AN: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters.


The next day

Kakashi & Asuma rested their backs against a tree.

Asuma opened up a cold can of beer & passed it to him.

"You don't normally drink on duty."

"This hasn't been a normal mission has it?"

Kakashi thankfully accepted the chilled beverage & turned around, slipping his mask down & taking a good sip of the alcohol.

Asuma did him the favour of turning around while doing so, the last time he'd seen Kakashi without the mask being years ago.

"Good stuff. You haven't brought it in years."

"It's hard to find near Konoha. I had a guy in the capital who supplied it; he's started again."

"Remember to give him my best. I've missed this."

Asuma spoke after a moment's silence.

"I'm still not sure if we did the right thing."

He was referring to Haku.

"We did nothing. Everything was done by her."

"Still, when words get out of this it will cause a shitstorm - in all the villages. They'll say we killed a rogue nin, kidnapped another & stole the rightful property of another Great Village."

"They'll say everything they can to discredit us. We just have to maintain plausible deniability at all times - that Zabuza died in combat & his disciple decided to honour his legacy by taking his sword. We merely offered her sanctuary, something she felt compelled to accept given her refugee status due to the events of the Bloody Mist."

"If you ever get tired of being a shinobi, there's a career in politics for you."

He himself could scarcely believe they'd managed to pull if off in the first place.


Two days ago

"I have grown tired of Zabuza-sama."

"Why tell us?"

"Because I'm even more tired of being on the run constantly. I'd like to be able to keep my feet in one place for a while."

Kakashi realised her motive.

"You want to get rid of him."

"It's the only way I'll ever be able to find some monotony again. He would never let me go."

"Why should we help you? What does Konoha stand to gain?"

"I would offer my services to your village. I understand there will be a lengthy vetting process, & an even longer period of time before I will be trusted - but I would keep my word."

"I'll be honest with you. As the son of the Hokage - I am quite familiar with village politics. There is a good chance you're imprisoned & returned to your home state."

"Come now Sarutobi-san", Haku chided. "Since when did Konoha refuse bloodline users at their doorsteps?"

"This..changes things."

"Indeed", she nodded. "Now are you agreeable?"

"We will need proof before coming to a decision."

"You'll get that tomorrow. Am I to understand that if you're satisfied by the evidence tomorrow you'll agree."

They looked at each other, arriving at a wordless decision.

Kakashi nodded at her. In return, she bowed before disappearing into a swirl of leaves.


"What about Naruto?"

"What about him?" Kakashi asked back.

"You've informed back home?"

"Yes. My orders are to take both him & our newest member as soon as possible."

"Leave the others with me. We won't be too far behind you."

His fellow jounin nodded, finishing the drink & refitting his mask.

Getting up together, they turned around to the site.

It had taken them the better part of a day to find this location.

One of the villagers had brought it to their attention when clearing out all of the spaces Gato & his henchmen had occupied.

The bastard himself had escaped, abandoning his henchmen & running with his tail between his legs.

Evidence of his crimes would no doubt be circulated, & Konoha would do their best to apprehend him.

Fortunately, in his haste he'd forgotten to dispose the evidence of his criminal activity.

A list detailing all their sites had been found in his desk. As expected, it was written in code. Shikamaru had gladly assisted with decoding it, & this was mentioned as the most significant of Gato's bases - a site where he housed his shinobi mercenaries.

Asuma & Kakashi had searched for it themselves. Though the chances of finding anything were low, they couldn't risk the villagers accidentally misplacing some evidence in their enthusiasm in removing every memory & symbol of their tormentor from their home.

They found it on the very edge of the western end of the island, a little cottage surrounded by the forest & sea on either side.

Kakashi sent a shadow clone to clear the quarters for them. During the war Iwa shinobi were notorious for boobytrapping everything.

When no traps were set off, they entered the house. It was both sparsely fitted & maintained. Mold was growing on almost every surface.

They tore through the house thoroughly, not finding any communications or indications of the Iwa nins' activities prior to attacking them.

But they did find something very interesting.

Something with potentially gargantuan consequences.


"A pin?" Choji asked, "What does that prove?"

"That pin belongs to a very elite, secretive group of Iwagakure's shinobi force. If I hadn't killed one of them in the war & lived to tell you about them today, the chances are that you'd never hear of their existence."

"Who are they?"

Asuma answered, "I've heard of them during my time in the Daimyo's court. They're called Stone Troopers."

"They could've done with better branding" Choji uttered.

Ino asked him, "If they're so good how are we just hearing of them?"

"Because they're too valuable to their state. These people spend years, decades even honing their skills. Their village puts a lot of resources & time into training them for every imaginable situation, which is why they go to such efforts to conceal their identity. If it weren't for the fact that they based their special forces after ours, we'd have no clue of them."

"We have a version of them?" Sakura asked.

"Indeed. For safeguarding purposes, that is all we can say. Frankly speaking, you're very lucky to even know of their presence. Most of the jounin in our village don't even know of them, even those in the ANBU."

"The point remains" Asuma added, "the Stone Troopers are the best of the best the Land of Stone has to offer; & they're only found in locations of maximum interest to Iwa."

"If they're so good, how come we were able to defeat them so easily?"

"Not all of them are from this unit. Each individual has his own pin. Only one of the squad was a member, quite possibly the Captain. How good a shinobi is is less important than how well-informed they are. We managed to ambush & isolate our opponents yesterday, which is why we came out alive."

Shikamaru connected the dots, "So even if we can't say for sure what they were doing here, we do know it was of the utmost importance to them."

Sasuke went further, "And considering the only ongoing situation of note in this island was Gato's takeover, it's highly plausible their actions were in some way aiding & abetting that process."

"Of course, this is all speculation until raised on the international platform, & I'm not particularly inclined to bore you all with that."


Ino cornered Kakashi-sensei before dinner.

"How's Naruto doing?"

"He's seen better days."

"That was a lousy pun. When can I see him?"

"When you can look him in the eyes without being turned to ash."

She stayed in front of him defiantly, "You've seen him."

"Because I'm his sensei. And unlike you, I can move out of the way in case he decides to sneeze & his eyes open. I appreciate your concern, but you're not going to see him before you get back to Konoha."

"How much longer will we have to stay here? We've completed our mission."

"Until someone else takes our place. In the meantime we're to sit tight."

"And do what?"

"Consider it a paid vacation. Gato & his thugs are all gone, go out & explore - Kami knows this island is scenic."

He moved past her before she could respond.

Sakura walked in behind.

"How did it go?"

"He didn't budge."

"What did you expect?" Sasuke asked.

"Are you sure that's exactly what you saw?"

Leave it to Shikamaru to question everything.

"Of course not", she snapped sarcastically. "I just imagined red beams shooting out of his eyes & incinerating a man on the spot."

"You have to admit", Choji said. "Even by our standards it's a bit difficult to believe. And that's saying something."


Naruto resisted the urge to blink.

He fidgeted with the bandage around his eyes.

Tsunami-san dabbed his face with her homemade ointment.

"Try & sit still. I'm trying to get the swelling down."

"Do you see any bruising?"

"Strangely enough, no. This ability of yours, it's seemed to have done no damage to the tissue around your eyes."

"Then what about the swelling?"

"It's hard to tell with shinobi & your chakra usage - but I suspect that it's a singular side effect - pouring that much energy out of your eyes disrupted the mechanisms of your eye tissue."

"So it won't happen again?"

"That's hard to tell. Usually our bodies are good at adapting to afflictions, but your condition is one-of-a-kin; so it's hard to be sure of anything."

"Will I be able to see again?"

"There's a way we can find out without actually getting your eyes open."

This perked him up.

"How?"

"Press your eyelids shut with some force. What can you make out?"

Naruto did as she told, & was surprised at the results.

"I can make out some shapes & patterns."

"That's good to know. It means your eyes can still create & images."

"So as soon as I figure out a way to reverse this I'll be back to normal."

As normal as a jinchuriki could be

"That I'm afraid is out of my expertise. I'm going to give you some tablets to take twice a day for three days - they should bring the inflammation down."

"You seem to know quite a lot about human physiology. Are you a doctor?"

"I was studying medicine on the mainland when I became pregnant with Inari. Single parenthood put a halt to that. I considered going back when Inari grew up a bit, but then Gato came."

"And now? Are you going to finish your education?"

"I'd like to."

"You should. You'd be a great doctor."

"Thanks. Get some rest now. I'll close the door behind me."


Asuma walked over to the Leaf's newest ally. She had isolated herself to the boundary of Tazuna-san's property.

"You'd rather not enjoy the hospitality?"

"I've yet to see it."

"Considering you were ungainfully employed by the man who killed their family member, I'd say they're being very hospitable."

"We both know I had nothing to do with that."

"Of course, but put yourself in their shoes. Would you even let yourself into the house, let alone give a bed to sleep & food to eat?"

"I suppose not", she conceded.

"How far out have you thought this through?"

"Not particularly far. Right now I'm just seeking asylum. If that means I never cast another jutsu, fine by me. I'm just tired of the solitary traveller routine."

"And that was your motivation for killing your sensei?"

"Don't call him that. He wasn't my sensei. I was nothing more than a weapon to him."

"It didn't seem like you had any problem with it."

"Looks can be deceiving. I joined him to learn everything he knew about staying alive. Over time I also discovered how sick in the head he truly was. At first I thought that story of the Academy Test Massacre was a myth - he assured me it wasn't. In fact, he even proudly displayed disturbing memento's of the victims; a nail here, a finger there. He was a monster."

"So you used him, & when you no longer had any use for him you killed him off?"

"I know you're trying to rile me up. It won't work. Deep down, even you agree that it was the right thing to do."

"Even if I agree, you're the one who made that decision. Yet when the rest of the Great Villages find out, we're the ones who'll be blamed."

"What is your point?"

"My point is I expect to see some gratitude. We've done you a favour here, not the other way around."

"It's not as if you acted out of altruism. You've gained quite a lot from our agreement. And I'm still free to leave."

"Your threats are empty words. Where would you go? Your own village would kill you as soon as they saw you, you don't strike me as someone who likes the desert; & with the other two options you'd be lucky not to be thrown into a dungeon & experimented on for the rest of your days."

"Experimented on, you say? Doesn't Konoha have its own history of illicit experiments?"

So, there is an insolent little girl behind that cool facade.

"When we found out, we banished the individual responsbile & are hunting for him to this day. We've never, for instance issued official directives to murder children in their homes just because they can mold chakra differently to the rest of us."

He saw the fight escape from her, & walked away satisfied.

She wouldn't think of defecting from Konoha, at least until they gave her a reason to.


The day after

The entire village had come to send them off.

The procession behind them was chattering excitedly, & for those closer were pointing nervously to the bandage around Naruto's eyes.

Tazuna-san put a hand on her teammate's shoulder & enclosed Naruto's hand into both of his own.

"We can never thank you enough for your sacrifice."

"Already written me off, have you?", Naruto grinned. "Don't worry. I'm sure there's a solution. And if there isn't, then some things are worth sacrificing for."

"Not that it would ever begin to repay your debt, but all the villagers have decided on a name. The Great Naruto Bridge."

"If I may, I have a better suggestion?"

"You don't want the bridge named after yourself?" Inari asked incredulously.

"That would imply I alone was the reason it was finished. This was a team effort. Everyone was just as important. That's why I think it should be named The Great Konoha Bridge."

Kakashi-sensei nodded, "A fitting symbol to the friendship & trust between our villages."

"I agree tou-san" Tsunami-san spoke, "After all Konoha has done for us, this is the least we could do as repayment."

"Now is not the time to worry about that," Asuma-sensei advised. "This is a time of celebration for all of us."

Not that any of them would partake in the festivities. They were waiting to be relieved by a chunin squad.

Though the opportunity for official talks had not yet arisen, Sakura had heard from Asuma-sensei that Konoha was looking forward to greater relations with the Land of Waves.

Konoha would be looking to reap the fruits of their presence, & no one would be surprised if those relations included a permanent military presence.


He adjusted the blindfold on his eyes, not that it would help any if he opened his eyes.

Kakashi was going to carry him to the Land of Waves on foot, save for the part on water. Haku would come with them as well.

The others would make a slower journey; Asuma-sensei being more than enough security for his fellow genin.

"See you back home I guess."

Kakashi lifted him onto his shoulders, & took off running.

Naruto could feel the wind rushing against his cheeks, & he hated not being able to look at it.

As a child, he loved it when Kakashi took him outside on trips like this.

Some hours later, Kakashi stopped. Naruto jumped off, & Kakashi took his hand, leading him forward on foot.

"Kakashi-san, it's good to have you back."

"How was your mission?"

Izumo & Koetsu. Or the Eternal Chunin as they were jokingly referred to.

"Naruto-san, what happened to your eyes?"

Kakashi answered for him, "He had some vision problems, so I decided to bring him back quicker. Asuma will bring the others along by night."

"And who is this?" Izumo asked.

Kakashi answered in his most commanding tone.

"Someone who needs to see the Hokage immediately."

"Of course. We'll send word to the Sandaime's Office straight away."

"Welcome of the Village of Hidden Leaves, Haku of the Kubikiribōchō."


"This is quite the situation you've brought in."

"I'm aware, Lord Sandaime. Believe me, it was not my intention to overstep or override your authority; I just felt this was a golden opportunity."

"If handled correctly", the Hokage agreed.

The Sandaime turned to the subject of their discussion, "You realise you won't be free to move around Konoha, let alone go outside our walls for a very long time?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

"As we speak, a team of mind-reading & interrogation officers is being readied to speak with you. I trust them fully, & if they tell me you so much as lie about your favourite colour you'll come to sorely regret it."

"I wouldn't expect anything else."

"Good. Then answer me one last question, & then you can be on your way. Why Konoha?"

"Why not Sandaime-sama? As a rogue nin, I've travelled across the Elemental Nations. My observations from visitors & residents alike have painted a positive picture, certainly more than my other options. Konoha already has bloodline clans, so my presence wouldn't be unsettling; & because of yourself."

"Because of me?" the Hokage asked dubiously.

"Yes, Professor-sama. I do not lower myself to flattery - but you are renowned for your honour & sense of justice. If you could not help me, then who would?"

Flattery or not, the girl could be very persuasive when she needed to.

The Hokage gave her a small smile, "Wait outside. Someone will be along shortly to escort you."

After she left, Kakashi put up the privacy seals.

"Give me your opinion Kakashi."

"I see no reason to mistrust her. If allowed to, she could be a great asset to our village."

The Hokage smiled at him, "Seems like I could retire yet again."

Kakashi blanched.

"I jest with you. I know you have little respect for bureaucracy. But I have considered you for the seat Kakashi-kun; so don't underestimate yourself."

He sighed a breath of relief.

"Take some time off Kakashi. I'll handle things from here. Jiraiya will spread the story of how we rescued the girl."

"Will he be visiting?"

"I have informed him. He's just wrapped up some business in the Land of Forests, so perhaps within the fortnight. How is Naruto?"

"All things considered, fine. I won't say he's doing good; who could in his place?"

"He went straight home you said?"

"Yes. He said he was tired, & I thought he could use some time off."

"Of course. You all could. I just have one small task I'd like you to be present for. After that I don't want to see you for two weeks. Use the time to write your field reports."

Paperwork.

His second least favourite part of his job.


The next morning

"Is it ready?"

"I have done my best Sandaime-sama, but given the lack of time I'm afraid I may have rushed the design."

"How many?"

"Only two, my Hokage. We only have so much in our stocks, I'm afraid to use up anymore.

"It will suffice for now Masamune-san. And do not be so hard on yourself. You have done excellent work in such short time."

"I just hope it works. It's completely different from last time. At least it was controllable then."

"I'm afraid nothing about the Tailed Beasts is predictable. I just hope this does not have a permanent effect on him."

"Will the Toad Lord be joining us?"

"I have sent him an urgent message. He will be with us as soon as he can."

Masamune-san bowed, & exited.

This had to be contained. If Danzo were to find out...

Already, far too many people knew for his liking.

He would do his best to not increase that number, though it was inevitable.

Naruto had it bad enough being a jinchuriki, if word of this got out Sarutobi would have to take him outside the village; which was the last thing he wanted to do.

The village was the safest place for him to be, protected by Hiruzen & all those loyal to him.

Outside of these borders Naruto would be in grave danger, from threats both domestic & international.


Two hours later

Naruto couldn't help himself from sounding so incredulous.

"You've come up with a cure?"

"We would've liked more time, but it would be unfair to you to about this process meticulously."

"Will these stop them?"

"That is the hope. These are made out of a special form of ruby only found in Uzushio. Lady Mito had received it in the form of a necklace from her father as a wedding gift, & when the Kyubi was sealed within her these were found do be able to contain its outbursts."

"She had them as well?"

"Yes. But in her case, the chakra would seep out from her hands, so they were reshaped into bracelets. When your mother inherited the beast, its chakra came out from her hair. That's why she wore those hair clips. With you, for some reason it comes from your eyes. Hence we have developed these."

Masamune-san opened Naruto's left palm & placed something cold & metallic in it.

He closed his hand, moving his fingers across it.

Masamune-san had made him a pair of sunglasses.

Moving the glasses about he was surprised at their lightness.

"They hardly weight anything. What is the frame made out of?"

"The material of the frame itself is almost as rare as the material of the lens. It's called titanium. It is mined from volcanos at the Eastern Border of the Land of Fire. These are the hottest volcanoes discovered yet, & the heat is so intense it leads to a chemical reaction that results in this metal. From testing, it has shown resistance to rust, saltwater corrosion, pressure, heat, cold & physical force. Simply put, its as close to indestructible as any substance we know of."

"How do they stay in place during combat?"

No one said anything for a minute. Naruto could tell from the silence they had bad news for him.

"About that. Until we're able to configure something more battle-ready, you'll be limited to non-combat missions."

"I'm being benched? Why I am being punished if I'm not at fault?"

Kakashi tried to convince him, "You can choose to think of it as a return to training. Both myself & Jiraiya-sama will be working with you."

Naruto bedrudingly accepted the visor from Masamune-san, undoing the blindfold & wearing the glasses.

Hesitantly, he blinked his eyes open.

The deep colour of red made him jerk his head back & shut his eyes.

Slowly this time, he opened his eyes, taking the time to adjust to the colour change.

He saw the Hokage looking at him with concern, & he smiled to alleviate the old man's worries.

The Sandaime smiled back at him, & Masamune-san gave him one of his infamous back slaps.

Naruto groaned in pain, clutching his lower back.

It would take quite some time to adjust to the varying shades of red.

Kakashi smiled at him.

"Welcome back."


Midnight

Kakashi hadn't been able to sleep. He was always like that when he returned from a mission.

He decided to make use of the time by working on his field reports when the doorbell rung.

Putting his mask on, he answered it.

To say he was surprised was putting it mildly.

"Hey."

"Hey, come on in."

He contorted himself to let her in, spotting the cardboard bag in her other hand with a symbol of two spheres with a pair of chopsticks.

"I didn't know you liked dango."

She set it on his coffee table

"I practically live off it."

He nodded to his left, "Dining table's that way if you're hungry."

"This isn't for me. At least not all of it. I saw your light was on, & I thought I'd stop by."

"Thanks. Not that I object to your company, I'm still a bit confused?"

"I'm not stalking you or anything. I knew you've just returned from a mission; it's all everyone can talk about in the department. I was just wondering if you'd like to talk about it."

So this was an act of impulse.

He remembered what happened the previous time they'd acted impulsively.

"Sure, I'd love some dango."


Not that he'd ever admit it to Naruto, but he thought this was better than Ichiraku's.

He was so focused on consuming it he didn't say a word, or register what Anko was saying.

She observied this & gave him a bemused smile.

Kakashi realised she'd stopped talking & looked at her knowing smile.

He felt like he was red-handed committing a crime.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I've never actually had dango before, & I never expected it to be this good."

Anko looked at him in outrage.

"You've never had dango before? That should be impossible. Who's never had dango?"

"Well, in my defence I became responsible for myself as a pre-teen, & nutrition rather than taste was of the essence."

"So you've just survived on bland homemade meals for years?"

"Well that, & Asuma's sister-in-law's cooking."

"Boy are you a culinary novice. Anyways, I'd better be on my way. Let you get some sleep."

"I'm not sleepy anyway. I was writing my field reports."

She noticed the distaste in his voice.

"You don't like paperwork?"

"I hate paperwork. If someone had warned me about it before, I'd have never taken this job."

"You know, I can help if you want. I have the day off tomorrow."


It took them the entire night, along with half a dozen cups of coffee but they finished the job in one sitting.

He found out she actually liked doing the paperwork.

Kakashi narrated the events to her & she jotted them down, pausing ever now & then to check the contents with him or give her reaction to the combat sections of the report.

He rested his head under an elbow & reading her notes half-asleep. His elbow suddenly gave way & jerked him awake. He looked at Anko, sleeping with her head resting on sheets of paper scattered across his dining table.

He got up & slowly, carefully maneuvered her out of the chair.

Moving one arm under her knees & another around her waist, he picked her up into his arms & moved further into his apartment.

He gently laid her on his bed & tucked her in.

Kakashi smiled as he brushed a stray strand over her forehead, & then he turned around.

Something warm gripped his hand.

He looked back & saw her doe brown eyes staring up at him.

"Stay with me. I don't want to be alone."

Kakashi stood still for a moment, before taking off his mask & joining her.

He slipped into the covers behind her, maintaining some distance between them.

Ank turned around, looking at him sleepily.

He saw her left hand clumsily caress the fingers of her right, & that was the first time he saw how red her hand was.

"Your hand must be quite sore."

"Nothing I won't get over."

He instinctively reached for her fingers, & she gasped when their hands met.

He could tell it was in surprise of his actions over actual discomfort.

Still, she made no move to stop him. After a minute or so, Kakashi brought her hand to his face & pressed his lips onto it.

She moved closer & placed a gentle kiss on his nose, her lips lingering there.

He closed his eyes in anticipation of the next action.

When it never came, he opened them.

She lay asleep, her head perched on his pillow.

Kakashi placed one hand underneath her head, & another wrapped her waist.

Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to join her in blissful slumber.


His teammates showed up at his door on the crack of dawn.

Naruto groaned as he swung the door open.

"Nice shades", Sakura complemented & stepped in.

"You look like shit", Sasuke commented.

"Not sleeping tends to have that effect."

"How come?" Sakura asked.

"I spent the lat two nights holding myself back from taking off these glasses. I was afraid they might fall off if I rolled over to a side."

Sasuke sat down on a chair, "Why not just fasten them with some string?"

Naruto sighed, wishing he'd thought of that.

Sakura set down the breakfast & began dividing it.

"Did you brush your teeth?"

"I just managed to close my eyes when you rang the doorbell."

"Well then, it's rude to keep guests waiting."

She pointed behind him.

"Bathroom's that way."

He groaned again before obeying her.

Nobody liked a cold breakfast anyway.


Sasuke took a deep breath.

Now was the time.

Sakura had excused herself & gone to the girls' room.

Naruto was doing the dishes, standing with his back to Sasuke.

He wouldn't get a better opportunity.

"I shouldn't have said that word. I know now it's very offensive to you."

The Uzumaki stopped what he was doing, standing still on his spot.

'Dammnit, say something.'

"Was that an apology?"

Even in moments of goodwill the blonde tried to goad him.

Sasuke decided not to take the bait this time.

"I was angry at myself, & I lashed out at the nearest person, which happened to be you. It won't happen again."

Naruto laughed.

"Even your sorries come off pompous."

"I'm serious."

"Sure, so am I. Let's shake hands on it."

"I'd rather wait until after your hands are soapy."

Neither of them noticed Sakura hiding behind Naruto's bedroom door, gushing pink with pride as she listened to them make amends.


T&I Headquarters

"You don't look like a Jounin Commander."

"How do you suppose I should look like?"

"More impressive."

"I suppose that's something we have in common - deceptive appearances."

The girl nodded her head in agreement.

"Deception is a shinobi's greatest ally."

"Seems to be a common theme with you - deception from your village, your client, your boss..."

He of course knew neither were her fault, but it was a trick he'd picked up from his mind-reading friend over the years.

You could tell a lot about someone by how they reacted to a lie.

"Which is why I've agreed to this session. I want to prove that I'm not lying."

Inoichi joined them a minute later, wasting no time in getting to the point.

"We will examine your memories, as agreed. The Jounin Commander will be joining us. You will be kept here until we are satisfied you can integrate into our village successfully."

Haku nodded, & they begun.

Shikaku had done this a few times before, & he'd always hated it.

As he closed his eyes, he felt his chest constricting, & a second later all the air had escaped from his lungs.

They arrived in Haku's psychic world.

He never was not amazed by Inoichi's abilities.

Even though this was someone else's mind, the Yamanaka chief had rearranged it in his vision.

The three of them were walking past rows of houses. Shikaku could smell the coat of fresh paint on them.

As they walked further down, the houses started to turn dilapidated - moldy walls, broken windows, collapsed roofs.

They reached a gravesite. Two unmarked headstones stood next to each other.

"You don't come here very often", Inoichi remarked.

"What happened is in the past. There is nothing to be gained by rehashing it."

"On the contrary; our past often influences our actions in the future. If you won't object."

Before she could object, they were transferred to a small house by the edge of a lake.

Haku's voice came out as tight as a bowstring.

"I'd like to leave. Now."

Shikaku met gazes with Inoichi, & nodded at him.

Instantly they were back in the dungeon.

Haku was looking resolutely in the ground, her intensity eough to melt a hole through it.

"Get some rest. Someone will bring you meals on time. We'll be back tomorrow."


They walked out together, heading to the same destination - The Officer's Club.

It was an establishment founded during the First Great War by a retired shinobi seeking to create a place for Jounin to unwind during their downtime.

As they were escorted inside by a pair of bouncers after showing their IDs, it was safe to say the place had come a long way from the founder's vision.

They sat at a booth near the end & ordered their usual.

"You're going straight for the throat. Bold."

"Hokage-sama has requested we deal with this urgently."

"I can see why. If the girl has any information about the conflict, it will be of great help to us."

A server arrived with their drinks, & they waited for her to leave before continuing.

"I doubt we'll find much of importance in that regard. She would've been very young when hostilities broke out, not to mention her master took her out of there well before the fighting reached its peak."

Shikaku knew him well enough to know what he was really saying.

"Something else about the girl piques your interest?"

"She's hiding something. Those houses were to buy time. I was able to find a memory she's repressed deeply - on the verge of forgetting."

"Something tragic then."

"Most likely. Which is why I pressed on to it. We do not have a file on her, & even if Kiri was not in civil war they would not share information."

They pondered this quietly over their drinks.

Shikaku finished his whiskey & ordered another.

"How's Ino doing?"

"As good as someone just back from their first mission. One look at her eyes & I can tell she's lost her innocence."

"We all go through it. Shikamaru doesn't want to talk about it. I don't know if it's because of adolescence or obstinacy."

"What 13-year old boy is honest to his parents? Give him time, he'll come to you."

"Sometimes we don't even know what's going on in his mind. Yoshino is this close to demanding you peek into his head for us."

Inoichi had to laugh at that.

"I see your wife is as headstrong as ever. But I will confess Ino mystifies me at times as well. The idea did tempt me at once, but I could never forgive myself for violating my own daughter's mind so bad."

Shikaku looked at his watch, & quickly downed his drink.

"I have to get going; or the wife will be on me again."

Inojin smiled as the normally lazy Nara rushed out the door, staying for another drink before returning to his office.


Choji put down his plate.

"Tou-san, I want you to teach me."

His father continued eating his steak.

"Go on."

"I want to get stronger."

"Why?"

"So I can protect everyone. I want to honour our clan motto - Protect or Perish."

Choza finally looked at him, putting down his half-eaten steak. He looked it Choji for a moment, chewing furiously.

"What brought about this change?"

"On my mission. I failed to protect my teammates."

"You all made it back didn't you."

"Yes, but not without losses. Naruto might never see again, & three of my teammates almost died. I haven't been able to sleep just thinking about it. How swiftly that man defeated me, so effortlessly I din't realise until I regained consciousness."

"That was a jounin you were facing. You were lucky to make it out alive."

"Were we? Naruto might not see again."

"And you think it's your fault."

"He wouldn't have to do what he did if I was stronger. The whole time their team was training us, the more left behind I felt. I don't want to feel that way anymore."

"How do you propose we change that?"

"I don't know. I don't know to get stronger, or even that I will; all I have is trust in your abilities."

"You haven't flattered me so much since your mother cut your post-dinner sweets."

"Is that a yes?"

His father kept him waiting for a minute, finishing his steak.

"Training begins tomorrow."


Naruto was pondering his lunch menu when the doorbell rung again.

He opened the door to see Ino smiling with a box of his favourite food.

"Ichiraku Ramen. Good touch", Naruto complemented her.

"I suppose it's the least I could do after you saved my life."

"You didn't have to. But I'm happy you did."

"The red shades look good on you. They complement your blonde hair."

"You don't look half bad yourself."

They split the food into equal portions, & sat on his couch.

"I didn't mean what I said."

"When?"

"At the bridge. When I said you mean nothing to me, I was lying."

"Oh."

He was still adjusting to the shade of deep red, but he could tell she was blushing.

"I know you were. I suppose in the heat of the moment, I was a bit surprised & disappointed. I just didn't expect it."

"Well, like Kakashi-sensei says: always expect the unexpected."

She nodded at his glasses, "Believe me, I will from now on."

"I forgot to ask with everything that came up. Did he hurt you."

She put her bowl down.

"You don't have to worry. I can handle being roughed up a bit. "

"What would you say to sharing some ice-cream?"

"Depends on the flavour."


Ino set down the finished ice-cream tub.

"Does it hurt?"

"Strangely enough, no. I am curious to find out, but for now I'm just glad about it."

"There's something I'd like to tell you."

He smiled & took her hand in his.

"My ears are open. Shoot."

"I know."

At his quizzical expression, she repeated herself.

His face lost some the confusion, replaced by wariness.

"It means nothing to me. You're still Naruto."

His voice came out a fraction over a whisper.

"What are you talking about?"

She smiled at him sadly, "I know about the Nine-Tailed Fox."

He let go of her hand, his eyes wide in alarm.

Ino took his hand into her again, "I can understand how you feel. If I were in your place I imagine I wouldn't want anyone to found out either."

"How did you?"

Ino thought about her clanswoman's instructions to not tell anyone.

Well, Naruto wasn't just anyone.

"Because I saw it inside your head".

"I don't follow?"

"Then listen, it's a long story."


Naruto listened intently, hanging on to her every word.

"Telepathy?" he managed to breathe out.

"Yes. I've only done it that once, by accident. There is another person in my clan, an old lady named Inoa. I wanted to tell you much sooner, but she forbid me."

"Then what changed? Why tell me now?"

"Everything changed. You saved my life. I never even expected myself to tolerate you. Like every girl in our class, I was chasing after Sasuke hopelessly. Not after I got to know you. Now seeing you is the best part of my day."

It was his turn to blush.

"When you put it like that..."

"It seems unfair as well, knowing your biggest secret when you don't know mine. I feel much more at ease now."

"Thank you. For trusting me. I do have one more question for you. Have you told anyone?"

"I only told Sakura. Shikamaru overheard us somehow, but you have to believe me when I tell I'd never tell him."

He decided to omit the latter for now.

"Sakura knowing is alright with me. I trust her enough not to tell anyone."

"So do I. She's the only other person who knows about my ability."

"Can you do it now?"

"It's too risky. I can't control it."

"You'll never know unless you try. Besides, what would be a better mind to practice on than one shielded by a Tailed Beast?"


Ino looked at hesitantly for a moment longer, before coming to a decision.

She placed her hands on either side of his forehead & closed her eyes.

He took her hands in wrists.

"I trust you completely."

She instructed him to close his eyes.

Naruto obeyed, & for the longest time nothing happened.

As he was about to open his eyes, he felt a shift in the environment. He couldn't tell exactly what it was, it seemed like an entire shift in the energy around him.

Naruto opened his eyes & found himself with Ino, surrounded by darkness.

"Why is it so dark in here?"

"You tell me, it's your mind. You control it."

Naruto closed his eyes, concentrating on changing the scene.

When he opened his eyes they were at Team 7's training ground.

"Why don't you show me around?"

"Where would you like to go first?"

"Surprise me?"

He held his hand out for her, & she obliged after a laugh.

"As my lady commands."


She stood with Naruto, watching as he escorted her back home.

Ino smiled; even though she was the telepath he'd as good as read her mind.

They watched as the memory ran its course, a smile coming on to her face when she saw the enchanted look on his eyes as he caressed his cheek.

The memory ended, & they were relocated to an all-white room.

"What now?" he asked her.

She looped her arms around his neck.

"Now close your eyes."

"What did you have in mind?"

She answered by leaning, & his arms went to her waist.

Ino stopped at the last second, her hands moving upwards to his face.

"I want to see them."

He gripped her wrists.

"No. It's too dangerous. I'll hurt you."

Ino cupped both of his cheeks.

"You won't hurt me. Not in here."

"Are you sure?"

"I trust you completely."

He slowly let go, his hands moving back to her waist.

Ino gently slipped off his glasses & put them into his pocket.

He was furiously keeping his eyes shut, still afraid.

"Open your eyes."

Naruto took his time. She saw a red light emanate from his eyes as he opened them, but it slowly faded out.

Her periwinkle eyes met his cerulean.

He gave her that thousand-carot smile of his.

Ino smiled back.

Naruto closed his eyes again, staying as still as a statue.

He was silently waiting for her permission.

Ever the gentlemen.

She gave it to him by closing the distance between them.


His heart was beating in overtime.

It's happening. It's really happening

Naruto could practically feel Ino's lips.

A pop of leaves broke the spell. The noise seemed to happen outside the pyschic realm they were currently in.

They both opened their eyes, & Ino took them back to the physical world.

"I'm sorry, was I interrupting?"

Naruto groaned.

Kakashi you mood-killing bastard!


I didn't make up the part about seeing things when you close your eyes - it is an actual scientific phenomenon called phosphenes. Try it yourself some time.

This is probably the fastest chapter I've written yet, in part because a lot of this chapter was going to be in the previous one, but I divided it to not make it congested.

If anyone's interested in how the glasses look, they're Oakley X-Metal Juliets - the ones Eric Bana wore in Black Hawk Down & James Marsden as Cyclops/Scott Summers in the Fox X-Men trilogy.

FFN doesn't allow images to be inserted into stories, & for some reason when I link the url here it automatically shortens itself into an incorrect format.

I have added the images for the glasses on AO3 (story is under the same name, my account name is GhostKingOfTheWest).