-AN-

I didn't mean to, but now I'm taking it as a personal challenge and I'm aiming for a triple update this week.

-Story Start-

Two weeks, that was the amount of time that Naruto and his little group had spent in Wave so far. Day in and day out of blasting, digging, and sculpting out their now underwater tunnel. Stepping down from the smaller mine cart they used to transport actual people and materials Tazuna looked around. He knew the process would be sped up with Naruto adding massive amounts of clones to the campaign, but just how much progress they had made was startling. Deep within the tunnel to check progress, Tazuna had to strain his eyes a bit as the dim mining lights weren't the strongest things in the world. But here the Naruto's were, now almost completely working on their own as they excavated dirt and rock and piled it off to the side. No longer needing to take it all the way back to the main site, Karin was working her nature chakra to full affect, building bricks from the material at a steady pace while his own more experienced crew directed Naruto's in where to place them. Along with them Ino was focused on the walls and the ceiling, injecting her chakra into the earth and hardening the bedrock further into a dense reinforced concrete. Once a section of wall was completed, a Naruto would supervise while Hinata was drawing seals every 50 meters. Apparently once he informed Naruto that air needed to be pumped through the tunnel, they came up with a seal that would do just that, moving air from the surface and through the tunnel. Standing in the middle of the narrowed down tunnel, now only 50 meters wide though 15 meters tall, Tazuna figured they were setting a great pace and Naruto could be trusted to do this on his own now. Looking around and finding one idle, he walked up to the mismatched eyed boy and tapped his shoulder, "You the real one?"

The clone shook it's head, "You need the boss?" Seeing Tazuna nod the clone dispersed, having not being doing anything at the moment. Left alone for a few seconds, the Naruto with Hinata waved at her and turned to look around the tunnel. Finding Tazuna the boy bounded his way.

"What's up Tazuna?"

The old man motioned back to where he had come from, "Actually, I think this would be a good place to split up. You're going to have to start the tunnel on the Uzu side now. You remember how I showed you to determine your direction and location while tunneling right?"

Naruto raised a hand and tilted it back and forth, "Uh yeah, mostly. Karin paid a lot of attention too so I'm sure she can back me up if needed."

Tazuna sighed, "You've gotta be confident about this, otherwise the tunnel ends will drift apart and we'll never meet."

"Well, Karin has this ability to sense where people are, so we can use that in the worst case to correct our course."

Tazuna considered that before nodding, there was a backup at least, "Okay. Well It's about noon now, I'll get a boat ready to go for in the morning and you can head out, sound good?"

Naruto nodded, "Sure thing, though with us split up your progress on this side will slow down."

"Yeah but we're actually already half way there. My crews will be more focused now on delicate work, like lighting, emergency foot paths, and laying down gravel for the full sized rails to come."

"Okay, so we'll keep it up for today and tomorrow we'll head for the southern Uzu island." Getting a thumbs up from Tazuna, the older man walked around to talk with some of the older non ninja crew members. Naruto himself returned to Hinata's side, watching as she walked along the wall to the next section needing a wind seal. "How're you holding up Hinata?"

Hinata turned to Naruto, jacket wrapped around her waist from the humid heat in the tunnel, "I'm okay Naruto. What did Tazuna want?"

"Let us know we're pretty much halfway and we should head to Uzu tomorrow to start tunnel construction from that end." Mentally Naruto was excited. They would finally be setting foot on his ancestral home.

Hinata could see the joy on the boy's face, "That's exciting news, are we stopping here to go now?"

Shaking his head the boy looked out over the sea of working clones, "Nah. We should make as much progress as we can before we leave. Once we do it's all up to Tazuna and his guys." Seeing a tired Ino walk his way, she sat down against the wall with a sigh, "Worn out Ino?"

"You have no idea. My reserves are improving like crazy because of this, but it's still crazy work." Looking up at him, she grinned brightly, "I'll be good in a bit, just need to take a break."

Naruto nodded, his own reserves actually feeling the burn a bit this last week. As the tunnel lengthened he had more room for all of his clones to actually get work done. Which meant he had been making more than he probably should have. Thankfully this was the type of thing that didn't mentally overload him, simple work able to be discarded easily. Even if he had a weird craving to start sculpting rock, weird.

Soon Karin joined the four, body spent, "I'm guessing you're low on chakra too Ino?"

Ino nodded, "Oh yeah, how're you?"

"Nearly out, gonna take a long break."

Naruto pushed away from the wall, "I'll see about getting us lunch then, we still have a long day ahead of us. Seeing Hinata pull out a hiraishin tag and wrap it around her wrist, the boy grinned and teleported away back to Tazuna's house and hopefully food.

Ino stretched out with a moan, "Can't believe we're actually doing it."

Karin nodded, "Naruto really is something, isn't he." Her voice was wistful and both other girls picked up on that.

Hinata smiled, "He's always been special but now he has something even more important than himself to work for." All three of the girls sitting in silence for a minute, the pale eyed girl sat down between the other two, "How do you think things are in the leaf?"

Ino snorted, "Besides shitting bricks? I bet my team is enjoying the peace and quiet without me there to nag them to death. My mom and dad are probably worried about me, and I should write a letter to them soon and at least let them know I'm okay." Pausing and looking over at her friend, Ino nudged the other girl, "Any regrets?"

Hinata shook her head quickly, "I'll miss Kurenai-sensei for sure. But I'm sure my team understands why I left. I worry a bit for my little sister, but father favored her heavily so I'm not to worried about her being treated badly. I might write a letter to my team as well, to at least ease their minds."

Popping back into existence in front of them within a few minutes Naruto was all smiles as he carried several plates of foot held in his arms with chakra, "Hope you're all hungry!" Distributing food and sitting down himself, the small group would have a quick bite to eat before getting back to work. It was odd for them to use their skills for something other than ninja combat. It was almost comparable to d-rank missions, something they had all at one point or another complained as useless non ninja work. Now however they were seeing it in a different light. This could be some of the most valuable work they'd ever do. Settling themselves in for the rest of the evening, it was going to be a long day.

It was the next day that found the group up at the crack of dawn. Still half asleep in some cases, excited and energized in others, the group was aboard a chartered boat and making their way to Uzu. Naruto and Karin had spent all night pouring over the Uzumaki notes and books again in order to better understand the whirlpools and the environmental seals that held them in place. And today nearly vibrating with energy they both felt that they could get them to where they needed to go. Ino had passed back out once on board, but Hinata was trying to wake herself up as she watched the excited pair. Their boat captian warned them it wouldn't be a long trip, maybe half an hour at their current speed. The two Uzumaki sitting at the bow of the boat and just barely holding back from jumping off and running over the ocean instead, Hinata moved to wake Ino back up.

True to the captain's words, the fishing boat soon caught sight of the rocky terrain of the Uzu shoreline. Getting their first view and holding in the well of emotions it brought forward, Karin noted that indeed, trying to bring ships between the various whirlpools and the rocky outcroppings was most likely suicide. However something was bothering her as she thought about how the mix of artificial and natural whirlpools were going.

Turning to the other Uzumaki with her, Karin voiced her concerned, "All of the whirlpools are online. Shouldn't at least some of them be deactivated from the invasion?"

Naruto shrugged, "They might have come from a different direction, we'll have to scout and see."

"But we can't turn them off unless we're on land."

Naruto thought about that before nodding and unsealing his sword. Turning back to the captain watching them from the wheel house, Naruto raised his voice, "About how far are we from shore you think?"

The captain looked out over the water, "This is about as close as I can get. We're still about half a mile out I think."

Naruto nodded, "Thanks!" Motioning for the others to step away from him, he made sure the seal inscribed at the base of this weapon was still there before asking mental forgiveness for what he was about to do. Judging the distance himself a bit more, Naruto spun once before hurling the weapon with all his might. Sword shooting off towards the island like a javelin, Naruto gathered the girls up and made sure they were all holding onto him at some point before waiting a full minute just in case. "Thanks for the lift captain!" In a flash, they were gone.

On a rocky beach the Kubikiribocho landed with a loud crash and a plume of dust. Not a second later a flash of light dumped 4 teens on the beach with it. Everyone landing in a heap, Naruto and Karin were the first up, stars in their eyes as they realized there were finally on the southern Uzu island. They had made it to Uzu! Jumping and hugging each other, the pair did restrain themselves from running ahead. Pulling his sword from the earth and sealing it away, the group made their way up the rocks and came upon a forest barrier. Taking to the trees with Naruto in the lead, the group made their way inward. They needed a spot relatively clear and a little more inland than directly on the beach itself. Not even a full minute of hopping trees they were dumped out into a wide and open field. The space was wide open fields as far as they could see. Overgrown grasses and weeds had taken over what looked like the ruins of a town or village that had once sat here. The display froze Karin and Naruto in place for a while, neither bringing themselves to move. Hinata and Ino tried coming forward to try and comfort the two. This was once where their ancestors lived, taken down early by the greed of other villages.

Naruto shook himself free first, Turning back to gauge the rising sun, "We're here to bring all of this back and make sure it never happens again." Unsealing tools and equipment borrowed from Tazuna to gauge the direction he needed to start digging, Karin too wiped away tears that had begun to form and turned to help him.

"You're right, we can grab Tayuya and mourn later. When we've secured our future."

Watching the Uzumaki's shelve their grief for the moment, Hinata and Ino set about their own work while mentally making sure they would help their friends talk through their feelings later. Hinata unsealed their camping equipment, ready to set up their tents and cooking equipment. They could flash back and between the islands now that they had made it, but energy wise it was better to just stay full time. At least that was how Naruto put it. Ino was assisting Hinata with the work, using her earth chakra to help level the space for better sleeping.

Naruto grinned as he dialed in their direction and started spamming clones in the hundreds. "Time to get to work boys!"

"Yosh!"

Naruto however paused as the clones started clearing the area and cordoning off a square space much the same as the one in Wave. He made another hundred and gave them specific orders, "You lot go scout the island and see if you can make your way to any of the other islands as well. Stay in groups of 4, place hiraishin tags if you do make it to other islands got it!"

"On it boss!" The hundred clones were gone and dashing away across the field.

Karin sighed and look out at the field of clones who were already beginning to blast away into the ground and move dirt and rocks away, "Some beginning huh?"

Naruto nodded and clapped the girl on her shoulder, "It'll all be worth it. Just watch."

Hinata calls out to the pair, "We should have enough food in seals to last us a few weeks, though fishing would probably help!"

Naruto turned away from Karin and walked towards Hinata to figure out supplies. Karin herself watched all the activity and decided he was right. This was worth it. Plus being on an island away from the rest of the world was a good way to hide for a while.

-b-

Tsunade sighed, the new daily life within the leaf just wasn't the same to her without the little brat here. Maybe she could sneak off and go hunt him down? Join him on whatever crazy quest he was on? Nah. She had a duty here, a duty he himself had fought to make sure she could do and she was going to do it. For him if no one else. Now if he asked her to leave?

Shizune was walking into her office and breaking her chain of thought. A sealed scroll in her hand the assistant handed it to the Hokage before bowing and returning to her desk quietly. Seemed the younger woman was just as upset still. Made sense. Moving to unseal the scroll and seeing the Daimyo's seal a ball of lead formed in her gut. Just what she needed to start her day.

Tsunade Senju, current Hokage of the Leaf village. I write you personally as it has come to my attention that a clan has left the village with grievances. This is unprecedented. No clan has uprooted and left the village since it's founding by my recall, truly the office of the Hokage has failed somewhere if even a founding clan like the Uzumaki have grown tired and decided to leave. And there are talks that the clan was stolen from? Assets illegally seized and sold? Normally I would not consider that news as even worth considering, but now thinking about how quickly the Leaf village recovered from both the end of the third great war and then again after the disaster of the Kyuubi attack. Well those funds had to come from somewhere, and somehow I get the feeling that the office of the Hokage did not have what was necessary. These are major accusations that will require inquisition. You are on notice Senju, the Daimyo will be in touch again soon.

Putting down the scroll with a heavy sigh, she needed to hope that someone could give her some good news. Attention from the Daimyo was never a good thing long term. Flaring her chakra and waiting, her window was being opened by a run-down Jiraiya within minutes.

"Hey Tsunade, what do you need?"

"Any idea who was after Naruto? Or where he went?"

"No and no." Jiraiya sat down in the window and looked out over the village. The burnt wreck of Naruto's apartment sticking out like a sore thumb. "Interviewing all of the rookie teams gave us nothing to go on. But my gut is telling me his team might know where he went. I'd say give them to a Yamanaka. Or even T&I."

Tsunade shook her head, "No. I won't do that to his team. If they are protecting him, they're doing the right thing at the moment.-"

"But if they're hiding something, who says they don't know who tried to kill him as well?"

Glaring at the man who cut her off, she waited until he could tell he had in fact crossed a line. "I get you're upset, your godson is missing. But I want to know who tried to kill him on the double, that's your job until I say otherwise. We would know if something happened to him after all, half of the elemental nations would probably end up a crater."

Frowning but nodding, Jiraiya couldn't say anything against that, "You're right. I'll check in with the toads periodically in case they hear something from him. I'll hunt down leads in the meantime."

Wanting to lighten the mood a little and maybe motivate the pervert too, Tsunade leaned back a little, "You find out who was after him, and maaaybe you and I can finally have that drink huh?"

Chuckling, Jiraiya saluted the older woman, "Giving an old man hope huh? You really are worried yourself aren't you?" Not waiting for a response, the man was gone and leaping across the village.

Tsunade sighed, "Hermit is really on edge and it's more than just his godson missing. But what about?"

Shizune leaned back through the door, curious about something, "Tsunade, I've been wondering something."

Tsunade motioned for her to come in, pulling a secret bottle of saki out and pouring a cup, "Sure sure, what is it?"

Shizune sighed but decided not to argue about the drinking right now, "All of this seems to stem from the council overstepping themselves. How and why are you letting them?"

Tsunade thought about how to answer that without giving away to many secrets. Hiruzen had been sitting on a mountain of skeletons so high she still hadn't gotten around to figuring them all out. The things he'd done, authorized, or allowed to happen. Some of it made her sick. "After the war, our ranks were thin and coffers empty. Rebuilding and training ninja takes money, and the clans pitched in, but the Hokage couldn't just come out and say it wasn't enough. So instead he made concessions with the civilian merchants. He would give them more influence on the council and some minor roles involving ninja, and in turn they would provide financial backing and civilian numbers of ninja candidates. This was a back room sort of deal, the type that no one could find out about at the time. Now it doesn't matter so much because we can see in hindsight what happened."

"But why not scale it back when it's proving to become an issue?"

"Because it's kind of an open secret with possible repercussions to our village's soft power."

"Soft power?"

"Sure. We have soft power and physical. Physical is out military might, our ninja, skills, weapons. That's physical might. Soft power is political. It's what lets us go to the negotiating table and get what we want all without sacrificing lives. And right now the issue is if we want to nix the council, it would need to be because of something on the level of treason against the Daimyo himself. And second issue, our funding. The office of the Hokage has been doing it's best to fill the hole that it found itself in once we tapped the civilians for military funding, and with the latest funding we were getting from nations like Wave and Spring it was improving…now though."

"For some reason those mission requests have dried up."

Sighing heavily the Hokage leaned back in her chair while looking up at the ceiling, "Wave might make sense. We only had that contract because of team 7. Spring as well, but the news of what happened shouldn't have reached them yet and running escort missions for the metal shipments was good money."

"It would solve a lot of problems if we could find the assassin and find out who hired them then correct?"

Tsunade nodded, "Exactly. If we could prove the civilians did more than just hinder a clan head, instead trying to kill him? That would have the Daimyo stepping in and seizing their assets for us."

"Sounds like a complicated mess."

"Telling me." Taking a deep breath, the elder ninja sighed and refocused back on her work. Something about the way Jiraiya was acting still bothered her, but there wasn't much she could do except keep him focused. She hoped that maybe Naruto himself would send word soon. She missed the little brat.

-b-

Naruto and the girls were all grinning at each other. Dirty, sweaty and more than a little excited, they look around anxiously at the smaller group of clones that were around them. The excitement was because after a week and a half of frenzied activity, they could hear voices on the other side of the wall. Not having electricity available on their end and having to resort to torches soaked in toad oil, Naruto now stood before the wall holding out a hand.

"An explosion would probably be a bad idea Naruto." Ino piped up from where she was resting with and equally tired Karin. Dense chakra or not, working almost nonstop morning to night would wear anyone down.

Naruto nodded while forming a rasengan, "Something a little more controlled then." Taking the spinning and grinding technique, he used it to drill away at the wall. Crumbling away a large section, they were met with brighter light and the smiling faces of Tazuna and his crew. Shaving away more of the wall to give everyone space, they were met with cheers.

"Well brat, when the others said they heard your blasting getting closer I almost didn't believe them. I figured we had a few more days."

Naruto gave a tired groan and stretched out his back, "Probably should have been, but we were excited."

Looking over the boy's shoulder and seeing the ragged group Tazuna nodded, "Welp, you held up your end, did you prepare a space for us to get started on the other end?"

Naruto turned to look down the darker space, "Sure did. Just like on your end, a 100 by 200 meter space cleared and flattened. I uh, also clearing out most of the rubble and marked a space I'd like a monument to the dead built." Handing over a scroll with his idea, Tazuna nodded solemnly and pocketed the scroll. "Well with that, I think we all deserve a bit of a break."

Tazuna motioned to waiting rail cars. "So we're at the next phase then after a break?"

"Yeah, we're gonna relax for a few days, and then figure out how to start sending people your way. Did you finish up the entrance cover?"

"Currently it's still a little bare, but it'll be a fully enclosed warehouse space we're going to claim is an aid station for a while. Don't worry about anyone finding the entrance yet."

"Then we're out. Till later old man."

Hinata and Ino came forward together, "Thank you, for everything Tazuna."

Karin wobbled her way to hug Naruto for support, "Yes, thank you. It means everything."

Tazuna rubbed the back of his head while around him his workers all chuckled. "Aw shucks, this old man is just glad he can give back to you kids. Now get, we'll have something ready for refugees by the time you start sending them here, on my honor."

"We'll hold you to that Tazuna." Naruto grinned and after the girls grabbed him, flashed away.

One of his men walked up to Tazuna, "So what's the plan boss?"

Tazuna motioned to the hold and the other end of the tunnel, "Current goal is to finish taking down this wall and extend the rail cars to the other side. Put out the word, quietly. We want refugees and people looking to settle somewhere peaceful. I can have Tsunami round up some of the locals to help put together the aid station. For us I have the initial designs of the civilian island already so we can start on mapping and construction. I wanna surprise the kid when he gets back with his first wave of rescues. Can we all agree on that?" Getting loud agreements, they got back to work.

Naruto and his group were dumped back in Spring. All tired, hungry, and ready for a few days of real rest. "I say we take a few days off at least."

Ino and Karin stood and stretched, "That sounds wonderful. I don't want to even think of dirt for like, ever."

Hinata giggled, "To imagine you're usually such a pretty girl as well."

Ino groaned, "I know! I'll be scrubbing myself for months after this."

Ignoring all of the girls talking, Naruto shook his head and headed to his room for a change of clothes. Feeling like for once he had the time, he decided the outdoor bathes were calling his name. It was still early in the evening, he could relax and then come back for dinner. Waving to a staff member and letting them know they were back for a few days, he finally made it to his room and gathered up a change of clothes.

Not long later and outside walking the short distance to the outdoor bath attached to the manor, Naruto was soon washed up, clean, and lowering himself into the hot waters of the bath. Clothes stored away inside the changing area, he relaxed with his towel on his head. Nothing beat this relaxation. Reaching one hand up to rub his shoulder, much bulkier than a month ago, he decided that yeah some time off would be good. Hearing the door cover move aside behind him, he wondered who would be joining him today. There weren't all that many men in the manor outside of the staff. Leaning his head back and being met with a towel clad Koyuki, the boy had to look away in a hurry to stifle a nose bleed.

"K-k-kKoyuki. What are you doing?"

"Oh, I told the staff the bathes were a private affair tonight. You've been working hard this last month and deserve some peace."

"So why are you here?" He was ready to jump away to prevent getting pounded. He wasn't a pervert. Really.

"As the Daimyo of Spring, I thought it would be a good idea of have a chat and bond with the future Uzukage. We're adults here after all, what's a little skinship?" Giggling however on the inside, the slightly older girl smiled as she eased into the hot waters, keeping a respectable distance from the boy. He was pretty easy on the eyes, all his ninja training having toned him up nicely.

"I'm not going to talk you out of this, huh?"

"Snow women are very strong willed Naruto, you'd best remember that."

"Isn't this the land of Spring now?"

"Semantics, shut up and have a drink with me." Motioning to a tray with a bottle of saki and several smaller cups, she poured him one and then herself another, handing his to him, "Let this be the beginning of a great and long lasting partnership."

Looking down at the liquor, remembering something Kakashi had told him about being an adult the second they put on the headband. He sighed and nodded firming his resolve, "To a long future ahead." Tapping their cups together both drank lightly and smiled. Naruto had to admit at least, it was a nice and had a light taste, something fruity. Huh. No wonder Tsunade drank so much.

"So Naruto…perhaps we can discuss something else, while we are here." Relaxing back completely and making sure the clips holding her hair up were tight and ignoring that moving her arms up allowed her towel to slip just slightly, she smirked, "What are your plans now?"

Looking away from creamy flesh, the boy thought about that one, "Well at least for a few days we need to rest up and relax. But then we have been thinking it was time to start hitting Orochimaru and his prisons."

"Might I make another suggestion?"

"Huh, sure of course."

"While you're considering that, perhaps quietly search smaller towns and border villages. Small wars and skirmishes are still popping up all over the nations. It's, perhaps and little underhanded, but you could offer people being displaced the option of joining you."

Naruto rolled his head this way and that as he thought about it, watching the sky go from blue to orange as the sun set. Still his favorite color. "Yeah that would be a great idea. Though getting normal people to follow me might be a problem."

Koyuki shook her head and she took another tentative sip of her drink, "Something tells me you won't have a problem with that at all. You have a, presence, about you. I have faith you will succeed."

Naruto chuckled, "Thank's for the confidence."

"Of course." Edging a little closer to the boy, she wondered if she could steer the conversation a little more to more fun things.

Shot down before plans could even start to roll, the flap was pushed aside and a confident looking Ino is standing their in a towel with a somewhat shy Hinata was behind her. Pointing at the Daimyo Ino grinned, "Ah hah! Caught red handed."

Sighing Koyuki closed her eyes and looked the picture of perfect serenity, "I have no clue what you mean."

Both girls came forward on Naruto's other side at again a respectable, somewhat, distance away from him. "And just why aren't you on the girl's side?"

Kuyuki just smiled, "Why aren't you?"

"We're all leaf ninja here, it's customary for us to bath together after long hard days."

Hinata sighed, "You could make it a little more believable than that Ino."

Naruto just sighed and continued to look at the sky, "Um, do I get a say in this?"

Koyuki just leaned forward and refilled his cup, "I doubt you're getting away from this one Naruto."

"Great."

Ino walked out deeper into the bath with a smirk, "You know most guys would literally kill to be in the bath with a bunch of pretty girls."

"Point, you're all very beautiful, but I'd rather not get pounded for being a pervert." Eyes up, he missed everyone else blushing at the compliment.

Hinata however tried to ease his mind, "You won't be, we're all covered, and we're intruding on you after all. But we wanted to celebrate. We completed the first stage of our plan. That's a big thing."

Naruto lifted his cup, "You aren't wrong there. Woo." Now that he had a chance to relax, the mental fatigue was beginning to catch up with him.

"No, wait, Tayuya, c'mon, let's just let it go. It'll be fine."

"Bump that, you all got to hang out together for weeks and I've been stuck here. I wanna party too!" another movement of the flap and out came Karin and Tayuya. Karin is holding a very large tray loaded with food, while Tayuya had the same idea as Koyuki, a large bottle of saki held high. "Now it's gonna be a party!"

Everyone laughing and the girls getting into the spirit of things, Naruto wonders just how his quiet hope of a peaceful bath was ruined so wonderfully. Somehow his pervert of a sensei planned this. He didn't know how yet, but he'd get pervy sage back for this somehow. Taking another sip of the fruity beverage, he started to feel a pleasant vibration cover his body.

Tayuya was attempting to wrestle the Yamanaka in the center of the bath to the cheers and giggles of Karin and Hinata. "Oh, whiskers, what's the plan for what we do next. Gonna start hitting snake bastards lairs?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, Koyuki suggested that while we're hitting his bases we can stop in on any war-torn parts of the nations and offer asylum to anyone we come across."

Tayuya nodded as she had Ino in a headlock and was smushing the girl into her boob, "Well if I can make a suggestion, let's start with his southern base."

"Oh, why's that?" Naruto missed the show, eyes watching the colors in the sky slowly change.

"The south base is a prison. Mostly kids and teens. There won't be a major guard presence there and would make a great first stop. Plus if we hit it fast enough he wouldn't even know it's been hit for potentially weeks." She remembered her own time in the shitty place, she wouldn't mind blowing it all to hell. Her lapse in concentration allowed Ino to break free and dunk her, someone's towel going flying.

Naruto didn't have a preference for where they started. Just so long as they did. "Okay, but we'll have to figure out how to get everyone out of there quietly. I can hiraishin with people and with my clones if I give them extra chakra. But that's still some work."

Inside his mind the Kyuubi grumbled, 'This is a worthy cause, I wouldn't be opposed to lending my chakra as aid.'

'Oh? What brings this out?'

There was silence, but Naruto waited as the link was still open. 'Someone much wiser than you reminded me once long ago about what was important in life. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth shitty monkey. Just accept the gift.' Link being cut, Naruto decided he would have a sit down and talk with the beast someday soon. But that was a good backup just in case.

"There shouldn't be that many people there, if your clones can transport us via hiraishin then you should be able to manage it in one trip, maybe two." Karin spoke up as she laughed at Ino putting Tayuya in an arm lock. The younger but more physically fit girl having a strength advantage.

Koyuki spoke up and rose her cup in the air, "No ninja or work talk! Tonight we're going to relax and party!" The girls all cheering, Naruto enjoyed the purples now joining the orange of the sky. He didn't question why a towel just flew across his vision, no he was going to relax and keep his eyes to himself. In the morning maybe he'd take a real long walk into town, alone, away from crazy ninja girls.

-AN-

And cut. We've made landfall on the first Uzu Island, Tazuna has ideas to speed things along for the Uzu nation and Naruto and the gang are getting ready to bloody Orochimaru's nose a bit. And there are dark clouds on the horizon for Konoha. What could be coming for them?