.

"Nice work Sasuke in detecting the genjutsu. Next time, It also might not hurt to signal both of your teammates so you're not fighting a stronger opponent alone." A single grunt was his only reply.

Choji blinked in surprise then frowned in annoyance. Kakashi hadn't seen him angry yet but, at the rate Sasuke was progressing it was only a matter of time.

"Sakura," he paused longer than normal while staring emptily at her face, "nice job doing whatever it is you do but next time, help a little, okay?" His eye crinkled up into its usual smile. "I'm glad we could have this talk." He then turned to glare at Tazuna.

"I was hoping to find out who they were after, but that plan got scuttled." His eye narrowed dangerously at Tazuna, who was doing his best to stay emotionless.

"Oh? That's too bad." He tried to match Kakashi's one-eyed glare.

"I would hate to think that our client misrepresented his mission requirements and find out that the Demon Brothers were in fact here to kill him. It might make it impossible to keep him alive when a stronger shinobi comes to finish the job."

"Well, then I guess it's a good job that you're such an elite ninja, isn't it?" Inside Tazuna was sweating bullets. If these shinobi found out the truth, they might abandon him to die. If that happened, his family, no his entire village was done for. He had to string them along until it was too late.

Kakashi grunted but walked over to dispel the jutsu to reveal another Kiri nin, a slowly bleeding out Kiri nin sighing his last breath, with a matching metal glove and the other half of the chain that once tied them together. A shuriken had gotten lucky and struck his carotid artery.

Sealing up the cooling body along with the unconscious Meizu, Kakashi ran through a five-set series of seals before slamming his right hand onto the dirt road. Once the smoke cloud from a small explosion cleared, a brown pug wearing a blue vest and a Leaf forehead protector strapped around his head lifted a tiny paw in salute to the silver Jounin.

"Yo!"

Sakura blinked not believing the deep voice emerging from the tiny dog but there it was.

"Take this to Hokage-sama please." Gripping the missive in his jaws, the ninken vanished in another puff of smoke.

"Now what?" Sakura queried. Today had been full of surprises.

"Now we wait for a response from the Hokage. Without either more information or backup, we cannot continue as we are." Sasuke huffed but moved to the side of the road to brood quietly.

More than one pair of shinobi eyes observed a slightly more nervous Tazuna while he reached for a spare sake bottle in his travel pack. There was clearly more to this story than met the eye.

The Hokage's answer came back a few hours later, the sun having already begun its descent on towards evening. Rolling the scroll back up, Kakashi rose to his feet and called everyone together.

"Well, it appears without concrete proof we cannot prove that Tazuna lied about the contract. We continue as before." He raked his eye over the sweating drunk who was breathing heavily despite having rested for two hours.

"However, if it is found out that Tazuna hid important facts about the mission, then not only will it be upgraded to reflect an A-rank but Nami will be forced to pay the difference plus a penalty for their deception. Until then, we'll meet our back up team at Coral Village." He started walking once again as everyone fell back into place.

"We will meet them at the crossroads. Move out Team."

Tazuna tried not to let his nerves show. He'd dodged a major attack just now. He could only hope that Gato would give up with such a powerful escort to help Nami escape his clutches.

~III~

Opal shifted inside her smaller cubby of the Kirakira Dōkutsu (Glittering Grotto). Tired of her father's disappointed sighs and angry glares, she'd retreated to her personal cave among the hundreds dotting the cliff face of their ocean-bound territory.

He was getting closer and her heart fluttered. She could feel him through the link, his sadness and despair made her worry, but she couldn't tell why unless they were linked in the dream. She longed for the bond, a real connection without precursors or conditions. The hopeful child inside her heart wished this feeling in her chest was because of their partial connection, that it was because he also longed to be with her.

The vengeful spirit lurking not far from that child hoped the cause for his sadness was the purple-haired woman reeking of snakes so she could rend her body in half with her teeth.

Either way, she spent her quiet moments away from the clan's gathering place picturing his face and that magnificent crown of golden hair marking him as a Walker, as her Walker.

Her head perked up when two more females slithered into her hideout all a gossip. Minō and Nectamia were less than a third her size, her particular family having been bred to be clan messengers and information gatherers. Sleek and slender, the midnight purple sisters were usually her only constant companions and, until recently, Opal's only source of laughter.

"Tell us…" Minō began.

"All about him…" Nectamia continued.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase, Onee-san!" they pleaded together.

The larger echidnae enjoyed their playful natures and settled down to retell her encounter with the last known Walker.

Their first echoing squeal together began with the hushed phrase of, "He touched me!" Cue the high-pitched girlie squeals from armored female sea serpents.

~III~

Naruto could feel her joy through their bond, and it made his heart swell a bit. His mind was literally in another dimension knowing that's where Opal was as he glided through the trees and Hi no Kuni's darkening skies.

Asuma had asked him to set a high pace knowing they'd get to rest the night near the crossroads so that's what he did. The added benefit came in that Ino and Shikamaru stopped asking him if he was okay in order to conserve their breath.

His mind kept dwelling on his dreams with Opal, his encounters with Hestia, and his last night in Orario with Eina. Admittedly he was torn as a result.

Opal had explained very clearly that she would be bonded to him forever, but she was a summons, even in her human form the two could never create a family with their dissimilar biology. That didn't mean that certain things weren't expected of him and she would make those abundantly clear once their bond was final. He needed to come to the Grotto and sign the contract but, before he could do that, he would be required to prove himself to the clan. Once he could be freed from traveling missions this would come to pass and they could be joined as one soul.

He didn't know what to think of that, so he pushed it to the side. Instead he focused on Hestia.

The petite woman claiming to be a goddess had no plans to ever leave Orario or even Istoria at large. She flat out refused which made their passionate acts his last night in the city all the more confusing to him. They hadn't committed themselves fully to the act Hestia claiming that she would hold on to her virginity for Bell should he ever come around (he was her chosen one after all). She, however, made it clear that her other affections were his to enjoy so long as he was in or near Orario and, if Bell should ever come around, he would enjoy her full embrace. It made no sense. The woman had no fear or restrictions on her behavior no matter how much he enjoyed the perks of such wanton freedom.

Since he had no desire to turn into a man-whore, he severed the extra-curricular activities and turned his attention to Eina, an island flower of gentile beauty and refinement. She was willing to commit but unsure if she would be welcome in Konoha. For now, and their one night together aside, she wanted to see how things developed and spend more time with him. Seeing as he planned to return to Orario to visit her, he reluctantly agreed to keep in touch and bid her farewell. Which brought him to his current predicament, Ino.

The platinum blond had been dogging him since she first walked in on him pleasuring the goddess. First, she all but threw herself on top of him in a drunken stupor. Next thing he knew, she avoided him like the plague. Now she was dogging his heels and trying to chase him away from anything to do with other women. It was maddening!

He thought she needed to make up her mind. Either she wanted more from him or nothing at all. She needed to pick one and move on.

Suddenly a blue spike pinged his senses about a kilometer away and he signaled to alert his team. Slowing his transit pace, he began the leisurely drop to the forest floor and strolled the last twenty meters out to meet a haughty-looking Neji Hyuuga. Once the entire team emerged from the treeline, the crotchety Branch Hyuuga spun without a word and began walking off into the shrubbery leading them to a campsite not far from the main road.

Naruto gave his first smile of the day when his eyes landed on Tenten, her own body barreling like a pink and brown ballista as she plowed into his chest to wrap him up in her arms. Seeing her charge, Naruto planted his feet with chakra and lifted her up off the ground enjoying the feel of her chest smashing against his own. Despite her now radiant blush, the twin-bunned girl did not release him right away.

She was happy that he was back and not the least bit shy, her father's friendly advice still ringing in her ears.

'Ten-chan, good men are rare in this age. Good shinobi are even more so. Don't waste your days waiting for an ideal.' The subtle reference to a certain long-haired Hyuuga was not missed.

"TENTEN! YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH ARE BLINDING IN YOUR FIDELITY TO A RETURNING COMRADE!" She cringed and shivered in his arms. Naruto remembered her many, many gripe sessions over the green-clad duo so he was prepared (as much as a person could be) for their antics.

Tenten buried her face into the crook of his neck and inhaled with a happy sigh ignoring the blatant throat clearing going on behind him. She was enjoying the smell of fresh evergreens and spice consequences be damned. Eventually her annoyance at the now hacking Yamanaka peaked and she looked over his shoulder to meet Ino's irate glare.

"What? That cough sounds pretty terminal. Can I help you?"

Ino's outraged gasp showed how annoyed she was at their interaction. "Yes, I need you to release my teammate," she stressed the word unnecessarily, "so we can get on with the mission brief." Tenten's bubbly laugh caught her by surprise as she released the blond but took his hand to lead him away so they could catch up.

Ino turned to Shikamaru and whined but the pineapple-haired boy waved her off with another "too troublesome" and walked deeper into camp.

Asuma and Gai quickly met up and began talking with mission scrolls in hand while everyone settled in.

"Shika!" Ino was whining and it was starting (continuing) to grate on his nerves. The so-named Genin was trying to avoid her and spoon up some stew from the simmering kettle at the same time. He was only succeeding at the latter. "Do something!" He glared at her briefly before settling down on a stump.

Neji sat patiently with his hands resting on his thighs as he followed the blond woman's rantings, one eyebrow raised comically.

"No." She gasped in disbelief at Shika's minuscule response even as she dogged his heels.

"What? Why not?" Having reached his fill, the Team Ten Leader whirled on her and jabbed a finger in her forehead.

"Ow!" Rubbing the reddening spot, she glared back. "What was that for?!"

"Make up your mind troublesome woman." Anko raised an eyebrow as she made up a bowl of rice and stew for herself. "You don't want him, but you don't want anyone else to get him. You can't have it both ways so either poop or get off the potty." He huffed off once more to sit by himself.

"Either way, leave me out of it." He mumbled a few more choice words about the troublesome nature of all blonds then started stuffing his mouth to avoid further speaking.

Ino's saddened face turned to watch her gently smiling teammate sitting uncomfortably close to the brown-haired weapons mistress of Team Nine and didn't like what it saw. She absently wondered if her new necklace could be used to store harmful spells as well as healing ones. She had several in her novice's journal, one that even grew warts in uncomfortable places. Perhaps that would teach the strumpet to keep her buns off of someone else's man.

She blinked at the realization. Since when did Ino consider Naruto her man?

"Team Gai, gather round." Tenten rose and sauntered over, her hips swaying intentionally for the blond male behind her.

"Team Ten, you as well. Get over here," Asuma parroted out. Anko stayed put but the other three sidled up next to their Genin peers.

"Ten, we'll be camping here tonight before moving on to Konoha in the morning. Our mission was to support Seven in their push to Nami if we were the first ones here. Since Gai's team arrived first, they'll pick up the support mission and we'll return to Konoha in the morning to make our capture report."

A clone of Naruto popped into existence without seals or words then dashed off towards the main road. All eyes turned to him with those belonging to Gai's team doing so in surprise.

"They are about a kilometer out sensei. I sent a clone to meet them at the fork and bring them here." Neji activated his Byakugan and nodded his concurrence once his team looked to him for confirmation.

"Ah, my confident comrade. It appears that you have a sensor as well! YOSH! WE WILL COMPETE TO DEVELOP THE STRONGER SENSOR! IF I CAN NOT, I WILL RUN FIVE LAPS AROUND ALL THE LAND OF FIRE!" Asuma borrowed a page from Kakashi and cut him off before he could really get on a roll.

"Sorry, did you say something Gai?" Gai's anime tears ended the rant as Lee, the mini-clone, began furiously scribbling down his teacher's motivational pledges.

Shaking her head at their sad display of manliness, Ino's eyes glanced over at Anko to see her scowling and hunched over a bowl of stew. The purplette's moody eyes were cut over to the side of the camp as she chewed slowly, her face clearly showing her displeasure at whatever she was looking at. Turning in that direction as she grabbed her own dinner, she saw Naruto sitting with his back leaned up against a tree now that the group had disintegrated with their teacher's antics.

Sitting next to him was Tenten looking extremely comfortable while they talked and joked about recent adventures. With her own disgruntled look, Ino stomped off to sit next to the cranky Nara his objections be damned.

"Don't!" she raised a finger to silence the complaint already on its way.

~III~

Before anyone realized it, Team Seven came swaggering into camp like they'd just saved Konoha. Well, everyone except for Choji and Kakashi. So really, just Sasuke and his number one fangirl. Despite having done nothing of real consequence during the fight, he entered the camp as the conquering hero.

Not surprising at all was the fact that Teams Gai and Ten could hear Sakura berating Naruto's poor clone and bragging about the Uchiha heir's tactical expertise from the roadside where he met them. It was something about taking out a dangerous Chunin from Kiri single-handedly.

Ino bristled dreading the confrontation to come but she wasn't alone. Tenten's spoon was paused just above her bowl as her eyes narrowed. She never really liked the Uchiha and his tag along harpy.

The clone, having finished his task, released immediately upon reaching the camp. Kakashi's exposed eye crinkled up into a smile at the sight of his sensei's son before he excused himself to go speak with the two males sharing a meal. Sasuke strutted around the camp eyeing everyone and helping himself to the evening meal without permission while Sakura preened in his wake.

"Nice trick, Dobe." He didn't even have the courtesy to face him when speaking so Naruto promptly ignored him. Tenten bristled again and made to rise from her seat. Naruto's hand slipped out to gently grasp her forearm, his head gently shaking as if asking her to let it go.

She settled back down with a hateful look in her eyes. Sakura noticed and smirked, her eyes instead settling on the other blond in the group as she sauntered over to plop down next to her.

"How's life with the dead last, Ino-pig? Have you found a way to escape yet? Perhaps you should take an updated picture of a real shinobi to keep with you after we leave tomorrow." The pinkette's face was smug with self-satisfaction.

For her part, Ino had been scrutinizing the Uchiha's arrival and the more she looked at him the more his superficial beauty started shining through. She was beginning to see the ugliness just beneath the surface and she found herself liking what she saw less and less while subconsciously comparing him to the other blond she knew. To further complicate things, Sakura's last comment topped the poop sundae and put a sour taste in her mouth that just wouldn't leave.

It wasn't just how he belittled Naruto, although that left a sour taste all its own. It was his attitude towards every Genin in the camp. He swaggered as if he owned the place. He bragged as if they owed their very existence to him. The hubris oozing from him made her want to choke.

"Keep him, Sakura. I've lost my interest in Sasuke Uchiha."

Her words shocked both Sakura and a drinking Shikamaru as he spit a mouthful of water into the night air. Ino's concerned look in his direction lasted long enough to make sure he wasn't choking before she turned back to her bowl of stew and started eating again, this time with genuine interest.

Sakura stared at her former friend-now-rival-in-all-things-Uchiha and a light came one. Too bad it was the wrong color bulb.

"Ah! I see what you're up to," she sarcastically whined. "You think by pretending not to care I'll drop my guard so you can swoop in, but it won't work Ino-pig!" Ino's annoyed smirk shot back to her former best friend and she laughed. It was a short burst, but it was definitely a laugh.

"Think whatever makes you sleep better. I truly wish you the best of luck with him and hope you two have many fat Uchiha babies in that ridiculous home of his." Ino shook her head at Sakura's disbelief before her eyes caught Naruto's very confused stare. Blushing a bright red, her face shot downward as she tried to focus on finishing her meal and going straight to bed.

She felt free for lack of a better term. With that final chain broken, Ino Yamanaka felt she could move on with her life. The thought of moving forward was a good one.

Now if she could only get a certain blond to take an interest in her. maybe she should strip down and climb on top of him again. Maybe she wouldn't run away this time...

~III~

Team Seven and Team Gai packed up and continued on the next morning. Tenten snuck in one last hug before they hit the road, much to Ino's raging unhappiness.

Naruto unleashed an army of clones to clean up the camp and they were off shortly after breakfast wrapped up. By noon due to traveling at shinobi speeds, Team Ten landed not far from the eastern gate, signed in, then headed straight for the Hokage's Office to debrief.

The Hokage beamed at the successful mission even as he handed off the two capture scrolls to an ANBU agent.

"Well done, Team Ten. The details I have in the form of your official report. Are there any other concerns that I need to be aware of?" Asuma and Anko looked at each other before Asuma asked if the room was secure. Puzzled, Hiruzen engaged a privacy seal and waited for his son to resume.

"I didn't want to send this in the report, so I've written a separate one here." He set the roll down on the Hokage's desk. "It contains everything about Anko's encounter with the Umihebi when they abducted Naruto at sea." Naruto's face immediately flushed with anger.

"You disagree with something, Naruto?" the Hokage quietly asked.

"I do, Hokage-sama." Both Hiruzen and the two senior shinobis flinched. Naruto never addressed him as anything other than "old man," meaning he was the adoptive grandfather that he loved. "The Umihebi were protecting me. They mistakenly assumed that I was being attacked and responded appropriately." He looked neither left nor right, his eyes locked on the Sandaime.

"Why would a summons clan do that, Naruto?" Hiruzen was trying to come to grips with how a summons, any summons, could come to their realm unsummoned let alone function without a summoner. The Umihebi hadn't been active since the fall of the Uzumaki but to still linger… The implications were very unsettling.

"They did it because they are still bonded to the Uzumaki and our branch clan, the Senju. For whatever reason, they keep calling me 'The Last Walker' and took it rather personally when they thought they saw someone attacking me on the ship." He gave no names and no details, which only served to pique the Hokage's interest more.

"Who attacked you, Naruto?" Anko fidgeted to his far left.

"No one, Hokage-sama. I was being dressed down for being anti-social and the particular Umihebi claiming to be my future partner mistook it for violence. She got upset and decided to do something about it."

Anko's eyes shot wide open and her head whipped around to zero in on Naruto. "She? Partner?! WTF Naruto! You never mentioned that part!"

"It's clan business and doesn't concern you, Jounin-san." He didn't look her way, but the words stung and he could tell. He could just make out her flinching step backwards at the venom in his voice.

"Thank you, Naruto. That will be all. I may have questions for you later." Naruto bowed at the waist then left through the door with his teammates just ahead of him."

"Team Ten!" Asuma called out making them pause. "Three days rest. Meet again Monday morning at the usual time and place." The three nodded then closed the door as they filed out of the office.

Hiruzen sighed as he watched him go. There was pain there right below the surface, but he hoped the boy would pull through. He had a meeting with Inoichi tomorrow and hopefully things would begin to wind down. Hiruzen turned his head to Anko with a heavy sigh as he lifted another scroll that had been delivered by snake messenger that morning.

"Now, care to explain to me the meaning of this?" He hefted it into the air.

"I, Anko Mitarashi, hereby request reassignment to regular ANBU duty. I believe we've met the requirements of this tandem sensei mission and it's time I got back to work." Neko started in the corner from where she stood watch over the Hokage. Hiruzen peered into her eyes for several minutes hoping that she was joking but instead saw complete honesty and determination. Asuma's face showed that he was caught off-guard so Hiruzen correctly assumed it was meant to be kept from him until now.

"You are sure the team is proceeding in the right direction?" Anko merely nodded her head and set her jaw. "Very well, you have three days of R&R. Report to Dragon at the end and don't forget to pick up your mission pay in disbursing." She bowed then vanished in a body flicker.

Hiruzen looked at Asuma and frowned. "Okay, what really happened?"

"Okay pops but you're gonna want to dismiss your ANBU detail for this one." Hiruzen's left eyebrow rose in surprise thinking once again how he was much too old for this shit.

~III~

Joint Team Tazuna, as Kakashi was calling them, stepped off the small boat and on to dry land with a very nervous bridge maker in tow. For the five miles it took to navigate the coast line to reach his house, all of them tensed as if feeling eyes on their backs.

It was unsettling to feel like the treeline was watching them but the pressed on. Shinobi were shinobi and these had a job to do. The day progressed without further incident however, and a relieved Tazuna burst into his home so that he could start introductions.

Choji even parted with some of his food to help with the dinner celebration in honor of their safe return.

Unseen by the Genin clustered quietly inside the now extremely cramped house, a ghost-like pair of nukenin were less than a hundred meters away from the front door observing from the safety of their mist. Unnatural in that it only covered the immediate twenty-five meters around them, it provided the perfect spot to alter their plan and select the perfect target.

The taller of the two figures began to chuckle ominously awaiting the start of his sport. Prey was best when it felt overconfident.

~III~

Team Ten parted ways at the bottom of Hokage Tower. Shikamaru left almost immediately with a casual wave over his shoulder, his feet carrying him off to the Nara Clan estate. Ino lingered for a moment, her eyes on the ground as she struggled with her thoughts. In the end, she mumbled out a weak, "Cya, Naruto," before heading off to her family's home a few blocks over.

Naruto watched her go before turning to wander in the opposite direction. It was too early to go home only to stare at the walls and he didn't feel like training. He felt exhausted like he needed a good shower and a nice long night of rest but first – rrrrraaaaaawwwwwwrrrrr, his stomach rumbled loud enough to startle a family strolling by. One step led to another, his nose sifting through the many aromas wafting through the Market District of Konoha.

Without thinking he found himself outside Ichiraku's, his head tilted up to stare at the banners fluttering in the afternoon breeze.

Friendly voices coming from the western gate reached his ears and before long Kiba noticed him, the dog nin guffawing loudly and clearly spoiling for a fight.

"HA! Almost didn't recognize you, dead-last! You look like a real shinobi!" Kurenai, and the rest of her team, glared at the loud-mouthed boy before Kurenai shoved them along. Kiba almost looked disappointed when Naruto refused to rise to the bait. Instead, the blond turned to meet Hinata's eyes and smiled at her, a warm smile that made her face flush a cheery tomato red. He nodded, just the barest tilt of his head, before ducking under the tarps and sliding onto a stool at the bar.

She instinctively knew what that nod meant. Hinata knew exactly where she'd be headed after they turned in their last D-rank for the day. Kurenai smiled when she noticed a determined stride in Hinata's normally graceful step, something noticed by another in their squad and it made Kiba growl in the back of his throat.

Inside Ichiraku's, Naruto sighed once then raised his voice to place an order.

"One Misu, Old Man." Teuchi and Ayame both turned around, his face beaming with a smile, hers breaking out in happiness.

"Sure thing, Naruto. Welcome back." While he got to work on the dish, Ayame came around the bar and sat next to him, her smile welcoming as she patted his arm like she couldn't believe he'd returned. Sometimes with old friends it's the quiet moments where words aren't needed that make for the best memories.

She moved away to grab his order and before long the seat she vacated was filled by the scent of lavender. "One misu ramen, please," a very contented Hinata Hyuuga called out.

The two friends sat for a while eating peacefully and Naruto thought, for just a moment, that it was good to be home.

~III~

"Why you-horrible-crybaby!" Tenten's anger had finally peaked. "How dare you sit there and whine while you have a loving mother and a loving grandfather here to protect you and provide for you!"

She wanted to pummel him. She wanted to smack the taste from his mouth and pound him bloody.

"There are people on this very island that have suffered more than you and continue to suffer even as we speak in the safety provided by our teams in this very house!" She was towering over the cringing brat as her ki pummeled him wave after wave.

"Tenten! That's enough!" Sakura was coming to the boy's defense, but the weapons mistress had heard all she cared to at the moment.

"Stay out of this, Sakura! He," one hand shot out to point a finger in the boy's face, "doesn't get to whine from behind the safety of his family and belittle others! You want to defend him? Then you go stand next to him and take your lumps right alongside him!" She whirled on the boy like a predator and both Kakashi and Gai thought for a moment that they might have to interfere.

"Sack up brat! As it stands right now, you're an embarrassment to the man that taught you better!" On that note, she spun about and stormed from the house, the oppressive pressure leaving with her.

Inari's face clenched up in anger as he stormed from the table and fled upstairs to the sanctity of his room.

Lee rose and bowed a quick apology to Tsunami. "Please forgive Tenten. Her real parents were taken from her during an attack on our village a year after her birth. I shall try to soothe her anger." He bowed to Gai-sensei then bolted from the house to catch his steaming teammate.

He would return two minutes later with Tenten's abandoned scroll and a note that had been stuck to the ground with one of the girl's own kunai.

~III~

Naruto was very mellow by the time he reached his apartment. What meager possessions he left behind managed to evade destruction at the hands of vandals and it only cost him a spoiled carton of milk.

He absolutely loved fuuinjutsu.

Making sure his apartment was locked up tight, Naruto stripped for a thorough scrubdown in the shower. Once he was squeaky clean, he lifted up on the plunger to fill the tub with hot water and settled in for a nice soak. With his arms hanging over the side, his bathroom slowly faded from view as he dozed off only to be replaced by a large cavern bathed in soothing blue light.

"Welcome back, U~ōkā." Her smile was warm but something in her eyes made his grin falter. All the same, she slid into the water assuming her human form as she did so. Instead of embracing him once she drew close, Opal half bowed/ half curtsied with her arms out wide and her head bent towards the earth.

Naruto blinked in utter confusion.

"Please forgive this one for her offense." Naruto blinked yet again at a complete loss of words.

"What? What offense? You haven't done anything." Her head twitched, the curtain of ivory hair swaying with the motion.

"Opal does not understand. Surely this one has offended the U~ōkā or why else would you turn away?" Her head came up barely enough to see his waist while the rest of her body remained prostrate before him. In her current position, every movement made her sway enticingly making it hard to focus on anything above her neck.

"Turn away? I need you to explain to me, Opal. I don't understand what you're saying." He reached out and grabbed her shoulders and her body tensed as he pulled her forward and up so that their bodies touched chest to chest. The sea serpent turned human blushed a lovely shade of pink, her eyes fluttering closed with the contact.

"W-W-W-Warm," she sighed out. Unfortunately, Naruto could not take the time to enjoy the moment.

"What do you mean, Opal?" She lowered her arms to wrap them around his waist, her eyes focusing to the side of his body at something on the floor of the cavern.

"I sensed your chakra approaching the ocean from the deep lands. You were so very close to the islands of Nami I could almost smell your flesh." The gorgeous woman closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, her cheek laying against his shoulder. "You rested at night and I was hopeful to see you again the following day, but your warm chakra turned once again back into the forests. I assumed it was due to my actions, that you were," she peeked a quick glance before turning her eyes back to the cold ground, "angry with me." Her arms tightened around his waist in worry. "I felt your chakra fade for half the day before it vanished from my senses. I mourned."

Naruto was stunned. She was a sensor and a powerful one, but that realization had to wait. Something needed to be explained first. Sitting down in the shallow end of the pool he pulled her into his lap before wrapping his arms around her tiny waist.

"You did nothing wrong, Opal." Her creamy eyes rose from the floor with hope shining in both bright orbs. "Our shinobi travel in teams and another team needed help. My team was asked to join them, and they were in fact going to Nami." Her beautiful head tilted to the side as she listened attentively.

"Unfortunately, another team arrived before we did and took on that responsibility so," he shrugged helplessly, "we were no longer needed and sent home the next morning." Her face fell with the news. She was so very close to seeing him again. Her sigh was heartbreaking for the Konoha shinobi.

"It pleases me that you are not cross with me." This time her smile lit up her eyes. "I shall wait patiently for you to come to me."

"I cannot wait to come see you, but I don't know if another mission to Nami will be available so soon." She looked up at him and blinked as her eyes began to tear up.

"Oh, I see." Her shoulders drooped again, and Naruto saw her mood plummet.

"I will do my best to get the very next one assigned to me. I promise, Opal!" He was feeling like a desperate failure, but he didn't know why.

"It's fine, U~ōkā. I understand if you do not wish to reverse summon yourself to the Grotto. I-I-It's okay, truly it is." Naruto's eyes popped open and his left palm came up to prominently slap against his forehead. He'd completely forgotten that bit.

According to his mother's notes, he could go directly to the summon's lair so long as he didn't have a signed contract already. Concerned that he may have become unstable, a panicked Opal grabbed his hand in both of her own and clutched it between her breasts. Naruto blushed at the soft texture of her skin and the soft feel of the rather intimidating mounds enveloping his hand up to the wrist.

"I'll be honest, Opal. I completely forgot about that." She blinked up at him in mild confusion.

"Does this mean that…" She dared not say it aloud for fear of him refusing.

"As soon as I'm dressed from my bath, I will summon myself to the Grotto." She squealed in delight and flung her arms around his neck, which he didn't object to at all since his face replaced his spoiled hand in the deep valley of her cleavage.

~III~

Dressed in his full kit, clothes, thigh holsters and all, Naruto recited the instructions to himself as he went through the procedure.

"Draw blood for the offering and apply liberally to the hand that will be used to make the summons." Biting his left thumb with one of his very sharp canines, he swabbed it across the palm of his right hand.

"Picture very clearly the summons of choice, if available." He pictured Opal and had to shake his head as her naked torso filled his mind. He could almost hear her giggling in the back of his head as he focused extremely hard on picturing her majestic scales and graceful neck.

"Perform the following five signs." Naruto made it a habit to practice the five seals at least twice a week and flew through them despite his nerves being a bit high-strung. '[Inoshishi, Inu, Tori, Saru, Hitsuji]'

Slamming his palm down on the floor of his apartment, Naruto released a large amount of chakra and the world imploded. For several seconds, nausea dominated everything while he fought down the urge to vomit. Several deep breaths and his breathing steadied just as the smoke began to clear. As it faded, the still fog-blind Genin could hear what sounded like a dozen fans flicking back and forth at high speed.

The air stirred and the fog from the jutsu finally evaporated bringing the shocked boy face to face with a half dozen Umihebi of various shapes, sizes and hues. All of them were locked on to his body for the slightest move, their necks laid out low to the ground in an aggressive posture.

"You have one chance, mortal, before we rend the flesh from your bones. State your name and purpose and pray that we do not find your moral fiber lacking."

Naruto looked up from the floor and the hostile-looking sea serpents at his level, many of whom were large enough to swallow him whole, and in to the menacing eyes of the largest creature he'd ever come across. Its scales were the color of midnight and the flukes rimming his head and back were pale white and crackling with energy just like the raked ivory horns spiking up from his head.

"Oh, dip," the Uzumaki heir whispered out very much afraid to move a muscle.

~III~

[Jutsu Used in This Chapter]

[C-Rank] Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique): This Jutsu, using a contract, Seal, and the user's blood, binds an animal to the user. The type of animal is determined by the contract and Seal performed. The blood is used as a signature to make the contract, which can be written on a scroll or tattoo, valid. Once bound, the animal can be summoned to perform a task or help the user in battle.
Other types of Summoning Techniques can summon powerful objects, such as weapons (Tenten) or Kankurou's puppets. The hand seals for this jutsu are: Boar (Inoshishi) Dog (Inu) Bird (Tori) Monkey (Saru) Ram (Hitsuji).

Seven Easy Steps to Ninja Stardom

By Minato Namikaze

Chapter 4: "Without a Plan, There Can Be No Attack…"

We've covered proper diet, developing chakra control, and broadening your talent horizons but where does that leave us? Do you have an idea on where you want to go with your shinobi career? Do you even have a plan?

What? Did you believe that everything would just fall into place on its own?

The full quote is, "Without a plan, there can be no attack; without attack, there can be no victory." The same in battle applies to preparation for battle. Build a plan before you start and be sure to lay the foundation with what we've already discussed. A clan home built in the swamplands cannot stay afloat.

Rushing blindly into the heat of battle will only reward you with pain and blood. Only a fool in neon colors would do so hoping for things to turn out for the better.

Learn to read your opponent's fighting style so that you can find their weakness and exploit it. Study the great masters and drill their tactics into your mind until they become reflex. Train your body in the strongest techniques until they become instinctive. Push your limits until they exceed your wildest dreams. Only then will you become a force to be reckoned with. Only then will you become a shinobi to be feared.

Perhaps along the way you'll gain insight and patience, two of the greatest assets of a superior tactician and operative. In these building blocks lie the path to the pinnacle of success.

What you must remember is that it does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop (I believe a really old philosopher said that once). Just remember to develop a plan before you start the journey(*).

To help you on your way, I recommend the following shinobi and non-shinobi references upon which to build your framework…

~III~