Sasuke stood amongst the wreckage of the town. His eyes scanned everything with his Sharingan, committing the scene to memory in a way only an Uchiha could. He had heard stories, read history, consulted numerous scrolls throughout his family's extensive library, and yet nothing could have truly prepared him for the sight he was now witnessing. A natural disaster. Destruction personified. He didn't need to get up close to understand what had happened here. Just being in the town when it went down was enough, watching the battle from the sidelines. And yet, despite seeing it, despite being able to piece together what was going on, he couldn't believe it.

'Naruto… did all of this?'

He grit his teeth, clenching his hands so hard they hurt. How? Was the distance between them truly this extreme? It didn't seem real. It should have been impossible for someone like Naruto to be capable of this. But here was the evidence. Sasuke winced as the curse mark burned hotter and hotter, urging him to delve into its power, to give in. Kakashi's seal was helping a little. At least now he couldn't hear the spine-chilling whispers of Orochimaru himself lurking in his mind, but the sensations were still there. The clawing at his will, constantly bringing to surface the memory of when he had let it loose, the power he had felt… and then it would be gone. The slowest build up to the most sudden drop to nothing. It was maddening. Almost as maddening as the realisation that his brother was after Naruto.

Itachi was the reason he was even out here in the first place. As soon as he had heard about his brother infiltrating Konoha, he almost couldn't believe it, and in search of Naruto of all people. He had not wasted any time trying to figure it out. Such things could be found out after he had defeated his brother and saved Naruto. That is how he imagined it would go anyway. Once he got here however, his world was flipped on its head. Between watching his brother's Tsukuyomi fail, his large sharklike partner besting Naruto like it was a child's game, and then… that thing. Was that thing really Naruto? Just what the hell had he seen? What was going on? Itachi didn't even try to fight it. He retreated. His brother. An S-rank shinobi, murderer of the entirety of the strongest clan in Konoha, fled from that thing. If not for Jiraiya, Sasuke was sure that monster would have levelled the entire town, assuming it even stopped there. But that only made it more uneasy to remember. Jiraiya of the freaking Sannin had fought it to a standstill. Not a sure win, not an actual victory, just a simple standstill.

'All that power,' he seethed internally. That was the kind of strength he needed. The power that would help him avenge his clan, to finally kill his brother. 'Naruto…'

He broke from his thoughts as he heard someone approach. Sasuke had not managed to avoid being found during the chaos just to be caught now. Ducking behind some nearby rubble, he waited for them to pass by, only they didn't. Two sets of footsteps made their way to the centre of the destruction, the last place Naruto, that creature, had been before Jiraiya… actually, he still wasn't sure what Jiraiya had done to get rid of that thing.

"That was most… unexpected."

Sasuke's blood went cold. He knew that voice. The voice of the man he had vowed to kill. The voice that still haunted his every waking moment. Itachi. Right there. Within reach. His hand slowly dipped into his pouch and retrieved a kunai, but he couldn't hold it steady. Was he afraid? No. He was too excited. That had to be it. Just the jitters. He moved slowly, carefully, crawling around and through the rubble to get as close as he could, until he found the perfect vantage point, peering through a small gap in debris to watch and wait for the perfect moment.

"You're telling me," Kisame said. "Want to explain what happened back there?"

"The fourth Hokage was far more forward thinking than anyone could have expected. Little Naruto's seal does far more than just contain the nine tails it seems," he said, carefully inspecting the battle site around them. "And you? Your sword seemed to have some trouble with the boy. Should we question the viability of your assistance in these matters?"

"Feh, maybe the seal had something to do with that too," Kisame said, hoisting Samehada off his back and inspecting the four large claw marks in its side. They were healing, if a lot slower than they should have been, but for something to even hurt his sword to begin with was intriguing. "Samehada has never had a problem with chakra before, tailed beast or otherwise. It was working just fine up to a point. Still, the nine tails is a whole different breed of monster. I can't wait to get another shot at it."

"Be careful what you wish for," Itachi said. "Perhaps it would be best to test your sword on the other jinchuuriki first. I don't need you dragging me down when the time comes."

Kisame chuckled. "So cold, Itachi. And here I thought we were becoming friends. Don't worry, we will be ready next time," he said, gently stroking the scaly sword, earning a series of pleased growls and shudders.

"Good. For now, we should leave. Leader will want to know what happened here. With Jiraiya personally protecting the nine tails, our plans may require more effort than first thought," Itachi said.

"Nothing we can't handle," Kisame said, quickly turning his attention to a nearby pile of rubble. "And what about the other little brat?"

Sasuke froze as the shark man grinned, eyes focused on where he was hiding. It wasn't until he caught his mistake did his eyes dart back to where Itachi was standing.

"Hello, Sasuke."

Too late. Despite knowing better, Sasuke turned around, coming eye to eye with his brothers Sharingan. His world collapsed into the all too familiar realm of the Tsukuyomi.

'No! No! No!'

"I think a reminder is long overdue, little brother…" the world shifted, morphing into the streets of Konoha, of their home. Blood strewn across the walls and ground, bodies littering the streets and the houses that lined them. A sword appeared in Itachi's hand, their parents materialising in front of him, on their knees, at his mercy. "I will make sure the lesson sticks this time."

Shizune huffed in frustration as she walked out of yet another gambling den and began her march toward the next one. She should have known better by now, but her kinder nature always got the better of her when it came to her sensei. Sometimes she did wonder if perhaps her complicit nature was doing her master more harm than good. Perhaps what she really needed was a firm helping hand, not a feeble student following her like a loyal pet. Shizune would do it herself, but whenever she tried to stand up to the woman she was met with laughter or general disregard. She had clearly left it too late to grow a backbone. But something had to give, and soon. Things were getting harder; more debt collectors chasing them, less loan sharks willing to give them money, and an ever-growing number of reputable establishments blacklisting their names for life. If Tsunade's goal was to systematically destroy her own reputation, she was doing an amazing job.

She reached the next den quickly enough, and with the efficiency and accuracy of a medic she surgically weaved her way through the patrons and staff, checking every room to no avail. This search was taking too long. The day was coming to an end and once the night life of the town kicked in, she wouldn't have a hope of finding her sensei. If she didn't know any better, Shizune would say that Tsunade didn't want to be found on purpose this time. Of course, she knew Tsunade never wanted to be found at all, but this time felt different, with her master going so far as to even take Tonton with her. She rarely took her beloved pig to any questionable places unless Shizune was there to keep an eye on things. That should have been red flag number one.

'You and I are going to have a serious talk about this, Tsunade,' she thought to herself, trying to maintain her brisk pace while now having to navigate around the growing hustle and bustle of the streets.

So caught up in her worries and internal chastising was she that she hadn't noticed someone following her until it was too late. She felt the hand grab her shoulder from behind before she noticed the presence of the person, and unfortunately for them, she was not the mere helpless woman she appeared to be. In a movement so quick and fluid that the civilians around her weren't even sure what they saw, Shizune grabbed the offending hand and twisted it painfully, spinning around and pressing two now dull green glowing fingers to the person's throat.

"I am not in the mood to deal with… Lord Jiraiya?" she spluttered.

Jiraiya grinned sheepishly at the woman. "Hey Shizune, been a while. You're looking well. Still just as sharp as ever I see," he said, his eyes looking down at his twisted wrist still in her surprisingly strong grip.

"Oh my god," she quickly pulled her hand away from his throat and released his hand before gently clasping his wrist between her now glowing hands. "I am so sorry. Please forgive me."

"Don't worry about it. As far as beatings from women go, that was barely a warm up. Should have me ready for when Tsunade sees me," he said with a chuckle, looking around curiously. "Any idea where she is?"

Shizune shook her head. "I haven't seen her all day," she said. "I'm trying to track her down now, but she is being more trouble than she's…" she froze, finally noticing the large amount of dried blood covering the Sannin's clothes. "Lord Jiraiya, are you alright?"

Jiraiya smiled. "Oh this, its nothing. Just a little cut."

Before he could protest Shizune placed her hand on his chest. It didn't take long at all for her expression to sour. "What on earth happened to you?"

"It's not that big of a deal, I promise," he said. "Now please, will you help me find Tsunade?"

Shizune frowned. "What's going on Jiraiya?" she asked. "If you want me to help, I need to know what you need sensei for. What are you getting her into?"

Jiraiya sighed deeply. He was not having much luck with stubborn women lately. When had he lost his brilliant charm. "I can explain as we go, but first…" he lifted his shirt with a sheepish smile, showing four poorly healed claw marks running across his side. "I could actually use a little touch up."

Temari breathed heavily, a sheen of sweat doing little to keep her cool as she once again went through the hand seals. Slowly and precisely, she moulded her chakra, feeling it form and flow through her body, shifting with each new gesture. It was always an interesting sensation when learning a new jutsu, the way the chakra would behave differently inside of her in preparation for what was to come, feeling for what it should and shouldn't be until the right results were found. For the most part ninjutsu was just a matter of trial and error with a splash of creativity; after that it boiled down to discipline and routine. She had already leant several useful jutsu, even mastered them to levels that most chunin would consider adept, but her library was still relatively small, especially when it came to the most important field of all, her chakra nature.

Her chakra spiked as she reached the final hand seal. Reaching out, she flattened her hand and let her chakra flow around her arm in two separate bodies, both swirling and twisting around her hand, grinding endlessly against one another. The air around her arm shifted as she focused, carefully introducing her chakra nature into the now fully formed blade. With a grunt Temari leapt into a sprint, her eyes locked onto a nearby tree surrounding the clearing as she closed the gap in remarkable time. She swiped her arm at the trunk and pushed outward with her chakra, watching in glee as the wood parted like butter under a red-hot knife, her hand passing through effortlessly until it cleared the tree entirely.

Her victory was short lived as almost as soon as the chakra dissipated from her arm, was she forced to jump out of the way of the falling tree. As the dust settled on the destruction she wrought to the once peaceful and quiet forest of Mt Myoboku, Temari sat with her back to her freshly defeated training post, panting and smiling at her accomplishment. She looked around the clearing at the other trees she had used to practice this technique, seeing only deep gashes or splintered holes where she had gotten the chakra control wrong or the wind nature hadn't fully taken hold. Each tree showed the stages of her progress, of which she couldn't wait to show Baki. He would surely be proud.

"Very impressive, girl," Shima said, hopping up onto the newly toppled tree trunk. "To have such skill with chakra nature at such a young age is truly remarkable."

Temari jumped up at the old toad's appearance, bowing as she continued to catch her breath. "Lady Shima… thank you," she said before suddenly realising that maybe dropping trees in the toad's homeland was a bad idea. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do this much damage."

Shima laughed. "Haha, oh you sweet thing, no amount of destruction you could unleash would be any worse than when Gamabunta first started training with Jiraiya," she said. "Those two were a walking disaster before they mastered teamwork and control. But enough about that, have you eaten? Can't have you going hungry while you train."

Temari scrunched her face up at the thought of food. The toads, while very generous and kind, had very little to offer in the way of food. Everything they offered was edible, sure; it was probably even good for you too. But if she was starving in the desert, Temari would think twice before downing another bowl of whatever stew Shima managed to brew. "I, uh, yeah no, I ate before coming out here," she said quickly, patting her stomach. "No need to worry."

Shima quirked her brow at the girl as an audible grumble came from her stomach, as if her body was actively outing her for lying. "Come along, Temari," she said. "I will not have you starve on my watch, especially not when I sent for some food from one of your human restaurants."

"You did?" Temari asked, hopeful but not unprepared for disappointment.

"Yes, well, Naruto made his distaste for our food known… loudly," Shima said. "At least you had the decency to maintain your manners. I thought it would be best to accommodate your tastes. If you don't eat enough then neither of you will heal properly."

"Oh… thank you, lady Shima. You didn't need to."

"Not a worry, child," the toad said, hopping up onto Temari's shoulder. "I hope you don't mind giving an old lady a lift. Sore joints you see."

Temari chuckled. Shima reminded her a lot of lady Chiyo from Suna. Neither of them would ever find out about each other if she could help it. The two of them together would be impossible to deal with. "I don't mind," she said, beginning the walk back to the hut.

Once they arrived, Shima hopped off the girl's shoulder and gave her a smile. "Why don't you go and check on Naruto. I'll go find Pa and see if Jiraiya has sent word," she said. "The food and supplies are inside."

Temari was quick to make her way inside at the prospect of a proper meal, only stop and stare curiously at the sight before her. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Naruto barely lifted a single eyelid to look at her before closing it again and returning to his blissful ignorance of the world around him. He was sat cross legged against the wall of the hut, his hands resting gently in his lap. A good portion of his body was still wrapped in bandages, although what skin was visible was a fresh pinky colour. The Kyuubi's chakra was no longer flowing from the seal in an amount that offered him any substantial benefits, but that didn't mean his body had suddenly returned to normal. His wounds still healed with an unsettling speed, even if that provided problems of its own. Who would have known that regenerating almost all his skin back would be so… itchy. At least it was better than sitting around in agony for weeks or months on end.

"Meditating," he said plainly.

Temari scoffed. "You? Meditating? Well, aren't you full of surprises."

Naruto frowned. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," she said, picking up a bag laying by the door and moving to sit next to Naruto, much to the boy's annoyance. "I'm just checking in. Gotta make sure you aren't going to go crazy Kyuubi kid on us again. Speaking of… any luck?"

"No," he said. "I can't feel him anymore. The seal is too tight now. I can't even draw on any of his chakra."

"Consider yourself lucky," Temari said offhandedly. "Shikaku never shuts up according to Gaara. Keeps him awake all the time, always trying to get out and wreak havoc. What we wouldn't give to have his seal tightened just for a little while."

Naruto huffed. He didn't bother saying anything. He new Gaara's condition was different to his own, no two people suffered the same, but Temari had very little idea what she was talking about. The fox was his prisoner. It was within his body, his mind. No one else should have had any control over what was a part of him. The Kyuubi was an ass at times, but he was a part of Naruto's life whether he liked it or not. To have that taken away from him without his say was insulting. He had a lot to talk to Jiraiya about when he finally returned.

"Oh great, ramen," Temari said dryly, pulling several packets of the noodles from the bag. "Guess those are for you. Chestnuts are mine, do not even touch them. Orange clothes, yours. Oh…" she paused as she pulled out a small handheld fan. It was an odd piece, much smaller than the large battle fan she was practiced with using, but this one had its own unique style. It was slightly larger than a normal handheld folding fan, and made of noticeably heavier material. Temari was still going to replace her main fan as soon as possible, but for the time being this would be a good and lightweight alternative. "This will work." She tucked it away, managing to hide the entire thing in the folds of her sash at the small of her back.

Naruto tried to ignore Temari as she continued to rummage through the bags that the toads had brought from Konoha. The fact that they hadn't simply returned the two of them back to the village and left Jiraiya to deal with his teammate alone was annoying. He wasn't about to complain though, not to the toads anyway. He knew if he was back in Konoha he would be stuck in the hospital, and he was very much enjoying not being there while he healed. Something about Mt Myoboku made him feel at ease. There was a calmness to the lands, and a power that dwelled in the very soil and trees around them. Naruto was sure if the Kyuubi wasn't locked away right now he would have an insight into what he was sensing, but with no sign of that being corrected anytime soon, he resided to simply enjoying the peace.

"You were training with wind ninjutsu," he said out of the blue.

Temari gave him a strange look before sniffing her shirt curiously. "Do I stink? I'll go bathe soon," she said.

"You don't stink," Naruto said, his tone failing to be assuring in any way. "You just… people smell a certain way when they use different ninjutsu."

Naruto wasn't even entirely sure why he was talking. He supposed he was bored. With the ever-present voice in his head now missing it became apparent that he did enjoy holding conversations of a sorts, he just didn't have all that much experience doing with other people. At some point or another he and Temari were going to have to pass off as a couple, so it wouldn't hurt to get the ball rolling on it.

"That's cool, I think," Temari said, looking at the boy curiously. "What do they smell like?" The idea of being able to identify people's elemental alignment by smell was an interesting prospect, but what was even more interesting for Temari was Naruto awkwardly attempting small talk. Dare she say it, it was almost cute. There was no way Naruto knew he was making barely noticeable expressions of frustration as he carefully chose his words, and she wasn't going to tell him.

"Fire smells like burnt hair," he said. "They usually don't realise they are singeing their hair unless it's really bad. But they almost always smell like it."

Temari scrunched up her nose at the thought. She was glad to not have this ability. The last time she fought a fire jutsu user she had her hair singed and the smell lingered for days.

"Water smells like rain."

"I feel like I could have guessed that…" Temari muttered, mostly to herself.

"Lightning smells like bad eggs," he continued, earning another displeased look from the girl. "The bigger the lightning jutsu the worse the smell."

"So that chirping bird jutsu your teammate used on Gaara?"

"Makes him smell horrible for hours after," Naruto said, his nose twitching at the memory. "Earth smells… musty and bland. Like they just took a shower in dirt."

Temari nodded approvingly of that. Not many people with an affinity for earth nature had particularly colourful personalities. Most of the ones she knew from Suna were all sticklers for the rules and followed routines too much. She frowned as she realised Naruto had left wind until last. Maybe it smelt weird and he was waiting to break the news. That would make things awkward. If they were really going to try and make this whole marriage idea work then he was going to have to deal with whatever she smelt like. "And wind?" she asked, waiting for him to say something ridiculous.

"Wind…" he trailed off as he looked outside to the mountains, all green and covered in lush forest, the wind keeping everything in a constant flowing motion. "Wind smells like the forest. The leaves, the trees, flowers. I think it depends on the person. But it is almost always something pleasant."

"Oh?" Temari started, giving him a questioning look. "And what do I smell like? And if you say flowers, I'm going to call you out on it, because I know damn well I don't smell like a rose over here."

"Freshly cut grass," he said. Turning his attention to her and internally enjoying the perplexed look on her face. "You smell like freshly cut grass. You must use more chakra than you mean to and cut the grass around you while you train because it's really strong today."

Temari blinked a few times. "And you… don't like it?" she asked unsurely. She still wasn't any good at reading Naruto. She could only assume from how he had reacted to smelling her when he woke up from his injuries.

"No," he said. "Its… quite nice."

Temari tried her best not to blush a little at that comment. At least Naruto didn't seem to care about her blushing at his words, for which she was grateful. "Well, that makes things easier, I guess," she said before giving him an up and down glance. "You might want to go for a bath soon though. You don't stink yet, but it won't be long, and your bandages need to be changed."

Naruto internally grumbled. The benefit to the Bijuu cloak was that it burnt off all forms of bacteria and smell from his body, and his healing meant that his wounds never festered or smelled bad. Still, a few days recovering in bandages was going to start to make anyone smell funky, and Temari was right. It was better to get it over with before that happened. If anyone was sensitive to their own odour it was Naruto. How some people walked around in their own stench was beyond him. That being said, his wounds weren't all healed yet, which meant only one thing… it was going to hurt.

"Come on," Temari said cheerfully, standing up and gesturing for Naruto to follow. "I'll show you where we can have a bath." She stopped to grab a roll of bandages from a nearby pack and then headed out the door.

It was a slow process following Temari down the mountain. Naruto finally understood why the Kyuubi had always refrained from giving him more of its chakra than it thought he could handle at the time. The damage to his muscles was more than he expected, but thankfully the more he moved the better things seemed to feel. Thankfully, Temari was patient with him and maintained a pace that he could match. Eventually they reached a spot where a gentle stream pooled in several spots, the water clean and clearly warm if the slight steam on the surface was anything to go by.

"Hot springs?" he asked in surprise.

Temari grinned widely. "You have no idea how happy I was when Shima brought me down here for the first time," she said. "I was worried we were going to have to freeze our butts off in one of the rivers."

Naruto internally let out a sigh of relief. He had feared much the same, knowing that a cold bath would be an extremely uncomfortable experience right now. "I'll let you know when I'm…" he paused awkwardly as he turned to Temari. "…done."

Temari, already in the middle of undressing, gave him a perplexed look. "What?"

"Okay, you let me know when you're done," he said quickly, turning to leave.

"Don't tell me you're shy," Temari said amusedly. "Big bad jinchuuriki can't handle seeing some skin?"

Naruto gave her a bored stare. "I'm not a pervert," he said simply. "Would you not prefer your privacy?"

Temari shrugged. "I don't mind," she said. "Besides, who do you think was changing your bandages while you were out? We are way beyond the point of being shy around each other."

Naruto had the decency to try and look somewhat embarrassed that he hadn't considered the logistics of his care. Back in Konoha he would always wake up in the hospital, being treated by people he didn't care to know or remember, assuming he needed care at all. Making a mental note to never let himself become so vulnerable around people he had to deal with often, he began painstakingly and carefully removing his clothes and the myriad of bandaging that enveloped him. By the time he lowered himself into the hot spring, Temari had already been soothing herself in the water for some minutes.

For a while the two sat in silence. Neither wanted to interrupt the peacefulness of the moment, nor did they want to risk making things awkward. Naruto wouldn't say it aloud, but he was actually enjoying the atmosphere of this place. He always enjoyed being away from Konoha. It never mattered where he went, only that was away from people who knew him, who knew what he was, who looked at him with such disdain. Temari didn't look at him like that. It made being around her far more tolerable. Naruto surmised it was from growing up with Gaara. She was used to the concept of a jinchuuriki. But he remembered back during the invasion, he had seen the fear in her when the Ichibi was loose, when Gaara gave into the bloodlust. So why then, did she never look at him like that. Especially now, after what she had seen he was capable of.

'Am I not as scary as Gaara?' he thought to himself, quickly shaking his head at the idea. That was the most ridiculous thought to cross his mind in years. He didn't care if anyone feared him. It just helped most of the time when they did. Reputation mattered little in the grand scheme of things. But the question remained, what was Temari's game. She had to be playing at something. No one was this calm around him unless they knew they were stronger, which she wasn't, or they were scheming something. Not to say that was surprising. Suna might have been grovelling at Konoha's feet with this marriage, but that didn't mean they couldn't still plan and scheme for their own benefit. It would be less believable if they didn't try.

"So… I take it you don't lose control of your tailed beast very often?" Temari asked curiously.

Naruto gave her a side-eyed stare. "It isn't common, no." That was a lie. He and the Kyuubi had a deal, an understanding dating back years now. This had never happened before. Even if it had been a life-or-death scenario, Naruto had always been clear that he didn't want collateral damage. The last thing either of them wanted was too much attention, or worse, setbacks. His hand gently rubbed the seal on his stomach as he frowned. So much for that idea.

"What does it feel like?" Temari asked. The question had been nagging at her for a while now. With Gaara it seemed much more straight forward. Maybe that was due to the sheer difference in power between the Ichibi and the Kyuubi. What was as simple as falling asleep for Gaara was clearly a far more destructive experience for Naruto, and he hadn't even unleashed the full extent of the fox's power. 'Four tails. Not even half, and this is what it did to him. What would all nine do?'

Naruto regarded the girl carefully. Did she even realise how suspicious it was for her to be asking questions about the Kyuubi? He sighed. It was obvious even to him that she wasn't digging for info. She was genuinely curious, if only in the hopes of understanding her brother more. That much he could respect. "It feels like my blood is on fire," he said. "It burns. My blood, my chakra, everything is just… fire. But it feels… good, I think."

"Good?"

He nodded. "When you're on fire, you don't feel anything else," he said. "Nothing else hurts, nothing else matters, its just you and the fire. You and the power to do anything you want, if you can focus enough to do anything more than kill anything that moves." Naruto watched her reaction. She was clearly reliving memories of her past, reevaluating her outlook on Gaara. She was trying hard to understand, more than anyone else would bother. He supposed, in a way, Gaara was lucky to have someone so committed to overcome that boundary. "You should ask him."

"What?" Temari looked up at him, surprised.

"Gaara," he clarified. "It would be different for him. The Ichibi is different. You should talk to him, ask him what it feels like. He might even appreciate it."

"Do you even realise who you are talking about?" she said. "Gaara doesn't talk to people. He tolerates me and Kankuro and kills anyone else he can. If I could get answers from him, I would."

"You want to understand him, to help him. You want your brother, not the Ichibi," Naruto said casually, earning a wide-eyed look from the girl. "You are disturbingly easy to read," he added, condescendingly.

Temari frowned. "Is that really such a bad thing?" she asked. "To want to help my little brother."

"No," Naruto said.

Temari waited patiently for him to continue, but it became apparent that was all he had to say. She didn't bother pushing the subject further. There would be plenty of time to grill him for more info before she had to confront her brother again. If she was lucky, that would be a long time away. Dealing with one jinchuuriki at a time was stressful enough. "Do you think Jiraiya is making any progress?" she asked.

"Only if he keeps his mind out of the gutter and his hands to himself," Naruto said. "How that old pervert hasn't been killed already is beyond me."

Temari chuckled. "Is he really that bad?"

"The first time I met Jiraiya, he was perving on the woman's bath house in Konoha," Naruto said.

"And what were you doing to find him there?" Temari asked suspiciously.

Naruto gave her an odd look. Had he not just told her he wasn't a pervert? "I was minding my business," he said. "Until I caught him… and pushed him through the wall. The women inside took care of the rest."

Temari nodded approvingly at that answer. "Well, at least I don't have to worry about you leering at me," she said with a wink. Sadly, she didn't get a reaction from him. 'Well, seducing him isn't going to work,' she thought. In a way that was a good thing, but it did make things more challenging. Most guys would have tried to steal a peak by now, especially in a hot spring. She would just have to find some other way for them to bond. At least it wouldn't cost her dignity.

Naruto sniffed the air curiously, gazing off towards the trees nearby. "Jiraiya…" he said warningly.

Jiraiya smiled guiltily as he walked out from behind a tree. "Don't worry, I wasn't taking notes this time," he said. "I just didn't want to interrupt you two while you seemed to be getting along so well."

Temari scoffed at the man. "You could have waited back at the hut," she said, glaring at him.

"If I'd had known you would be here, I would have," Jiraiya said. "How was I supposed to know young love worked so fast." He laughed as Temari blushed and sunk deeper into the water.

"Pervert."

"Oh please. My tastes are far more refined than that," he said. "Speaking of my tastes actually, I found Tsunade."

"Are we going back to Konoha?" Naruto asked. He was enjoying being away from the village, but if he had to choose between the village and Jiraiya, he chose the village.

"Not exactly…"

"Meaning?"

Jiraiya sighed deeply. "Tsunade hasn't agreed to come back to Konoha. But she has offered to heal the both of you," he said. "It isn't much, but it's something."

"I'll pass," Naruto said.

"You don't have a choice," Jiraiya said. "We have no idea what the side effects of using that much of the Kyuubi's chakra are. Until I am sure you aren't a risk, we aren't going back, and that seal stays locked up tight."

"Actually," Temari spoke up. "A medic does sound good."

"Excellent. I'll be back at the hut when you two are done," Jiraiya said, giving the two a knowing and perverted smirk. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Temari sighed in relief as Jiraiya left them alone. "Come on then," she grumbled, annoyed that her relaxation had been cut short. "I'll help bandage you back up." As the two got out of the water and began drying themselves, Temari could feel Naruto's eyes on her. She didn't mind if he looked. She was already well and truly prepared for the more humiliating demands of this marriage, so a little leering was honestly the least of her concerns. But when she turned to catch him out on it, she found not the leering eyes of a pervert, but a look of shame. "What?"

Naruto's eyes were fixated on her, on her body. Temari was attractive, even he couldn't deny that. Her confidence and lack of shame was a breath of fresh air compared to the always private and hostile nature of the girls in Konoha. But that wasn't why he was staring. Her arms were covered in scratches and bruises, even her face had several small nicks that he hadn't noticed until now. It was her side, however, that drew his attention the most. A large patch of skin, blackened and purple, covering her ribs on her left side. Temari had never mentioned being injured, not once. She didn't so much as wince or whine the whole time while she helped him recover. It wasn't hard to figure out why she might have kept her lips tight about such a thing, considering he most likely caused it.

Temari followed his eyes to her bruised side and frowned. "Don't," she said. "It's fine. It wasn't your fault. I don't blame you."

"You should have said something."

"It doesn't matter, okay," she said, putting her shirt back on quicky. Temari grabbed the roll of bandages and walked over to Naruto. "Once we see Tsunade, it'll be like it never happened. Now hold your arms out."

Naruto pulled his pants on and did as she asked, standing still while she applied the bandages. It felt rude to have her help him, but he appreciated that she wasn't holding her injuries against him. Had he hurt anyone from Konoha he wouldn't have heard the end of it for months. Naruto had to admit, Temari was proving herself to be far from the worst choice for the marriage.

"What's with the twirp?" Tsunade asked.

"Who's the hag?" Naruto countered.

Jiraiya sighed. "Behave you two," he said. "Tsunade, this is Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto, this is Tsunade."

"I'm Temari of the sand," Temari said, introducing herself with a courteous bow. "It is nice to meet you, lady Tsunade."

Tsunade smirked. "Finally. Someone with manners," she said, glaring at Jiraiya. "You could learn a thing or two."

Naruto looked at Tsunade warily, then at Jiraiya, then back to Tsunade, a look of genuine curiosity on his face. "You don't look old," he said, pausing to sniff the air. "But you smell old."

"What was that?" Tsunade asked daringly.

'Genjutsu,' Naruto concluded. That was a shame. He had almost no ability with genjutsu. Even if he wanted to see what she actually looked like, he wouldn't be able to dispel it. He would have to learn how to do that later. "Nothing."

Tsunade huffed. "That's what I thought," she muttered. "You must be the Kyuubi brat. Heard you caused quite a bit of trouble a few towns over. Care to explain yourself?"

Naruto clenched his jaw. "Not to you."

"Tsunade…" Jiraiya said, his tone warning her to play nice.

"Fine, fine. Come on, brats. Let's get you healed up nice and quick so you can all piss off and leave me alone," Tsunade said, her hand starting to glow a faint green.

"Her first," Naruto said, gesturing to Temari.

Tsunade shrugged. "I don't care who goes first, just make it quick."

Temari blinked in surprise before scowling at Jiraiya. "Not around a pervert."

"Smart girl. Jiraiya, leave," Tsunade said coldly.

"Come on, Naruto. I have something I want to show you anyway," Jiraiya said, leading the boy away.

Once they were gone Temari finally took the time to inspect the women before her. Naruto was right, Tsunade was much younger in appearance than she should have been, but Temari wasn't stupid enough to comment on it. The Sannin's apprentice, who had remained silent this whole time, watched on with a solemn expression and a… pig? What was that about? She shook her head. It didn't matter. All that mattered was getting healed and moving on. As great as it would have been to finally see a strong and powerful kunoichi ascend to the role of kage for one of the great five villages, it wasn't worth forcing someone into the position.

That they were meeting them here, at a gambling den, was questionable enough. Tsunade's reputation wasn't necessarily all that amazing, but this proved just how far the legend and sunk. The bitter expression on the woman's face was enough to guess what kind of luck she must have been having here already. Being tracked down by her old teammate was also less than favourable.

"Alright, what am I looking at?" Tsunade asked, the smell of alcohol on her breath.

Temari glanced around, making sure no one else was around to see. She didn't care if Naruto saw her, for obvious reasons, but that didn't mean she was going to give just anyone a free show. She lifted her shirt and bandages. "I think I broke some ribs," she said, managing to hold back a wince as Tsunade didn't hesitate to place her hand on the bruise.

"Well, they aren't snapped, so that's a start," Tsunade said. "You hold yourself well. I almost wouldn't have thought you were this injured."

"Thanks," Temari said, Tsunade's chakra already working its magic and bringing her much needed relief.

"So, how did you get stuck traveling with those two?" Tsunade asked. "Does Suna have an offer for me as well?"

"Oh, no. Not at all. I'm, well, I guess I'm not a Suna kunoichi anymore," Temari said, gently touching her village symbol around her neck. Suna had permitted her to keep it, and she hadn't been prepared to part with it yet. "Naruto and I are… engaged."

Tsunade quirked an eyebrow curiously at that. "Aren't you two a little young?"

"Political marriage. Suna's attempt at reconciling for its transgressions against Konoha," Temari explained. "Not ideal. But could be worse, all things considered. As long as I can stay alive, it should be fairly straight forward."

"So that old fool Sarutobi agreed to this? What a joke. And I assume you want me to come be the Hokage so I can undo this and let you go home?" Tsunade asked.

"No," Temari said. "I know what I agreed to. I wouldn't shame my village by taking the easy way out."

"Screw the villages," Tsunade said. "Think about yourself. No one else will. They will just take what they can from you and throw you away as soon as it benefits them. Well, I guess yours already did that to you. Otherwise, you'd still be back there, wouldn't you. Serving as a shinobi gets you nothing but loss and heartache. Once you figure that out, you'll be better off."

"Why do you think I'm here?" Temari said. "At least I got to choose to be married off. It might not be glamorous, and it might suck at times, but it was my choice. The first choice I ever got to make with my life. And its still better than being a sad miserable drunk with a gambling addiction… ow!"

Tsunade smirked as she squeezed Temari's ribs. "Careful brat, I'm not the one who needs healing."

Temari scoffed. "You sure about that?"

Tsunade laughed. "I like you," she said. "You're a smart ass, but I like you."

"Lucky me," Temari muttered.

"Look, I'm not here to question your life choices," Tsunade said. "You can make all the mistakes you want. You are your own idiot. But I mean look at you… is it really worth getting hurt like this? Is it worth dying for?"

"Maybe not. But it's worth a try."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. She had had her fill of optimistic fools for one lifetime. "That should sort you out for the moment," she said, withdrawing her hand from the girl's side. "I would refrain from getting hit there again for a while, just in case."

Temari took a deep breath, happy that it wasn't accompanied by pain anymore. "Thanks," she said simply, turning to leave only to stop as Tsunade grabbed her arm.

"Be careful," the woman said. "Marrying Naruto isn't as simple as you might think. Don't let your guard down."

Temari nodded as Tsunade let her go and she left. As nice as it was for the woman to be concerned about her, Temari didn't take much heed to the warning. Tsunade didn't know the experience she had with jinchuuriki. Staying alive was an art from she was quickly perfecting. She walked outside to find Naruto sitting on the ground, a water balloon held in his hand. The rubber surface bulged and strained as the water inside swirled, but with each passing moment Naruto's face only became more and more focused and frustrated. Temari watched on in silence, trying to understand what he was trying to do without breaking his focus. Briefly she wondered where Jiraiya was. Eventually, the water balloon began pulsing and deforming rapidly, until it exploded suddenly, soaking Naruto who, surprisingly, was now sporting a massive grin on his face.

"What was that?" Temari asked.

Naruto finally realised he was being watched and frowned. He had been far too focused on the balloon. "It's called a Rasengan," he said. "Jiraiya is teaching it to me. Bursting the water balloon is the first step. He said it would take me months. Guess he is as stupid as he looks." He stood up and looked over Temari curiously. "Are you healed?"

Temari nodded with a smile. "Much better," she said. "Your turn now. Be warned, she's a bit grouchy."

"Of course," Naruto grumbled.

"Jiraiya?"

"Has run off to conduct his precious 'research'," Naruto said. "I wouldn't bother going to find him."

"Figures. I'll wait for you then," Temari said. "Want to get some food once you're done?"

"Maybe," Naruto said, sniffing the air. "I hope you like ramen."

"As long as you're paying."

Naruto rolled his eyes and started towards Tsunade's room. So long as Temari kept to her current level, he might even find her entertaining. Entering the room, he was met with the same judgemental stare he had gotten upon meeting Tsunade. At least the pig looked happy to see him. He didn't wait for any instruction, immediately taking off his jacket and shirt before starting the arduous process of carefully unwrapping his bandages and rolling them up. Naruto made sure to ignore the barely muffled gasp of Tsunade's apprentice as his injuries were finally uncovered. His accelerated healing aside, it still probably looked worse than it actually was, with some parts of his skin still not even growing back yet. Naruto wasn't sure what he expected of the woman, but if she kept looking at him the way she was he was going to lose his mind. Who the hell was she to look down on him all high and mighty like?

"So… this is what happens when a jinchuuriki loses control, huh?" Tsunade said curiously, inspecting his injuries with a keen eye. "I bet you feel pretty dumb."

"I feel alive," Naruto said, glaring at the woman. "I was attacked. There wasn't a lot I could do."

"And you could have killed a lot of people with your little rampage," Tsunade said. "Why should I heal you if you are just going to run off and do something like that again? What assurances do I have that helping you wont just harm more people later?"

"Jiraiya tightened the seal," he said bitterly. Not having access to the Kyuubi was still very much a sore point. The peace and quiet were nice on occasion, but his mind had never felt so… lonely. "If you don't want to heal me, fine. I only agreed to come here for Temari."

Tsunade scoffed. "Don't try to play me, brat," she said. "You only care about covering up the injuries you caused her. If Suna found out you were already putting your betrothed in harms way, what would they think? Can't go messing up your dear Hokage's plans, now can you."

"I couldn't give a damn about that geezers plans," Naruto said sharply. "I don't care what he wants. I don't care what he thinks is best for me. I just want to be left alone. If it wasn't for that perverted old toad, I wouldn't even be out here in the first place. But here I am. Getting attacked for no reason, and stuck watching that idiot try to convince you to come back with us. And for what? What makes you so special?"

"Careful, brat," she warned. "I could be your next Hokage. Talking to me like that isn't going to do you any favours."

"I don't need any favours from you," he said. "Besides, you won't take the offer. Even if you wanted to. You can't be Hokage."

"Oh? And what makes you so sure?"

Naruto looked at the empty bottle sitting off the side, before turning an unimpressed look back to Tsunade. "You're still running away," he said.

"Shut up," Tsunade said. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know what running away from yourself looks like," he said. "Let me guess, someone close to you died and you blame yourself. How typical…"

"I said shut up!" Tsunade cleared the distance between, fist raised, and a concerning amount of chakra pumping through her fingers. She wouldn't kill the boy, she wasn't drunk enough to make that kind of mistake, but he would learn the hard way to respect his elders. Well, he would have, had Shizune not gotten involved. Tsunade didn't remember her student ever being so fast, or so strong, but in the blink of an eye she was between Tsunade and Naruto, taking the force of the punch with her forearm. "Shizune…?"

A loud slap echoed through the room as Shizune's hand left its mark on her sensei's cheek. "That is enough, Tsunade!" she said, tears in her eyes. She had seen her sensei fall low before, but this was too much for her to witness. "He is just a boy. A boy who needs help. Is that not enough for you?"

"Shizune… I…"

"Save it," Shizune said. "You can sober up before you apologise." She turned to Naruto and offered him a small smile. "Naruto, if you'd like, I can treat you."

Naruto huffed at the scene before him, casting a disappointing stare at Tsunade. Lendary Sannin indeed. It seemed Orochimaru was the only one of the three to retain any of his notoriety in their age. Jiraiya was an idiot pervert, and Tsunade was just a sour drunk. If this was what Konoha was putting its trust into then perhaps the village was better off without a new Hokage.

"I don't care," he said, turning to leave, Shizune in tow.

Tsunade fell back into her seat, grabbing a nearby bottle and taking a large swig. This was not what she needed right now. Why Sarutobi felt the need to send Jiraiya after her at all was beyond her. It wasn't a secret that she was in no state to take the office. She couldn't see herself getting any better at Konoha either. That place was just a constant reminder of her shortcomings and failures. Of everyone's failures. A shinobi village was not somewhere for people to be happy.

"So, it's that bad huh?" Jiraiya asked solemnly from the doorway.

"Just get out. I don't need any speeches from you right now," Tsunade said.

"You need to wake up, Tsunade," he said. "You've been wallowing like this for long enough. Don't you think it's time to let go?"

"…no."

Jiraiya sighed. "Okay then," he said. "We will be gone as soon as I'm happy that both the kids are healed. You have until then to change your mind."

Tsunade watched her former teammate leave. Let go? Who did he think he was to talk to her about such things? God, she hated him sometimes. Orochimaru at least had the courtesy to go mad with power to excuse his lack of humanity and feelings. But Jiraiya, he was just infuriatingly quick to come to terms with the world and move on. No matter how many times she watched him do it, it always got under her skin. Let go? The world was lucky she only held onto her grief. She could have flattened that damned village years ago if she wanted to.

Absentmindedly, she played with the crystal handing from her neck. Her grandfather had been a fool. So had she. Maybe Orochimaru wasn't so stupid to go rogue. As she sat there in silence, she thought on the offer the snake had made her only days before. She'd be lying if she didn't admit it sounded tempting. At least now she had someone here who could make sure Shizune got back to Konoha safe. She wasn't so naïve to think her apprentice would leave Konoha like that with her. Not that she would want her to come with her anyway. There was no telling just how dangerous things could get with Orochimaru.

"I'm sorry about her," Shizune said, her hands glowing green and gently hovering over Naruto's arms. "She isn't normally this bad."

Naruto held back a sigh of relief as the itchiness of his slowly healing wounds melted away. "It's fine," he said.

In truth, he didn't care about Tsunade. She could hate the world all she wanted for all he cared. The only downside to her refusal to come back to Konoha was that now someone else was going to have to take up the mantle of Hokage. Jiraiya had already refused, thank god. But that didn't leave very many options… suitable ones anyway. One of the elders was more than likely the best fit, but they were not what Naruto would call the best candidates. He supposed that he would get to watch the chaos of it all unfold once they got back. Hopefully that wouldn't be too much longer now.

"So… you and Temari. That's… good?" Shizune said awkwardly. Usually when she healed people there was always a healthy amount of small talk, but Naruto was unnerving her with his silence.

"Temari is… nice," Naruto said unsurely. It wasn't a lie. She was a very nice girl, all things considered. She had already extended far more kindness and caring towards him than most would bother, so as far as he was concerned, she was one of the good ones. "But the marriage is pointless. Konoha and Suna could easily rebuild their alliance without it. The old man only agreed to it so as to have some way of tying me to the village."

Shizune nodded in understanding. "And does the Hokage have reason to be concerned if you have nothing tying you down?" she asked carefully, smiling as the boy narrowed his eyes her. "Don't worry. Technically I am not an active shinobi of Konoha. I'm as much of a runaway as Tsunade is. I would understand if you wanted to get away from it all."

"If only…" Naruto grumbled.

"Being a jinchuuriki… has more downfalls than most people realise," she said softly. "You don't think you have a choice, do you?"

Naruto glared at her. "I don't have a choice."

"Everyone has a choice, Naruto. Even you."

"And you?" he asked. "Why would someone like you choose to follow Tsunade around all this time? It won't get you anywhere."

Shizune smiled sadly. He was right. Following Tsunade around might very look like a fool's choice from the outside. Her shinobi and medic career had all but ended once she chose to follow her sensei, but she didn't mind. Titles and accomplishments meant little to her these days. "She is all I have left," she said. "I don't mind giving up a few things if it means holding onto someone precious to me."

Naruto huffed. "Must be nice."

"What?"

"Having someone…" Naruto said.

"Sometimes it's less about having someone, and more about them having you," Shizune said, earning a strange look from Naruto. "Some people are hurt, or sad, and can't be there for anyone. Those are the people that need someone the most. And it's up to the strongest of us to step up and be there while we can." She gently took both of his hands in hers, her chakra still working its way through his wounds as the burns on his fingers began to fade. There was still much to do. "That's all I can do for today. I know you must be eager to continue training, so I've made sure your hands won't get hurt any further. But please, take it easy for a while. Give your body time to catch up." She could have finished all of his healing in one sitting, but Shizune needed time. With any luck, this might just be the opportunity to help convince her sensei to go back to Konoha.

"Thank you," Naruto said, a thoughtful look on his face as he put his shirt back on. He could already feel the improvement in his hands. Hopefully his progress with the rasengan would improve now that he wasn't fighting against his injuries. He needed to wipe that smug look off Jiraiya's face.

"I expect to see you tomorrow before you start training," she said. "I'm not going to be pleased if you add more injuries to the list just because I'm offering to heal you. And please let Temari know that she can come to me if there is anything more she needs. I think it's best if we leave Tsunade alone for a bit."

Shizune waited patiently, her smile never fading, as Naruto collected his things and left with only a polite nod. He was troubled, that much she could deduce. But he was still good at heart. She wondered just how things in Konoha must have been for him to end up this way. It was all the more reason she and Tsunade needed to go back. The village must have been struggling in more ways than it let on to the outside world. If there were ever a time for a healer, it was now. All Shizune needed to do was somehow convince the woman to go along with it. Easier said than done.

Her smile fell as she rubbed her forearm, her hand once again glowing green as she quickly healed the injury from Tsunade's punch. It wasn't anything worth fussing over, but it was still enough to make the young woman frown deeply. Such a punch could have seriously hurt Naruto had she not stepped in. Jinchuuriki or not, Tsunade should have known better than to attack a child. Konoha could easily twist such a thing into an act of denouncement. Tsunade was already running from debt as it were, Shizune couldn't imagine how bad it would get if she was also running from the world as a rogue shinobi.

She fully expected to find her sensei passed out by the time she got back to their room, assuming Tsunade even bothered to leave the den. Shizune would likely have to venture back there to retrieve the woman later. Instead, much to her surprise, she opened the door to find the woman in question sitting at the table, an untouched bottle sitting in front of her, and a miserable expression on her face. It was rare that Tsunade's appearance ever gave any signs to her true age, but when she was upset the years had a way of seeping through. Those weren't the eyes of a young naïve woman after all.

"Shizune…" Tsunade said softly, looking cautiously at the woman's arm. "Are you okay?"

Shizune nodded. "I'll be fine," she said. "You taught me well."

Tsunade glared back at the bottle. "I'm sorry."

"I know."

"He looks like him… don't you think?" Tsunade asked.

"The fourth?"

"…Nawaki," Tsunade said. "Little brat. Haunting me even now. Typical of him. He never could give up, could he." She played idly with the crystal on her necklace. "If only he could see me now. How low I've gotten. He would probably know exactly what to say to get me off my butt."

Shizune sighed. "Nawaki is gone, Tsunade," she said. "But… I can see the resemblance."

"Orochimaru…"

"Cannot bring them back," Shizune interrupted. "Not in any way that matters. Not in any form they would accept. You know they wouldn't want that. Let them rest, Tsunade. Let yourself rest. Let…"

"Let them go," Tsunade finished sadly. "Jiraiya said the same thing. I guess he isn't as much of a fool as I thought. I just… I don't know if I can."

"We can't keep running around like this."

Tsunade nodded in understanding. It was only a matter of time before her lifestyle caught up to them. "You want to go back to Konoha, don't you?" she asked.

"Don't you?" Shizune asked. "After all this time. After hearing what the village is turning into. Konoha needs us, it needs you. Don't you want to go back and at least try to do something good? For their sake?"

"You sound just like Dan sometimes, you know that?" Tsunade said. "He always had such a perfect moral compass too. Why did you have to share in his most infuriating trait?"

Shizune smiled. "Someone has to keep you steered in the right direction."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "I guess we should probably tell that old pervert about Orochimaru," she said with a groan. That idiot was going to give her such an 'I told you so' look, and for once she couldn't pummel him into the ground for it. And then there was Naruto.

That brat was going to get under her skin, she could feel it already.

A/N:

A long overdue chapter. Sorry about that. Progress is slow but constant. As annoying as it is, I've gone and started another fic, so my attention will be jumping between that and this one for a while. Other than that, not much going on, just some fleshing out for Naruto and Temari. Trying to plant the seeds for them getting close and all that good stuff.

All reviews are welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks for still reading.

Till next time.