For the first time in a while, Kakashi was late the morning two days after Sakura's revelation. Yugao was training her in kenjutsu while Sasuke worked on his ninjutsu. The young ninja thought it was a return to form, but his former anbu buddy seemed surprised. Kakashi was taking their training more seriously than he did during the Chunin Exams. Something, even if two of them didn't think it, was amiss. Approaching footsteps would enlighten them.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head as they turned to him. "So, uh, I have a surprise to share with all of you." He stepped aside.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "...You've gotta be kidding me."

"Y-Y-You?" Sakura blushed. "Why are you…"

"Nice to see you too." Dosu Kinuta, a Hidden Leaf forehead protector around his bandaged forehead, raised an overly-sleeved arm in greeting.

"This is…" Kakashi nearly rolled his eye. "The new addition to Team 7."

Everyone fell silent. A gust of wind blew past, carrying an awkward whistle. None of them were expecting it. Really, all of them didn't think well of his presence, including himself. Someone high up, whether political or celestial, was playing a bad joke. They barely knew each other, but they knew enough.

"Whyyy!?" Sakura yelled.

"Kiba is with Guy now, neither Shikamaru nor Ino are a good fit, and Hinata is under house arrest, so… Fuck."

Dosu sighed. "Thank you for the vote of confidence." He followed with a groan, regretting he wasn't equipped with a suicide syringe before his deployment.

Sasuke grimaced. "Is it possible for us to make a plea on Hinata's behalf?"

"After everything that's happened, I'm surprised she's even getting that." Kakashi forced an eye-smile. "But on the bright side, we have someone familiar with Orochimaru with us now!"

"I was a glorified goon: there's probably at least a dozen replacements he can make, and I wasn't even conscious when he brought my team to this village," Dosu admitted.

"So you're basically useless," Sakura deadpanned.

"Didn't say I was an ineffective glorified goon… Puke Girl."

She glared at him. "Puke Face."

"You both make me want to vomit." Kakashi shook his head. "Fact of the matter is we need a new member, someone needs to keep an eye on this one, and there are almost no other places he'd be a remotely good fit in." A genuine eye-smile adorned his face. "You've been out for a while and were taken down in seconds with taijutsu by my worst student in it, so I'm going to give you 'special' attention."

"On second thought, I love this." Sakura smiled ever so sweetly.

Sasuke shrugged. "Works for me."

Dosu blinked. "...Is it too late to be moved somewhere else?" He stepped back as Kakashi stepped toward him.

It wasn't ideal but nothing ever was. The remaining teams, if you could even call them that after everything, didn't need him. No one wanted him either. His kekkei genkai was unique, at the very least, and offered unique abilities. Life as a missing-nin was his only alternative, which he likely wasn't going to do well in. Better to suffer for a short time than have his life cut short.

Orochimaru had them settle in that obvious 'hideout.' The container meant for rejuvenating Suigetsu if he ever took too much damage was unharmed a good distance from where their fight took place. As soon as he retrieved the scrolls hidden behind the false wall, they ordered a healed Jugo to carry his gooey body over. It returned him to normal, but he wasn't conscious at all. That gave them time to practice.

Naruto, eyes closed and laying flat against the stone, concentrated on his chakra. The explanation he was given matched his experience: it was like molding himself into a different person. Orochimaru described his own chakra like an ever-present fountain. His was akin to a massive natural disaster, but it kept shifting. It alternated between series of hurricanes, storms, and wildfires. Change felt impossible.

"...Ugh." Suigetsu stirred. "What the...fuck?" His eyes struggled open. "What the fuuuuuuuuuck?"

"You're awake," his tone was soft and unlike him in any capacity.

"You… You!" He rushed forward, thumping against the glass. "Ow."

He, returning to his usual self, scoffed. "Dumbass."

"Man, fuck you!"

"Calm down, Suigetsu," Jugo said from nearby. "You need rest."

He turned to him with his lips parted for a disparaging comment, froze, and gaped. "Huh?!"

"Like I said, you should calm down and rest."

"Don't… You… What the fuck?"

Opening his eyes, Naruto sighed. "You're brain damaged."

"I might be if that's really Jugo being calm and collected."

"You've met before?" He looked to the sage.

Jugo nodded. "Orochimaru was testing his abilities and found them extraordinary."

"Which is a fancy way of saying I beat your crazy ass." Suigetsu smirked.

"So did I," Naruto said. "Tons of times technically. You're not special." He focused on him. "Did you forget how I beat yours?"

His face scrunched. "I was going easy on you because you freed me: you know I could've killed you by just aiming at your head for the first hit!" The fixed expressions on the two's faces told him how little they cared.

"Consider this." He smirked. "Beating you was easy."

"Oh fuck you, chakra reservoir!"

He squinted. "You're made out of water, we were in a room full of it, and I used fire style. Should I have cut an arm off myself to make things easier for you?"

"I am so killing you when I get out!"

"No," Orochimaru's echoing voice said, "you're not."

Like a scolded child, Suigetsu hid himself completely in his recovery water. He prided himself on his ability, but he knew his limits. A member of the Sannin was beyond him, and he already tried to kill him once. The cables on the canisters of water were meant to punish him, subdue him, and make him serve as entertainment. It was the only way he could be tortured but also extremely ineffective in breaking him and extracting information: lightning scrambled his synapses, the water kept him from exhaustion, and he was far too stubborn to let his secrets go.

Naruto waited until he emerged, realizing Orochimaru heard him from somewhere else in the base, to look at him in disappointment. He admired the attitude to a degree, having one himself. Sure, he tried to kill him, but a lot of people he weirdly liked tried that too. It wasn't as if he thought his ability was trash: he was just far beyond him and most others at that point. Had he only been at the level he needed to be back at the village.

His practice would continue. As much as he wanted to do other things, it would be useful if he wanted to slip detection. There was only one place he wanted to infiltrate. Chances were a coin flip it'd shatter him, but he needed to find out for himself, and he couldn't trust anyone around him with the information. Stopping by for a bowl of ramen after so long wouldn't hurt either. When was the question.

Anko woke up in the middle of the day. Ever since she came back, she fell into an odd sleeping schedule. It was the consequence of staying up to make storage seals and a seal to hide the scrolls after Hinata left. Some Hyuga sent by Hiashi to scout out her place would notice clothes in her exact size, which would set off some alarms. All they'd see, besides her lovely naked body, would be her normal clothes and a pitch black drawer in one of her dressers. She lock-sealed it with her blood mixed with a snake's to go the extra mile. If anyone asked, she'd know and tell them it was where she kept her best gear, which wasn't a lie because it made them look fabulous. She briefly met Hinata in her home the morning after, told her how to change her signature, and ordered her to keep her distance until she could before, wary of her diminished ability, going out to do some training of her own.

She was slurping down some coffee when she heard the knock on her door. "Already?" Narrowing her eyes, she walked to the door and opened it.

"Hey," Kurenai greeted, careful not to look down.

Anko, remembering who Hinata's official sensei was, blinked. "...Hey."

"Do you...have time to talk?"

She scoffed. "Think I'm ever going to be on call for missions again?" She walked toward her table. "If you thought not when I came back, what do you think now?"

"I felt like someone was watching when I looked around." She followed.

"Someone probably is by now." Sitting down, she slurped more. "Because of what you're here to talk to me about."

Kurenai sat down on the opposite seat to hers. "Anko, what happened?"

"We trained taijutsu because I was feeling off physically, cried over Naruto, and talked each other down from running after him."

"That's it?"

She shrugged. "I guess we really got along." Her lips curved into a smile. "Even left her a pet snake to take care of." It shifted into a grin. "She calls me 'Anko-sensei' now."

"Even after you let her boyfriend touch your breasts?" Her narrowed eyes all but said their judgment.

Scarlet red, Anko inclined her head. "...Are you jealous?" Her flirty tone was more than familiar to her.

"I'm not in the mood." She nearly flinched at her choice of words.

"Aww!" She set aside her coffee and leaned over the table, making sure she got an eye-full. "Let me ma–"

Kurenai stood up and grabbed her face. "Can you take one thing seriously?!"

"I am." She, feigning hurt, whined.

She pushed her back to her seat. "Oh, shut up!" She always did that.

"Been a while since it was just the two of us." Anko pouted. "Can't I spend some time with the old feisty Kurenai only I know?"

"We've been over this."

She scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Asuma is finally back and giving you all the attention you ever wanted," her bitter tone was genuine. "Why don't you crawl back on to his monkey di–" A well-deserved slap nearly sent her to the floor.

Kurenai stomped toward her front door. "Stay away from Hinata."

Anko, recovering, stroked her reddening cheek. "Ah…" She took a deep breath and sighed while her guest opened and slammed her door shut. "That takes me back." Lifting her mug of coffee to her lips, she continued where she left off.

It was one of the few ways she could make her drop the subject entirely. Hiashi wouldn't bother with her when he had his own daughter to receive information from, which he couldn't. As much as Kurenai thought she knew her, there was a lot she could hide behind her perception of her character, like with everyone else. They would find her actions suspicious yet still in line with the young Anko all were familiar with. None of them were around during her time as a missing-nin or associate of Root with Orochimaru. Reading her reports on the former was one thing but witnessing her during those events was another.

There was a knock on her yard door a few minutes after. "Anko-sensei, can I come in?" Hinata, visibly behind its glass and voice muffled, asked.

Holding back a laugh, she gestured for her to. "Already huh?"

She slid open the door and stepped inside. "Yes." Every aspect of her body language changed, transforming her from stalwart noble girl to hunched brooding brat. "To be sure, I transformed myself into the appearance of a branch member away from the compound and walked around as her in it without anyone noticing the difference." She looked down apologetically at her sleeping snake. "I had to wake up Oro and set him down for a while though."

"It's fine as long as you have to. A bit reckless, but I'm impressed you're already skilled enough to impersonate people." Anko hummed. "Then again, it just might be a result of you Hyuga's insane chakra control."

She shifted back to her normal self. "Anko-sensei… I saw you and Kurenai-sensei with my Byakugan." Her eyes focused on her cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Just a love tap." She pouted. "Emotionally, I could use a hug." A fit of pleased laughter overcame her when the girl cleared the distance between them to embrace her. "You might be sweeter than Naruto."

"Thank you." Hinata nuzzled her collar. "I… I wanted to be close to you, even when you told me to stay away, and it..hurt."

Anko moved her back and looked into her terrified eyes. "...You're starting to realize it, huh?" Her shaking was confirmation. "It's okay for you to know; inevitable, really." She grinned as she stopped. "Now I'm going to tell you how to break out of it." It coming back in force made her laugh. "I want you to hear this, and I'm okay with you knowing this." Holding her still-shaking form, she rested her head over her shoulder. "Distance, support, and endurance: space from me, other people to focus you, and the ability to keep going."

"I-I-I don't want to b-break it, Anko-sensei."

"That's the point." She rubbed the top of her head. "I have to be the one to do it, and I never will." Her shivering stopped. "If I did, you'd agonize over following it being the obedience I want or the disobedience I want. You'll still try to to do things for me even if I don't want you to, which will make it worse."

Hinata blinked. "Orochimaru let you go."

She frowned. "He got bored of me and threw me away." Taking her head back, she stroked her cheek. "I wanted to be his, completely and utterly, so I let him break me apart and put me back together. For the first two years after I came back, I was doing it so I could be in a position to help him if he ever moved against the Leaf, but I was open to just getting executed when I turned myself in to make it stop." A laugh left her lips. "Pretty sure the Old Man, that closet pervert, knew but wanted me to get better."

"Lord Third?" Her blank eyes widened. "A closet pervert?"

"I'll tell you all about it!" Standing up out of her grasp, she finished her mug of coffee. "We still have to wait, so it's best we spend our time wisely." She set down the empty mug. "Activate your Byakugan."

"Right." The veins in her eyes bulged. "No one has taken position in possible observational areas since last I checked, but there are a few civilians about." She almost turned them off before she began walking to her room.

Anko retrieved her coat from the floor, took a few chakra induction papers leftover from Naruto's training, went back, and slipped the coat on. "Will any see us if we climb and take off from the roof?" She transformed after she shook her head. "Then let's go."

Hinata transformed before following. "Yes, Anko-sensei."

They left side-by-side. Hinata would inform Anko of potential onlookers, specifically ninja, just in case, and Anko would adjust their route accordingly. Even transformed, they might provoke a few questions. It was needlessly cautious to some degree, but the depths of their connection could not be discovered in any way. Both adopted different chakra signatures without needing to tell the other.

Some distance from their destination, Hinata hummed. "Konohamaru, Asuma-sensei's nephew and Lord Third's grandson, is ahead."

"By the stream?"

"Yes, Naruto brought him there, and it's where the Sound ninja approached him."

"How did you find out about it?" Anko smirked at her transformed blushing face.

"I… I wanted to tell him how I felt after I couldn't the day of his induction, so I tracked him down with my Byakugan and followed him."

"You did more than just tell him." Her smirk shifted into a grin when she wistfully sighed. "In a rush to get pregnant, huh?"

Hinata, popping out of her transformation with an even redder face, stopped as she did behind the foliage leading to the training spot. "I am not opposed." Tilting her head, she imagined what their children would look like.

She giggled before dropping out of her own. "You've got the rural mindset, not that I'm surprised." She set a hand on her shoulder. "Stay." Patting it, she walked through the thicket.

For a little over two weeks, Konohamaru practiced what Naruto taught him when he could. Something was off ever since. He couldn't tell what, but he could feel it in the atmosphere and the strange moods of the experienced shinobi. A great deal of him wanted to see Naruto, even if he was likely busy as he'd been since his graduation. The trouble was no one had seen him, and his neighbors really didn't want to talk about what they last heard from his apartment.

He turned to the sound of approaching footsteps. "Who…" His eyes locked on to her breasts.

"So you're his mini-me!" She started laughing.

Konohamaru looked up at her face and blinked. "You were with Big Brother Naruto and his team." He ran over. "Do you know where he is?!"

Remembering his clone's last request, she frowned. "He's...a jonin now, so he can be sent off on A to S class missions on the Hokage's behest."

"So he's off on a really important mission?" He squinted at her lack of response before widening his eyes in realization. "Oh, right!" Clearing his throat, he crossed his arms and tilted his head. "Big Brother Naruto's always off doing cool things," he said nonchalantly.

"Exactly." She patted his head, making him blush.

He not-so-subtly sneaked a glance at her chest. "So...are you Big Brother Naruto's girlfriend?"

"Did he tell you about me?"

"You are!?" Face crimson, he stepped back.

She burst into laughter. "I'm his sensei!" She ruffled his hair. "My name's Anko Mitarashi." Her smile became sad. "He asked me to take care of you until he comes back."

Warmth spread all over him. "That's…" He scratched his cheek with a finger. "I appreciate it, but I'm alright; he wouldn't want me to rely on other people anyway."

"That is so like him." She patted his shoulder. "I'm going to need this place to myself for a while."

Konohamaru nodded. "You can have it. I just…" Drifting off, he blushed before running off. "See you later, Anko!"

Hinata stepped out of the greenery shaking when he was far enough gone. "A-A-Anko-sensei."

"What happened?" She raised an eyebrow at her blush.

"I-I… I felt angry when he called you Naruto's girlfriend." Holding herself, she couldn't soothe her phantom feelings. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorr–"

Anko flickered over, embraced her, and shushed. "I forgive you." Looking down at her, she smiled at the eyes that once looked at her with anger and disdain now looking up with love.

"Th-Thank you, Anko-sensei."

"Now." She separated from her before taking out a slip of paper. "Channel your chakra into this."

Hinata pinched the paper and obeyed, making it crumple. "Huh?"

She burst into laughter. "Oh wow!" Dropping it, she held on to her sides and looked away. "That's!" A bit of guild aching in her chest made her stop. "...Kind of fucked up."

"What is it, Anko-sensei?"

Meeting her gaze, she couldn't help but smile. "Your chakra affinity is lightning." Her nearly stepping back made her laugh again.

There was much for them to do.

It took three days for Suigetsu to finally be in a condition to move around. He shared insults with Naruto, attempted the same training to no avail, tried to provoke Jugo, and got shocked by Orochimaru a few times for no particular reason in that time frame. The dead of night would've helped him escape if Orochimaru actually slept. On the fourth day, he stared ever so judgmentally at Naruto's meditative form yet refrained from disrupting him out of fear.

Naruto himself made progress. His mental state, not his chakra control, was the problem. It was why his chakra shifted from one natural disaster to the other. Utakata's words lingering in his mind did most of the work. What his ideal self looked like or the man he wanted to be eluded him though. The closest he could think of was himself back during his training for the Chunin Exams, which Utakata reminded him of. An old yet different Naruto, chakra suppressed to a fraction of his actual capacity yet still too large for a civilian, transformed into someone else stepped out of the hideout with a smile on his face.

Jugo and Suigetsu, then dressed, were concerned and disturbed respectively. They both knew it was just an act, but it was perfect. Something was obviously wrong with him. Orochimaru's only concern was his body, so he paid it no mind. Their journey through The Land of Steam into The Land of Fire was all too quiet.

Cracks in the facade began to form across the border though. His smile would break into a scowl, his transformation would end for no reason, he'd dart to the nearest inanimate object to punch it down, and he'd even growl. It was good there were almost no ninja around compared to The Land of Steam or they would've racked a body count. Only one of them had some understanding of why, but it wasn't anywhere close to the actual truth.

When a bridge and its sign came into sight after four days of travel, Naruto dropped his latest transformation to reveal his sunken face, the exact opposite of the person he was pretending be. He knew. It was agonizing, really. The person he saw closest to his ideal self was the exact opposite of the person he was. Nothing could ever bring him back to that state, and the land they were about to enter was not at all what he needed then.

"Zabuza died here, right?" Suigetsu squinted at what laid over the bridge while they walked forward. "Are we staying for a while? I need to find his sword."

"We left it at his grave," Naruto muttered.

He, not hearing, turned to him. "What?"

"I thought about taking it with me, but it was heavy, and Kakashi said it would be disrespectful."

Suigetsu blinked. "You… Holy shit." He imagined the massacre in his head. "Kakashi the Copycat Ninja Vs Zabuza the Demon of the Mist; talk about a fight for the ages." His scoff made him squint. "You can't tell me it sucked." The sullen expression on his face growing even worse made him frown. "What happened?"

Naruto wavered, nearly falling over. "Shut up." He grit his teeth at the memory of different people's words that resonated all too well after everything he'd experienced. "Just shut the fuck up."

The rest of their crossing was silent. At several sections of the bridge, Naruto looked around, as if seeing things as they were then. For a second, he felt himself covered in blood and saw the scattered remains of the thugs he slaughtered in an endless pool of red. Sadness, anger, and despair he knew all too well made his head a mess. He didn't notice when they crossed or finally entered the growing town.

A boy dirtied by sawdust stopped cutting a log when he saw him. "...Naruto?"

Snapped out of his stupor, he stopped, driving the others to, and took the sight of him in. "You're… Inari." His voice had no life whatsoever.

"You look like hell." He looked at his entourage. "Where are the others?" He pursed his lips when he walked off with them, taking the lead.

It wasn't as if Orochimaru was in any rush. They were still going in the direction of their destination, and he had nowhere else to be. Even when he turned, it was nothing to worry about. They reached it after a while: two graves hidden deep in the woods with a massive blade embedded behind one. While they knew who was in one, only Naruto knew who was in the other.

Suigetsu walked over to Zabuza's. "I always wanted to meet you." He grabbed the sword handle and pulled it out with all the strength he could muster. "Maybe I will one day." Giving it a swing, he nearly lost his grip.

Orochimaru turned back towards their destination, began walking, and stopped when he didn't hear other footsteps. "I'm heading somewhat South-East of here." He continued on after no response.

Jugo looked to his only friend. "Hey."

"Don't." Suigetsu hefted the blade over his shoulder and followed Orochimaru, knowing he wasn't the one he spoke to. "Naruto needs to be alone." It took him a while, but he recognized his behavior as the same he had after his brother died.

"Is that…" Drifting off, he turned and walked away to give him some distance but not enough to make him lose control or sight.

Naruto kept staring at the grave of the first person he ever confided in. He thought he understood him before, but he really did then. After so long, he had the strength he wanted and then some he needed on the bridge. There was just nothing else left. It was one of the worst feelings he ever had, and all of it was his fault. Maybe it was because he didn't really accomplish his goal, but it was assured after what he did.

He looked to Zabuza's. "I wonder if you're with him." Looking up to the blue sky, he murmured. "I wonder…if I'll be with her."

"Naruto."

He attached himself to one of the overlooking trees with a jump. He ran up until he reached its peak before jumping to the next highest. They were like step stones toward the highest peak. It was what he did with Sasuke but far easier. His foot was planted on it not long after. Only he rested on the apex for once. While liberating, it was the most hollow feeling. Wave managed to look beautiful from the view.

"Naruto!"

"What are you so worried about?" Spotting Orochimaru walking on the sea by a half-merged Suigetsu where he said he was going, he followed after, going down from treetop to treetop. He could hear Jugo's jets some way behind him.

The sand of the shore parted under his sandal-clad feet before they splattered on water. White, brown, and green land was replaced by a vibrant blue. It was beautiful and the exact opposite of that red he imagined himself in, but it didn't feel as real. A rock-like structure appearing over the horizon couldn't distract him from the scenery. He wondered if he was dead.

And then he sunk. The chakra in his feet gave out along with his strength to stand. He didn't bother trying to swim up, preferring the endless blue. It was cold, but it was better than what he was feeling. Blackness seeped in and enveloped everything. Closing his eyes, he let himself be whisked away. The feeling of envelopment vanishing in an instant made him open them.

Naruto, his old ideal self, stood in front of him. Everyone he knew and cherished was by his side. It was as if nothing ever happened. He was happy, they were happy, and they would continue to be happy forever. They stood on the water with a blue sky overhead, just as he did. With a smile, he held out his hand.

He, the real Naruto, stood in the aftermath of his time with Jugo and the Wave Massacre. Everything was grimy, dark, and red. It covered him like a second skin. Nothing about it made him happy or comfortable. His face scrunched in anguish and anger. He wanted to take his hand, and he hated himself for it. Really, he hated all of it. A world where neither ever happened was impossible at that point.

Naruto relaxed, looked down at the offer, looked up, spat in his own face, and glared at him when he didn't respond. "Really? Is that what I'm supposed to pass on to my kids and do?" Gritting his teeth, he growled. "Like you… I did with Neji after everything he did!?" He relented, knowing it was pointless and recalling something too painful to make him angry. "...Hinata is dead or is as good as dead already, and I'm supposed to let it go?" The smile on his face made him want to throw up. "How are you… How am I any different than dad at that point?" He frowned. "I only acted like this because I thought it would make everyone love me. This isn't my ideal self: it's a lie. No one but Hinata loved who I really was, so I didn't love myself either," his voice broke at that realization. "Why should I regret anything at this point? If I let myself feel remorse, I'll give up. I'm done." Resolve, bitterness, and anger hardened his heart. "Enough with this bullshit." All of it shattered.

Jugo was about to launch himself under to fetch him when he rose to the surface. "Are you alright?!" The look in his eyes made him freeze.

"Yeah." He picked himself up and looked down at his reflection. They'd been traveling for some time, and he hadn't thought about it. His hair had grown out. While its dampness warped its actual appearance, he looked wild and a little more like his father. "Better."

Within the hideout proper, a young red-haired woman shook. She felt disgust when she sensed Orochimaru and the other gross stranger. A human tailed beast hiding an actual tailed beast having the biggest mental breakdown she ever sensed made her think she was dreaming. His chakra stabilizing into a murderous calamity was making her feel like she and everything else was going to die. It was so great, a part of her wanted to do it herself just to make it stop.

They were kin, not that it mattered anymore.

AN: We're nearly done with what I'm not sure to call an arc. Reformation/Reorganization Arc? Grieving Period Arc? I dunno. This is mostly setup, drama, and meeting fun new people to bring up later.

I do have several arcs in mind, and we're still far from the end of the story. I'll just leave it at that.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of a review or PM.