Once Naruto and his new group reached the hideout, they took the time to get situated. He led them out after toward a destination only he was familiar with. It'd been some time, but the villagers of his fiefdom recognized their lord. Some bowed, some kneeled, and some handed out whatever goods they had on them in offering, not that he wanted any. The three he was with attracted a few looks but everyone, including them, was busy with him. His clothes hadn't changed since The Land of Lightning, so he looked and smelled like a bum.

"Do they know who you're with or?" Suigetsu tilted his head.

Naruto shook his, long locks shaking with it. "I just killed the last guy who ran the place." He didn't bother acknowledging a few of the ninja dropping down from the roofs to kneel.

"Lord Holy Royal Master!"

Karin was the first to scrunch her face in confusion. "What?"

"It's my 'official' title." Naruto chuckled. "These people are all fucking pathetic!" They knew that's what he thought, but he loved reminding them.

"There's no need to be so cruel," Jugo said, tone soft and caring.

He rolled his eyes. "None would speak out for you so don't bother."

The lord's house, the new Uzumaki Residence, came into sight. Both guards in front prostrated themselves, not that he cared. His companions looked around its interior with some interest. In the backdrop, women giggling and whispering created an oddly pleasant ambiance. Only the ninja that flickered in front of him to kneel concerned him.

"Kuro."

"Lord Holy Royal Master." He lifted his head. "I am relieved to see you have returned." They could hear him gulp. "While you were away, I handled the tax delivery."

"Tax?" Naruto squinted.

"The taxes owed to the Daimyo, Lord Holy Royal Master."

"Why am I giving him taxes?"

Suigetsu shot him a look. "Do you not know how basic government works?" He liquefied somewhat when he glared at him.

"For as long as shinobi have existed, they have never ruled outright," Karin said, drawing his attention. "The common man who cannot manipulate chakra nor begin to understand its depths are rightfully wary of us."

"Someone needs to act as a go-between, which is where the Daimyo and nobility come in. They might not have any real power, but they sure help keep things running. Yagura fucked things up for the Mist by burning that bridge, and Kisame Hoshigaki is on everyone's shitlist for offing the last Steam Daimyo."

Naruto, remembering some class lessons, hummed. "Our jobs come from mostly civilians and nobility."

Suigetsu nodded. "Don't shit where you eat. You don't fuck with the Daimyo; it's just one of those things." He turned to the kneeling ninja. "Things are different here since there's no shinobi village, right?"

"Somewhat," Kuro said. "The Land of Rice is riddled with rogue shinobi and castaways. Self-gain is a poor unifying goal, so small bands are all that can form. Where mayors and petty lords would reign, the most powerful shinobi in the vicinity does."

"But shinobi ruling a country all on their own would mess with the natural order too much," Naruto said, beginning to understand.

"No ninja has been powerful enough to accomplish such a thing, but that is also true." He hummed. "Tadanaga, the reigning Rice Daimyo, is the first to enforce this rule: no shinobi lord may rule more than one fiefdom. Ever since that decree, all who defied him have been assassinated and the land has been prosperous." Furrowing his brow, he pondered. "No one is sure if it's his personal shinobi guard, he hired one of the villages, or he's some kind of puppet for the true lord of this land." His eyes flickered around as if to check for anyone listening in. "Some say it was Orochimaru of the Sannin himself." The four all sharing a knowing look made his blood run cold.

"I guess that explains why no one took my place." Naruto began walking to one of the rooms.

Kuro stood up and joined the others in following. "Some of us have fallen repelling outsiders, and we've had no replacements."

"You've got 'em." He pointed a thumb at the three newcomers while grabbing the sliding door with his free hand.

Suigetsu grimaced. "Look, I know y–" The door opening to reveal a herd of sitting women, all beautiful and in white kimonos, made him grin. "I'm with you to the end!"

Karin squinted at him. "Pervert." She jumped back in fear.

Naruto did not take offense, keeping his eyes on the proverbial prize "You're all going back to your families." He almost laughed at their disappointed cries resonating alongside Suigetsu's. "I need some space." A single missing presence sparked worry.

"What about Rika?" The eldest of them asked before shaking alongside the rest at his angered gaze.

"...Did you exclude her?"

One of the youngest raised her hands. "Sh-Sh-She said she was fine listening to it all from her room."

He relented. "Go." Turning down the hall, he started walking. "Don't make me repeat myself."

Karin pursed her lips while they followed, the crowd of woman pouting as they left behind them. Naruto's chakra had beautiful sparks of warmth at mention of that name. They bled out with sadness. His yearning and passion were sated for a single moment before drowning in the abyss. It made her want to cry.

"Why are you following me?" He turned and stopped. "Find a room, settle down, and relax."

Suigetsu furrowed his brow. "We already did that in the other place."

"Do it again then." Naruto blinked. "Didn't you want to leave or something?" He tilted his head. "I know you know I would kick your ass but still."

"That's debatable." He flinched at his look. "I don't have anything better to do and my village is guaranteed a bigger shithole than usual, which is actually kind of impressive." If there was something to be gained from holding the land, he was certain it would've been taken over already. Orochimaru likely had some kind of extremely ridiculous trap waiting for him anyway.

"Then go." Naruto waited until they, with the exception of Jugo keeping his distance, were gone before going on his way. After a few seconds, he stopped by another sliding door. He reached to touch it, froze, pulled back his hand, and sighed.

"You can come in," a soft voice said.

He did just that. "Hey." He flinched at her jumping. "I'll go."

"My apologies, my lord." She bowed her head, hair somewhat misaligned. "I haven't heard you in some time."

"...Do you need anything?"

"I am well, my lord."

He frowned. "Naruto…" He walked to her side, sat down, and lay down by her side. "Call me Naruto." Her nose twitching made him blush. "I'll go take a bath and change."

Blushing, she inclined her head. "You are very kind, my… Naruto."

"Do I even need to say anything?"

He stood up and left. The bathroom was a few rooms over just distant enough for her not to smell but not far enough to get lost reaching. Plumbing was a luxury in rural areas, so his place was the only one with it. A few of the girls probably were disappointed they were going back home due to that alone. Earth style could construct buildings, which meant it could construct other infrastructure. That might've been something he could practice it on.

Karin, laying flat in one of the rooms, clutched her chest. She couldn't help the tears falling from her eyes. There was no mistaking his feelings or what he was doing. It was like a sad child adopting a puppy they had no idea how to care for. Except he knew the folly in it, as the briefness of the reprieve in his chakra represented. He was still a stranger yet his pain remained unbearable.

Tsunade more than regretted accepting the position of Hokage. While the paperwork was one thing, the stress of it was another demon entirely. It was not alleviated in the least when Anko Mitarashi came two days ago with the most absurd proposal ever. She nearly cracked the replacement tiles when she yelled her out. Everything about it was absurd, and the worst part was she honestly considered it after by asking Shikaku for recommendations. He was shocked at first but didn't speak against. Their options were non-existent.

Her door opened and three familiar weathered faces entered. If one somehow thought it possible for them to be amused, that notion would die upon sight of their expressions. Few could blame them. Everything collapsing near the end of their natural lifetimes was anything but pleasant. Peace of mind was impossible, and they could not let it stand.

"I'm about to understand why Sarutobi-sensei complained about you," she deadpanned.

"Indeed."

Koharu sighed. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Tsunade folded her hands together. "If you already know, why are you here?" Shizune was busy with Shikaku on a great many other things, and Aoba was taking a much-needed break, so they could talk freely.

"Because I think Anko Mitarashi and Hinata Hyuga are perfect candidates," Danzo said.

"...You can't be serious." Her jaw dropped. "They're the ones most emotionally compromised towards Naruto!"

"And the ones he is most emotionally compromised towards."

"You yourself said too much can go wrong if we rely on teenage love!"

He nodded. "My assessment has not changed. That is why they will be accompanied by two agents of my choosing. Anko Mitarashi and Hinata Hyuga will do their part, potentially swaying Naruto Uzumaki back to us, and they will do their part: keeping them in line."

Her brow furrowed. "Two agents of your choosing…" Murder sparked in her eyes. "Root agents?"

"They would have made excellent ones."

"So help me, if th–"

"Enough of your insolence!" Homura yelled. "As we stand about, our enemies plot and maneuver our annihilation. This is not the time to fight among ourselves."

"It is the time for action," Koharu punctuated.

Tsunade parted her lips, paused, and frowned. "...Who are the two you recommend?" They had a point, as much as she hated it. She could look into who he recommended afterward.

"Sai and Torune Aburame." He knew what she was thinking and wasn't concerned in the least.

"Why not Tenzo or, since you're tolerating emotionally compromised candidates, Kakashi and Naruto's teammates?"

"Because Naruto Uzumaki is aware of Tenzo's abilities, which means Orochimaru is." It was impossible for her to argue against that, especially since he knew she knew they were from Orochimaru's experiments. "The boy tried to kill almost all his team in earnest, and the most experienced jonin we have are either lacking in ability to contend with them both or connection with him."

She pursed her lips. "And they could clash emotionally with Anko and Hinata as each lost a student." His reasoning was all too sound. "I'll…" Her eyes closed. "I'll summon them."

He turned around, prompting the others to. "The village rests on our shoulders, Lady Tsunade." He led them out.

The second the door shut, Tsunade snatched the latest small bottle of sake she had stowed away and downed it in one go. "If I ever get a day off, I am going to get soooo drunk and gamble like I'm never seeing tomorrow."

She put the bottle away and had Aoba arrange the summoning when he got back. The anbu, as always, were the first to arrive. Other than her suspicions, something else felt off about them. It was enough for her to notice but too subtle for her to discern. Most being off in some way didn't help. Anko coming in with a smile on her face made a vein in her forehead bulge. Hinata, with her snake, looking confused but happy to see Anko triggered some guilt because of what she was about to send them on.

"...This is an S-rank mission," she began.

They already knew.

Cold grew over time in The Land of Rice. As it did, a patch of brown not far from a certain town kept growing. Naruto put his new stooges through the training method that worked best for him: beating them until they did better. Each healed just as if not faster than him, so they were making more or less the same progress. Orochimaru taught him a handful of jutsu, failed to convince him the Summoning Jutsu was worth anything, started his mithridatism, and told him a bit about the group chasing after him. He checked in on him every once and a while before going back to his hideout, obviously planning or researching ways to take over his body. Kabuto, to his own surprise, did the same when he came by at Naruto's request.

Naruto kept his hair long yet not too long. Karin tried to convince him the merits of a good haircut on several occasions, but he always shut it down. The young plumpness in his face was less so. He was back in orange, specifically a tight orange jacket. Instead of fishnets, he wore a purple undershirt. It was tossup between orange or black for his pants, but he settled on black. His sandals matched what little of his undershirt was visible. Bandages stained red covered his hands for various reasons.

"I'm telling you," Suigetsu, still in his basic purple and gray, said, "Kisame is still alive."

"And I'm telling you I blew him the fuck up." He held out his hand.

Karin rolled her eyes and set her hands on her hips covered by her purple coat and black pants. "When are you going to stop?"

He groaned. "When I get it, duh." The whirling ball of blades formed in his palm, only slightly tearing its wrappings.

"You're not going to have hands to make it if you keep going like this." Kabuto, in his latest disguise, scoffed. "We're going to find out if you can reattach them at this point." He smirked at his 'you-cheeky-fuck' look.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto closed his eyes and tilted his hand. It was full of concentrated force spiraling in a ball. That force let him throw it like one. He wanted more though. Kurama told him all about how powerful the Tailed Beast destructive abilities were. Matching that was his goal, and he'd need to if he wanted to make his dream a reality.

Suigetsu observed the gathering force with envy and interest. "What more do you have to prove?"

"It's not about proving for him," Karin said, knowing more than most should about his innermost workings.

"He wa–" Kabuto's eyes widened as the force stabilized into a whirling shuriken. "...Oh no."

Naruto's opened. "Fuck yes!" He ran to the nearest tree, which was a good distance away, and pulled his hand back.

"Wait!" The honest worry in Kabuto's voice made him confused with himself.

Realizing why he was crying out, Naruto cut the tree using his wind blade with his free hand before ramming his new jutsu into the severed part. He grinned as the trunk was sent spiraling into the sky. The resulting explosion made him jump in joy. It was one thing to add an element to the Rasengan when his father couldn't. What he did was surpass him completely and utterly in one aspect. Nothing could take it away from him.

"Oh wow, you can make Shukaku jealous. Big deal."

'Fuck you, Kurama!' He tried lifting his middle finger for emphasis but couldn't. "...Uh." Blinking, he noticed a tear in his sleeve and his bandages.

Kabuto was by his side before he could notice him. "Give me your hand." When he obeyed, he closed his eyes and focused chakra into it. "Naruto…" He opened them and grimaced. "Never use that jutsu again."

"Huh?"

"Your very cells are damaged." He'd be surprised his hand wasn't mush if he wasn't used to him at that point. "If you use it again, chances are you really will lose it."

Naruto scoffed. "I ju–"

Kabuto squeezed it, making him freeze in pain. "No!" His eyes narrowed. "Naruto!" Letting go, he let his gaze linger.

"...Fine." A warm feeling made him look away.

Suigetsu and Karin shared looks. Kabuto wasn't a stranger anymore, and his odd behavior had a charming quality to it. He wasn't anywhere near Jugo or Naruto's level of instability. While a bit jarring, it was a breath of fresh air compared to what they put up with. The man was obviously a spy, so it was par for the course anyway.

"Narutoooooo!" Jugo, in plain beige clothes and rocketing from overhead, yelled.

He held up his damaged hand in greeting. "I'm alright!" The second he touched down, he hugged him back. "Relax."

He parted from him and raised an eyebrow at his arm before sharing a look with Kabuto. "What is it this time?"

"Oh come on!"

"That hand won't be of use for a couple days," Kabuto said. "And I do mean that in Naruto time."

Naruto himself looked away from Jugo's judging gaze. "You shouldn't love someone who beats the shit out of you so much."

"You're a memento of Kimimaro."

"That's not a good thing." He scratched the back of his head with his working hand. "How far were you?"

He smiled. "Almost at the warning sign. I'm doing better."

"Good." Naruto returned it, blinked, and held out his had again.

Kabuto twitched. "Don't you dare."

"I just want to try something." Lightning swirled in its palm. "A little different this time since it's less stable." He held it up.

"Naruto!" Jugo scolded as he flew far into the sky.

Suigetsu liquefied at the growing light-show. "Oh fuck."

"Nope!" Karin sunk deep into the earth and away.

Facepalming, Kabuto followed her lead. "Idiot."

A lightning storm erupted from his hand. Unlike the common storm, it was horizontal than vertical, which was normally impossible. It shocked trees, Suigetsu, the earth, the sky, and the grass but mostly Suigetsu. Fire sparked, fulgurite formed, and Suigetsu slept. Those distant yet still close enough to see it would remember the spectacle for the rest of their lives.

Naruto lowered his bloody, burnt hand and managed to move it with effort. "...Worth it." He looked around to find his companions, save a puddlegetsu, gone. "You can come back now!" Their 'this-dumbass' looks were well-warranted when they did.

Kabuto grabbed the hand, channeled his chakra into it, and squeezed afterward. "You are every medical practitioners worst nightmare."

"I try to tell him to take better care of himself." Jugo sighed.

Karin squinted at Suigetsu's puddle self. "How are you ever going to be a threat if a single element does this to you?" She knew it was because of how powerful Naruto's jutsu was, but it felt more satisfying to berate him.

Nervous laughter was Naruto's only response. It was strange how well things were going for him. He'd abandoned all he knew and cared for yet found something else, something purer in spite of how twisted it was. While his desires were still the same, he was happy again. Karin, Jugo, and he knew that was likely temporary. His passions alone were appeased. The desire for vengeance and the root of his despair remained.

The journey from The Land of Fire to The Land of Rice was quick, opposite of settling in. Everyone was suspicious. Men, women, and children looked at their transformed selves as if they were little better than scum on the road. Shinobi outright tried to kill them. In comparison, the capital was all too friendly, even though they were still side-eyed. More than a few months worth of supplies and clothes were in seals they kept in their packs. Getting their own place close to the palace without attracting attention was impossible, and reconnaissance from an inn was too risky, so they constructed several underground spots in the woods surrounding the capital beyond the range of any elite sensor ninja with earth style.

Hinata stirred in her sleep. Ever since the inciting incident of recent events, she hadn't slept well. Naruto, deformed and twisted, haunted her nightmares. Neji, Shino, Kiba, and Kurenai mocked her too. Choji would appear to eat chips while it all happened. They were replaced by snakes: licking, coiling, binding, and shocking snakes. She didn't see them, but they were there. At the very least, they'd give way to comforting naked flesh and the taste of sugar with a hint of cinnamon before it was over.

Anko, beneath her, patted her head. They slept in the same sleeping bag ever since they arrived. It wasn't as if they'd have as much opportunities for it ever again. Her cuddly-wuddly going rogue made her nights miserable once more without a suitable replacement, like Hinata. She no longer dreamed of her memories with Orochimaru from his perspective, but they weren't pleasant either. Barely audible footsteps drew her attention to one of their 'allies.'

"It's daylight," Sai deadpanned.

She gently shook Hinata awake. "Our shift's on." She waited until her blank eyes fluttered open to slide out from underneath her. "Come on, princess."

"R-Right, Anko-sensei." As she stood up, Sai and Torune slipped into their own sleeping bags.

The two typically swapped clothes before bed, ate, grabbed their tools, and took the other duo's place. Neither Sai nor Torune had the slightest inkling of interest in them in compromising states, but they still limited the time they spent in them. If any needed a bath, they, with the exception of Torune, went into town. Torune didn't change clothes either. His unique insects, as Hinata found out the first day from her Byakugan, made that a horrible idea.

Anko, as always, dug through the earth with Hinata clutched to her. She wanted to teach her how to, but her chakra was better reserved for her kekkei genkai. When she was out, they trained in taijutsu. It was the specialty of her clan and natural abilities, as much as she wanted to teach other things. Ninjutsu would attract attention too.

They perched on one of their usual spots. Each put the palace in the range of Hinata's Byakugan while keeping her out of range of an elite sensor ninja's. She'd describe events, people, and their behavior if they were worth noticing. Unlike Torune's bugs, she could see their chakra signatures and properly discern emotions. It was possible for her to masquerade as one of the servants almost perfectly. She didn't want to though.

While average looking, some of the shinobi guard took advantage of them. Their lord hardly cared, as he could replace them and occasionally did. He had a number of beautiful women, concubines, to himself. Some genuinely enjoyed it, a few were miserable, and most were there for the luxury. One of his elite kunoichi, Aya, went out to the city and returned with a young man every so often. She killed more than a few. It was tolerated because of her ability and beauty. The two sensor ninja, Daichi and Tadashi, seemed miserable. It was understandable after everything she experienced from being one herself.

"Slow day." Anko looked up from the blank scroll and grinned. "Who's fucking?

Hinata, eye veins bulging, rested her chin on her hand. "I thought this would be more exciting." She grimaced at her own word choice.

"Being a spy is the most boring thing ever until you finally get to kill someone or someone tries killing you." She giggled.

"They're just preparing to celebrate the new year." Hinata's eyes widened a little. "Huh…" She blinked. "I missed my birthday."

Anko flinched. "When was it?" She tilted her head. "Shit, I missed mine too."

"Happy birthday, Anko-sensei." She smiled at her blush. "How old are you now?" Her hands covered her lips as she shook.

She laughed, taking no offense. "Twenty-five; you?"

Hinata stilled before moving her hands. "Fourteen." Her face reddened at Anko looking her over.

"You're finally the rural age to match the mindset." Her blush worsening was all too cute. "Try getting started at twelve." The confused look replacing it matched.

The girl's hair extended past her shoulders. While not too tight, she was growing out of her clothes. It'd still take the better part of a decade for her to fully mature. A lot of ninja didn't last that long, which is why they were considered adults. Sending someone out to die and kill people while saying they weren't ready for other things did not sit well with anyone in the same position. Didn't mean all boundaries, as Kakashi reminded Anko, were free to cross.

"Oh…" Hinata's blush returned. "Did you love him?"

Anko held down a laugh. "I killed him." She let it out when she turned her head. "He was an enemy from The Hidden Mist." She tilted hers, remembering various things. "War… War does things to people that makes you wonder how awful everyone really is." Her adorable, concerned puppy face made her want to lick her lips. "I miss Oro: he really completed your look."

She shuddered and held herself. "I feel horrible leaving him alone."

"Oh, I know." It was her design. "Still nothing?"

"More or less."

Her hand grabbed her shoulder and finger-tapped a sequence, communicating something else entirely. "Really?"

"Yes." There were were no poisonous insects, no alternative movements in the night, or spying bugs that she could see on them.

"Good; how's your chakra?"

"More than adequate for the usual schedule." She smiled. "I think I could keep it up all day."

She shook her head. "Don't push yourself too much. We need you."

"Right, Anko-sensei."

During intervals they set as the dullest hours, they'd go over what each other wrote the other day or what they knew. It was best for them to be familiar with every element of the palace as possible. The routes the guards walked were already memorized in their heads, but the people and lives of the place were more difficult. One misstep was all it'd take to accelerate the Fourth Great Ninja War. Daichi and Tadashi had to be incapacitated without anyone knowing or them remembering if more than just Hinata wanted to go in. Not a single person could suspect a thing when they took care of the Daimyo.

Dosu's presence was extremely distracting at first. Eventually, he bled into the background he literally bled on. They couldn't just train forever, so they began going on missions again. None of it was particularly memorable, save the ones that had them traveling. Wave was only as interesting as it was because they fought two Kage-level ninja there and lived to tell the tale. Missions above D-rank were as boring yet less annoying. A few rogue ninja were in a B-rank to clear some bandit hideout, but the four of them annihilated the opposition. Sakura and Sasuke had no interest in leaving for administrative positions.

Kakashi alone with a scarf and cloak stood, his face in smut, at the snowy practice field. "You're late." He eye-smiled at the annoyed looks from all three.

"I swear, you'd get along with Orochimaru if he wasn't a missing-nin." Dosu froze at the eye's twitch.

Sasuke, in a scarf and cloak Sakura took him shopping for, murmured. "Still nothing?"

"Has word really not spread?" Sakura wearing her own pink, sword on her back, asked. "This kind of thing is historic."

"That's why everything is so quiet. By the time it happens, you won't yet you'll still be surprised." Kakashi stared out at nothing, recalling the Third Great Ninja War.

"What did you call us here for?"

He snapped out of it. "Lady Hokage herself has a mission for us."

"Is it?" Dosu tilted his head.

"We're the last people she'd send." He couldn't blame her either. "She didn't give me a rank, but it's definitely something up there if she's giving it to us personally." Turning to the direction of the village, he started walking.

The Leaf looked very different during winter. Green and brown gave way to white. It was beautiful, but it was a sudden, contrasting shift. A surprising number saw it as a chance to try on new fashion. Everyone else just saw it as a pain to get used to. When they got to the Hokage Residence, people were still running around yet less so.

Massaging her temples, Tsunade raised her head to greet them. "Ka–"

"Kakashi!" Guy embraced him. "My Eternal Rival!"

"H-Hey," said rival greeted.

Kiba by a somewhat bigger Akamaru glanced from Tenten's blank face to Lee's beaming. "So he really just does that." He squinted at Dosu. "And I see the rumors are true."

The new Leaf ninja looked away from the manliest hug to raise a hand in greeting. "Sup."

Sighing, Tsunade rolled her eyes. "This is an A-rank mission." They all fell into ranks, thankfully. "The Land of Steam's Daimyo is going to be celebrating the new year, but The Village Hidden in the Steam has been behaving too strangely for his liking. He requested our best offering a fortune, so we're taking it." She waved them out the door before they could celebrate the implication. "Don't mess up a simple milk run."

"Yes!" Kiba and Akamaru, walking out, jumped alongside Guy and Lee, nearly smashing their heads into the ceiling.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "We're glorified babysitters." She flinched at their collective deflating.

Dosu sighed. "...You know, I thought being an actual ninja would be a lot more exciting."

"Tell me about it," the rest said in unison.

Sakura scoffed. "You missed D-rank hell because of us. You should be grateful." She shook at her memories.

"We're still stuck in it." Tenten groaned as Akamaru whimpered.

"I don't think we should celebrate just yet." Kakashi's lips pursed beneath his mask. "The Steam Daimyo could just be overly cautious, but this also could be warranted."

They'd find out.

AN: I was very excited to move on to this. There was a loooooot I needed to build up. A lot I needed to explain to. The actual system in canon isn't explored in depth, but it operates kind of off the old Japanese feudal system of Shogun military leader and puppet Emperor. Isn't to say the latter position is pointless or worthless though. Legitimacy is everything.

We have what I like to call Five Elements Naruto, Snake Lotus Hinata, Dormant MS Sasuke, and Kenjutsu Genjutsu Sakura. For everyone else, you could say Post-Training (Insert Name Here). I am too lazy to come up with cool names for everyone. Okay here's a few I came up with writing this: 7 Leaf Dosu, Rock Dog Kiba, Bitter Blade Tenten, and Mourning Youth Lee.

I guess we're officially in part 2 of this fic since there was a timeskip and everything. Just way shorter than the actual canon timeskip because fuck if I'm going to fall into the same trap Kishi did of having Naruto learn stuff he should've done before. His basics needed refining, but his performance was so lacking for the first two arcs.

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