Hello everyone! I know, it's been too long! I never thought I would go a full year between chapters! I apologize profusely for pulling a rip-van winkle on you all. I haven't had as much free-time as before, and I've had a lot of personal issues going on. While I can't say I've overcome them, I think I've learned how to deal with them a lot better.

So anyway, this next chapter is just a long thing of issues I wanted to wrap up before the time-skip I plan on doing. I know, this isn't much to offer after so long (story-wise anyway), but this is a necessary stepping stone for the next arc. Also, there's another lemon here, and sadly, I'm still not really qualified to write them but I went ahead and did anyway. So, if anything just sounds too trashy (I tried my best not to make it seem that way, but I guess our opinions differ on those), please just let me know and I'll do my best to change it. So, I hope you'll enjoy, and I'll do my best not to try your patience. Again, thanks for all the support and reviews all these years!

"And it seems Iwagakure is in shambles. We've infiltrated the village with the greatest of ease and faced no opposition. We have reason to believe that the Iwa have relocated; however, given their history, I doubt they are organized enough to reform anytime soon." The two masked ANBU ninja finished their reports, and awaited further questions from their Hokage.

Tsunade simply turned around in her seat, facing the panoramic view of the village in deep thought. After a moment, she said "One day, they'll be back. But this is good news; two opposing nations temporarily out of commission, a neutral third out of the game…I've a good feeling about the future." She turned around to face her two subordinates, smiling. "Take a break you two; I'll send some more scouts into the region later." The two ANBU disappeared, while Tsunade looked out the window. "Finally. For once, everything is going right." Tsunade tried to temper her optimism with realism, but even so, the path to the future remained the same. She couldn't help but feel happy despite everything that happened recently. "Shizune, Sarutobi-sensei, Dan, Nawaki…if only you were all here to see me." She walked over to her desk and observed an old photo. Herself, her sensei, and her teammates.

Hiruzen was one of the best senseis one could ask for; although Orochimaru was his prize pupil, he made sure that she and Jirayia grew into splendid ninja as well. Although things were tense between them after her brother's death, Sarutobi always tried to accommodate her wishes for a medic on each team the best he could, and, viewing Dan and Nawaki's deaths as his responsibility, tried his best to comfort her during those dark days. Orochimaru, to her surprise, she felt a great deal of pity for more than she would have liked to admit. Despite what he had ultimately become, she knew Orochimaru grieved dearly for the loss of his own parents as a child, and back then despite their differences was a true friend. She sometimes wondered if he should have been given another chance like Sasuke had…but that didn't matter now. His actions ultimately led to his demise, and that was no one's fault but his own. Still, she hoped his spirit found some sort of piece. And Jirayia…Tsunade remembered what she wrote to Naruto during the war. That the bonds of a teammate are not to be severed so easily. Nothing really happened between her and Jirayia…she simply had her own personal issues as did he and they went their separate ways. But now, he was one of her most trusted spies. No reason to keep it just business between them. "Maybe I should take him out for a drink…"

Sasuke sighed as he took in the fresh air. His wounds from protecting Taifuu and Midoriiro were healed for the most part, and it was nice to have the aches and pains go away. However, what was more important now was that Midoriiro's own painful journey had finally ended…

And Taifuu was ready to begin a new one. He watched from afar as the two sisters conversed. As he predicted, Midoriiro looked quite sad despite everything that happened recently. "Taifuu, are you sure this is what you want?" the swordswoman asked. "I was hoping we could spend more time together…"

Taifuu smiled sadly and looked away. "A part of me would like that too, sister. But it's not that simple. You see, I've done many terrible things to prepare for our encounter. I've…I've hurt a lot of people in order to get to you." She then looked in Sasuke's direction. Sasuke wasn't sure if she was looking directly at him, but he nodded nonetheless; he understood. Revenge turns you into the thing you want to destroy, causing you to not think about the pain you'll bring others. "I have to see what I can do to repent for my sins." Taifuu said, turning her attention back to Midoriiro. "I know there's a chance I could be sent to prison…or worse. But as long as I'm free, I promise to see you as often as I can."

Midoriiro smiled, despite her disappointment. "Sasuke-chan and I are going to be moving around a lot. We really don't know where we're headed."

"Go wherever you need to; I'll find you." Taifuu frowned in shame as she said "I think you know by experience I'm a pretty good tracker."

Midoriiro then pulled her into a hug. Taifuu, stunned, hugged back. After so many years of hating, it felt so foreign, to be loved again. But it was one she would cherish. "You take care of yourself." Midoriiro whispered into her ear. "I'm just glad, even across the country…we're family once again."

"Me too, sis…" Taifuu whispered "…me too." The two sisters pulled back, and looked at each other. Taifuu backed away slowly, and finally, seemingly vanished into thin air.

Midoriiro chocked back a tear as she watched her sister leave her sight. Then, a strong hand clasped her shoulder. "She'll be fine." Sasuke said. "I've a good feeling about that."

Midoriiro, reassured, simply smiled. "Yes."

"And we'll have our own duties to attend to." Sasuke reminded her.

"You forgot the part that we're doing them for free." Midoriiro added, although she really didn't care about that part.

Sasuke just smiled. "Well, we wouldn't be looking for redemption if we asked for a fee, now, would we? Now that you mention it though, we should find jobs. Since we're going to be traveling a lot, maybe bounty hunters would be the best thing for us in our spare time. It'll be a great use of our skills after all." Noticing Midoriiro looking at him unsure, he shot his hand in front of them. "Hey, if we get out of this, you and I could have a show done on us. Think about it: Snake the Bounty Hunter…"

Midoriiro just stared blankly back at Sasuke. "Did you just…crack a joke?"

Sasuke blinked and looked at her in disbelief. "What? I did?" Sasuke's shoulders went slack as his mind processed it. "I did…something…funny!" he nearly shouted.

Midoriiro just chuckled. "My, Sasuke-chan. Not even I thought you had it in you. To be honest, that joke kind of sucked. But with my training, you might become the next C. Iwane!" Her chuckles soon became full-blown laughter.

Sasuke still couldn't believe he made a joke, not a sarcastic and cruel remark, but one that was intended for everyone to laugh at. And…it felt good. For just a moment, he forgot all his personal pain, and to see someone else smile didn't fill him with the same rage it used to. "Perhaps…I can get used to this." He thought. He looked intently at Midoriiro, who was talking up a storm again. He wasn't listening to the words though; he was simply observing her smile. "She's really pretty when she smiles…wait, what did I…!" The fact that Sasuke could say something positive, or appreciate something was once more a complete shock to his system.

"Well, let's not waste another minute! Let's begin our journey!" Midoriiro grabbed Sasuke's hand before he could protest, and the two ran at top speed, just for the heck of it. "Sasuke-chan…you're still carrying that stick." Midoriiro observed, surprised that he took one of her suggestions so seriously.

Sasuke looked at his right hand, holding on to the piece of wood. "Hey, for good luck. Your saying. So far, I've no reason not to trust you on that. It needs a bit of fine carving though…" Midoriiro giggled again, and Sasuke swore it was the cutest thing he ever heard. "Even if I will never return home…I've got a good feeling about this."

Sakura continued her research in the library. Even if her duties were restricted, she was still a medical ninja. Besides, she wasn't doing this just for the sake of her job; she had a promise to keep, one Naruto asked of her. After all he had done for her all these years, how could she refuse?

Speaking of which, ever since that night…so little had changed, and yet so much. They still knew each other so well and enjoyed each other's company like always. Other than knowing they loved one another now, hardly anything was different. But ever since they became more intimate, their relationship just felt so much different. She couldn't explain it; she supposed maybe the sex had changed more than she thought it would…not that she was complaining. But, she noticed, that was changing too. Before, they were both fairly shy with each other. Naruto was especially cautious, always the gentlemen. Then, Sakura became more flirtatious with him. It began with small teases to simply let him know it was okay, and before she knew it she found herself doing stripteases for him. After a few rounds of that, his approaches changed rather drastically, especially when she was gone for a while. He was much more aggressive now, often smashing his lips against hers at any random moment, then proceeding to strip her naked and take her. And to her surprise, she loved it. "Kami, I have to stop." It seemed neither could get enough of the other, but for her, now was not the time. She had to study; pleasure would always come later.

Focusing on the book, she began to read. It was a long shot, but she believed she may have found a way to help…"Sakura."

That wasn't what she was thinking; in fact, she heard that physically. She turned around in shock. "Naruto!" she exclaimed as low as she could, trying to contain her excitement in the library.

Naruto was right there, with a cup of hot tea in his hand. "You've been so busy lately, even though you haven't had a mission in a while. I figured it was important, and thought I'd just stop by and say hello." He said with a soft smile.

He took a seat next to her as she took the cup. "Thank you. That's very sweet of you." She replied, before taking a sip. Nothing like Honey Leaf to clear the mind.

"So, whatcha doing?" the jinchuriki asked, taking note of the humongous textbook.

Sakura initially didn't want to tell Naruto just yet, as she was not 100% sure of what she found. But, Naruto trusted her, and would understand if things didn't work out. "You remember what happened to Neji, don't you? The first time you took your genin team on a real mission?"

Naruto then remembered what he asked of Sakura in the hospital. Truthfully, so much had been happening that he forgot about it. "You mean…you're going to…"

Sakura nodded. "I was skeptical about whether or not it could even be done. But when I began reading about the relationship between axons, myelination and chakra, I believe I may be on to something…"

Now that caught Naruto's attention. "Oh…"

Sakura smiled as she began to explain."You see, the role chakra plays in developing the myelin sheath and axons…"

At this point, Naruto was completely lost on all the technical terms. But he knew whatever Sakura was talking about, she was well on the way to getting Neji back out on the field, even if she believed she still had a long ways to go.

"…the real issue is getting the chakra control to the finest microscopic detail, or else we'll do more damage to his nerves than the previous shocks already did." Sakura concluded.

"Uh-huh…" Naruto said, pretending he followed.

Sakura then seemed to inspect him, like she was looking for something on his face. "You didn't understand a word of what I just said, did you?" she asked with an annoyed face.

Naruto began sweating nervously, realizing he'd been caught. "Ah…hahaha…" Naruto tried to find a way to talk himself out of this, but he knew it was futile. Finally, he grimaced "No."

A vein popped in Sakura's forehead, and Naruto prepared for the worse as he closed his eyes and looked away. Instead of the usual punch across the face, however, Sakura smacked him upside the head; he barely even felt it in fact. "Baka." She whispered harshly. "You could have told me to slow down for you."

Naruto, still surprised by the relatively mild response, laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, Sakura-chan, it's just…I'm amazed at how much you know about these things." That part certainly wasn't a lie.

Sakura blushed, but turned around, away from facing him. "You should really learn at least the basics, Naruto. There's more to ninjutsu than just fighting, you know."

Naruto then asked "But what's important is that you're onto something, right?"

Sakura's shoulders slacked. Naruto could tell she was unsure of herself. It pained him to see such an amazing woman think so little of herself. "Theoretically, anyway. But…as I understand it now, the slightest mistake could kill him."

Naruto nodded solemnly. "So…?"

"I still need to do a lot of calculations." Sakura replied, leaning back into the book.

Naruto got up and behind Sakura, embracing her. "Remember, no matter what…I'm here for you." Sakura practically melted in his arms. It meant the world to her that someone like Naruto would always be there for her, years after trying to get others to accept her. "And don't stay up too late…" he added. "…you know I miss you when you're gone."

At that moment, Naruto snaked a hand up her thigh, and past her skirt, lifting it just enough to gain access. Sakura began to see spots, but then her inner self kicked in. "Whoa, whoa! Not here, damn it!"

Sakura grabbed Naruto's arm, causing him to wince. "Baka!" Sakura tried to keep quiet as not to draw attention to herself, but that was proving to be difficult. "This is a library!"

Naruto gripped his arm, but to Sakura's surprise, he was only giving her a sly grin. "See you tonight." He said, the smirk only growing.

Sakura realized what he had tried to do…and it worked. "Oh kami, just focus, Sakura!" With that, she put her nose to the books once again. For the most part, it worked. However, even though she was able to retain the information she absorbed, she constantly fidgeted in her studies. Around 9'o clock, she had enough and practically dashed to their apartment. Naruto certainly got his that night, and was glad for it.

"Dismissed!" Tsunade announced as she smacked down the gavel. Iori had gotten through with her court martial pretty quickly and with little difficulty. Unlike Sakura's, no one was actually out to get her. Plus, there was physical evidence to back up her innocence. It also helped that no one was killed on her rampage. Overall, it was not too much trouble to prove her innocence. Having Shikamaru come to her defense helped as well.

Iori ran to hug her teammates; they returned the hug, although Yuji in particular was surprised. "Good to have you out of that bind." Yuji said.

"Me too." Iori replied. She practically ripped her ankle seal off, glad to be rid of the thing.

Naruto and Sakura, who attended the trial regularly, walked up to her. "See?" Naruto told his prize student. "You had nothing to worry about."

"Easy for you to say!" Iori replied. "For a good while, I thought they were going to get tough on me because of…" Iori then looked at her two teammates. There was no way she could tell them! "…well, you know." Iori plastered on the cheesiest grin she could. Naruto sighed, disappointed that Iori still didn't trust her teammates about her history, but understood due to her harsh life experience. As much as he wanted to spill the beans, he knew that it was best for her to tell them herself. Only she could know when she was ready.

"Because of…what?" Yuji asked perplexed.

"Oh, it's nothing." Iori forced an even harder grin than before.

That did nothing to appease Yuji's curiosity."No. Tell me. If there's a problem…"

That earned him a good whack across the head by his crimson teammate. "I SAID DROP IT ALREADY!" she shouted.

Yuji rubbed his head. "Ow, ow. Okay, if that's the way you want it." Yuji said, looking a little dejected.

Shiguri did his best to pretend he didn't care anyway, but a fool could see his concern for his friend was showing bright as day. "Well…if you ever feel like letting us know, we'll hear you out, okay?"

Iori nodded, and was starting to head out, when she stopped. "You know…" She turned around to look at her team. "I can't stand going back to that apartment right now. Hell, I think I'll be camping out for a good while before I'm ready to go back in." She then gave both of them a smile, which caused Yuji's heart to skip a beat. "You guys want to go get something to eat?"

Yuji thought about it for a second, and said "You know, I heard Jaa's Dad just opened up a place. Wanna go give that a try?"

"Sounds good." Shiguri replied.

"Sure, anything but rice and ramen!" Iori added as the three made their way out of the courthouse together.

"I'm really happy for you, Naruto." Sakura said as she watched them leave. "They're such a great team, and such good friends with each other."

Naruto nodded with true pride. "Yeah. They really look out for one another. Iori is so much like me; I'm glad that she was able to make a lot of friends in the end. Yuji was a challenge, but he pulled through. In fact, I think I have you to thank for where he is now." He gave Sakura an appreciative and affectionate look.

Sakura smiled. "He really has come a long way; I think I now know how Shishou felt taking on an apprentice too. It's frustrating when they start out from nothing, but as long as you never give up on them…well, they blossom." Both chuckled at a cliché only Sakura could use. "I don't think I'm finished with him though; he has great potential as a medi-nin. Either way…" a tear formed in her eye. "… his father would be so proud of him. I think I finally understand a little why Ryu gave his life for me."

Naruto nodded. "Too bad his mother won't see it that way." He still didn't understand how Yuji could live with such an overbearing woman.

"In the meantime, he has us." Sakura said. "What about Shiguri?"

"I think I finally got through to him." Naruto said, smiling. "He just never had a real family, and his grandfather's teachings are all he ever knew, even if he didn't buy into them. But, he still needed someone to love him and see him for who he really is." Naruto continued "I just hope I can be to him as Iruka-sensei was to me."

Sakura hugged him in close. "You're already a great sensei. They all look up to you. I…I'm very proud of you, Naruto."

Naruto turned and kissed Sakura. " As I am of you. I'm glad at least you had the pleasure of training Yuji. If nothing else…" Naruto's face suddenly looked ashamed. "…I hope it took your mind off of what I put you through."

Sakura hugged him closer and buried her face in his chest. "Naruto…we've already been through this. You were hurt and confused, and I wasn't the only one you took your anger out on. I would have reacted similarly. If only I told you the instant I knew…"

Naruto hushed her with a kiss on the lips. "It's done. I understand why they did it; for the same reason I wasn't supposed to know what I had inside of me." Naruto rubbed his stomach. Suddenly, his sad look did a 180 and turned into his usual goofy grin. "I've had enough of this angsting. Let's have another nice dinner together."

Sakura kissed him on the cheek and led him out of the courthouse. "Sounds like a plan to me."

A week later, Yuji rushed to the hospital. He asked the nurses to notify him on a certain patient immediately. He didn't bother going to the waiting room; he remembered where her room was and decided to go there directly. Trying what he learned while scouting in Earth Country, he swung from the rooftops of the village, quickly reaching the hospital. With one arc, he launched himself onto the building, and used his chakra control to stick to the wall. He was only off by one floor; he walked up, opened the window, and let himself in. "Hyouike! You're-"

Indeed, she was awake, but it seemed Yuji came at a bad time. Apparently, she was getting out of bed. With her back facing the window Yuji was in right now. In her hospital gown. Needless to say, Yuji's skin color was starting to match Iori's hair. "AIIIEEE!" Hyouike screamed as she realized the presence behind her. Quickly, she pulled the covers around her while Yuji backed away and out of sight from the window. "Yuji, you perv! Did it ever occur to you to knock! Or check in at the waiting room!" As she got no response, she quickly settled back in bed, making sure her essentials were covered. "There, it's safe!"

Yuji climbed in, sighing. "Why is it I always piss women off?" Letting go of that, he smiled. "I'm glad you're okay."

Hyouike smiled. "Me too." Then, she looked away, sad. "And…I'm sorry."

Yuji blinked, confused. "What for?"

Hyouike, in disbelief, nearly screamed "Don't you remember! I threw myself in front of that creep to save you! And…" Hyouikes' voice became more subdued as she gripped the covers tighter. "…I nearly got myself killed in the process. I nearly made all of your own suffering for nothing." At least, she figured that was what Yuji wanted to hear. Military, in her experience, told civilians to stay out of dangerous situations, for both their own safety and that of the military.

Yuji just smiled and replied "Oh, don't worry about it."

Hyouike looked at him, surprised once again by his response. "Huh? Did I not hear that right?"

Yuji assured her "Really, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You were just trying to help out a friend, right? I would have done the same, ninja or not." He gave her a thumbs up and smiled.

Hyouike looked away, blushing. "Yeah, I guess anyone would." She then said "The nurses say I will be discharged soon. And… if it's not too much trouble, I was hoping that we could take care of something. Something else you promised me."

Yuji remembered back when he shared a cave with her, Hyouike's stunning revelation between her people and Konoha. "Ah, right! I'll let Hokage-sama know as soon as I can! This may take a while, so please be patient!"

"Okay. Take your time; I think I need to meet up with my family again and make sure we can get back on our feet again. When I'm ready, I'll let you know." Yuji was about to climb out the window, when Hyouike shouted "Yuji!"

Yuji stopped, and turned around. "Yeah? What's the matter?"

For some reason, Hyouike was blushing, and gripped her covers closer to her. "Thank you…for everything. Not just what you've done for my people; but for me as well."

Yuji simply smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Of course. What kind of ninja would I be if I didn't least help the people right in front of me?" With that, he dove out, and prepared to swing again. Hyouike lay down, sighing and snuggled the covers close.

"Well, this is very much unlike you." Jiraiya noted as he took in his surroundings inside the bar.

"What?" Tsunade asked slyly, hands propped on the table. "You know I've always been quite the drinker."

She took a sip of her sake and Jiraiya proceeded to do the same. "No, that part is very much on par with you. But…you've never invited me before."

Tsunade just gave him a look as if she screwed up. "I'm busy most of the time…"

"Looking for excuses now, are we?" the hermit thought. "…and I know you come to this bar every night…" Jiraiya countered.

"You're away most of the time." Tsunade shot back.

"You send me on those missions."

"And you spend about half of that time spying on women." That one clearly had an annoyed tone.

Well, Jiraiya certainly had no comeback for that one. "Sorry." he muttered, as he poured himself more sake.

"It's okay." Tsunade replied after she took a sip of hers. "It's just…I know that things have been strained between us, even when I returned to become Hokage."

Jiraiya was perplexed now; Tsunade wasn't the type to talk about things like that. "Uh…go on."

"And after seeing what Team 7, our own apprentices, had to go through…I realized that we should have fixed things between ourselves a long time ago."

Jiraiya just eyed her suspiciously; this wasn't like Tsunade at all. Then, he put his hands together and said "Kai!" Jiraiya found that Tsunade was still there, and looking a little annoyed. "Well, if it's not genjutsu…then an imposter!"

"What!" Tsunade yelled in disbelief. "Have you gone mad!"

Jiraiya immediately began poking and pinching her all over, trying to find anything off about her; he didn't find anything unusual. Wanting to get on a fresh start with Jiraiya, she breathed deeply and chanted "Be patient with him, be patient with him…"

Jiraiya seemed to have finally called it quits, but he wasn't satisfied. He rubbed his chin and said "Well, I'm terribly sorry…But I'm afraid this will have to get a bit more personal."

Tsunade always knew he was a pervert. But even he had some boundaries in terms of how to approach a woman. And she had never known him to be suicidal, particularly when it came to her. So it naturally came as a surprise to her when he started groping one of her embarrassingly noticeable characteristics. "WHA-! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" she screamed. The other patrons immediately ducked for cover; a couple of them got wasted and tried to hook up with her; and boy, did they PAY. They knew what was coming next.

Though she couldn't see it from behind, Jiraiya's face was turning red. "Wow, those ARE real." Before Jiraiya could reach a conclusion, he was suddenly sent flying across the hall and into a wall; it was a miracle it didn't break and leave a hole in the shape of his body. "Ow. Only the real Tsunade could hit like that."

When he realized what he had just done, he rose and observed Tsunade beginning to walk out of the bar. "Wait!" Jiraiya rushed forward to stop her.

Feeling her wrist pulled, Tsunade then tried to back hand him, but this time he was ready. Using Jiujutsu like moves, he went with the flow and pinned her against the wall. "Let me go!" the sanin kunoichi shouted.

"Tsunade-hime, I apologize!" She wasn't calming down. "You're normally not so…open to others, and my spy training kicked in. I'm sorry; would it be okay if we started this get together over, like nothing happened?" Jiraiya then did as he was told, and released her.

Tsunade looked at him long and hard, and the hermit was certain she would say no. However, she finally sighed, and patted him on the shoulder. "Idiot." Then, she led him to another table and ordered more sake, apologizing for the previous incident.

As Jiraiya settled in, he said "Well, why don't we continue where we left off?"

Tsunade sighed as she poured herself another helping. "Anyway, I've been thinking about the way I behaved over the years. You know, when Nawaki died, I remembered that you tried to be there for me; asked me how I was, if there was anything I needed that you could get me. All those things were really sweet of you. I guess, at the time, I didn't care about how much you cared. I got so caught up in my work and pushing for a medic on each team, that I just didn't pay as much attention to my teammates. Then Dan passed…and I just lost it."

Jiraiya nodded. "It's not your fault. No one could handle what you went through well; there's no way those things could be handled well." Jiraiya took a swig. "I also had my own issues to deal with. Minato was like a son to me. And when the Kyuubi attacked…I felt like I lost everything. When Orochimaru turned on us, it made things worse for me. I…I felt like I had nobody. I guess I left much for the same reasons you did."

Both were silent for a bit. "I noticed that when Dan and I were together, you stopped talking to me altogether outside of missions." Tsunade suddenly said.

"I figured you wouldn't want a pervert like me around at the time. Besides, remember when you beat me to near death at the women's bath?" Jiraiya chuckled at the memory. At the time it was horrific, but in hindsight it was actually pretty funny. "I figured that was a side of you Dan didn't need to see. There weren't many men who could handle you."

Tsunade growled, and crushed her cup. "Don't remind me."

"Sorry. I was just saying."

Tsunade decided to let that go. "But that wasn't the main reason you virtually cut ties with me. Why?"

Jiraiya seemed to fumble, looking around for an answer…or an escape. It looked as though he was about to take off, but Tsunade placed her hand on Jiraiya's. Looking at them, Jiraiya finally seemed to cave. "Fine." He sighed throwing his arms up. "You caught me."

Tsunade's eyes widened. "You mean…all this time…"

Jiraiya's face turned red again. "Yeah."

Tsunade was speechless. She always considered Jiraiya a dear friend when the three sanin were at their prime. But this… "Why didn't you say anything?"

Jiraiya fumbled with his cup. "I don't know. I guess, I'm just lousy at confessing things."

Tsunade added "It didn't help that you called me names…one in particular that I bet you're regretting now…"

Jiraiya knew what she was referring to, and even he had to chuckle at the irony of it all. "Yeah. Whoda thunk? You know, I said those things…but in all honesty, I didn't care about that…not when it came to you…" Tsunade silently beckoned him to continue. "You were everything that my perverted mind did not want. And yet, I could not get you out of my head. Your blond hair, your brown eyes…it was one of the prettiest sights a boy could lay eyes on. The part I've just denied and took it out on you."

Tsunade smirked. "Well, to be fair, I'd say I filled out quite nicely."

"Yeah, no kidding…"

"Before this." Tsunade clarified; she had an unexplainable growth spurt well after puberty, which led people to think she was like this throughout her youth.

Jiraiya than thought back to when they were well in their teens. As long as the hair and eyes were the same, his opinion about her looks wouldn't change. And even then she still had a nice pair. "Yeah, even then you were quite a knockout."

"And you still called me flat-chested." Tsunade noted, irritated.

"Oh, lighten up. Besides, at that point I was just teasing you." He thought even more. "You know, around that time, I felt you were starting to warm up to me. But then…"

Before he could finish, Tsunade interrupted. "Dan. He happened. Do you hate him for that? Be honest, I can take it."

Jiraiya thought carefully about what he would say next, but no matter what it would be the truth. "I was jealous, I won't deny that. But if I hated anyone, it was myself. He was able to do all the things I wanted to do for you, and he got to you in a way that I couldn't. I used to try to figure out ways to convince you he was no good for you, but in the end even a fool could see what a great guy Dan was. You know what they say; if you love someone, let her go. When he died, at first I thought I should take his place, only for your sake. But, when I saw how broken you were, I thought better of it. Nothing could ever replace him in your heart, and I thought I would be the least qualified to try. If I was wrong, or if there was some other way I could have been there for you, I didn't see it. And for that, I'm sorry." Both Jiraiya and Tsunade were silent once more. Jiraiya was sure that he ruined the friendship that took decades to repair in that moment. But, Tsunade wanted the truth; he could never deny her that.

"When Nawaki died, I really did appreciate what you did for me." Tsunade added. "I really did consider you a good friend; I guess I was blinded by my sense of responsibility to see that you wanted more."

Jiraiya scoffed. "Don't be sorry about that. You were simply trying to protect the people around you. You were doing…" Jiraiya stopped, feeling he said too much. He put his cup down. "I'm sorry. I'll let you be now. I…I have to go."

He got up to leave, but Tsunade grabbed his wrist. Jiraiya half-expected her to ask him to complete the sentence. But Tsunade already knew what he was going say. "It's not too late, you know." she suddenly said out of the blue.

Jiraiya looked at her skeptically. "We're not exactly in our prime like our pupils are."

"I know." Tsunade confirmed. "It's not ideal. So much happened between us, and we couldn't have a family if we tried. But, it's never too late to care about someone. I don't know where we'll go from here…it may not even work out in the end." Tsunade then caressed Jiraiya's hand, really shocking him. "But back then, I cared about you more than anyone. Before I met Dan anyway. And ever since I came back…I felt that way about you again. Jiraiya, it's because of you I am where I am today. And when things get tough, you were always a breath of fresh air. Granted, your antics pissed me off often; but at the same time, they distracted me, help me deal with grave matters without forgetting about them. And, on a more professional level, you always took dangerous missions for me when you didn't have to. And each time…you smiled." Jiraiya was just stunned beyond belief. "Well!" Tsunade shouted.

"Ah! Well what!"

"You're supposed to say something in return!" Tsunade yelled.

Jiraiya rubbed his long hair. "Well…I've already told you everything that I've admired about you."

Tsunade suddenly looked disappointed. "I see."

Jiraiya, not knowing what he did wrong, asked "What?"

Tsunade sighed. "You said there was a lot about me that you admired."

"How could there not be, with a woman like you?" Jiraiya smiled.

"But I haven't really been there for you, have I?" Tsunade asked. "Like you have been for me."

Jiraiya's eyes widened. "I understand…but I don't agree with what you just said." Tsunade turned to look at him. "It was rough being your teammate at first…my fault, really…but as time went on, you and I had a lot in common. Protecting those we cared about, trying to perfect our respective ninjutsu, and starting trouble wherever we went." Tsunade was in fact quite the mischief maker, and was the ideal person to turn to for getting away with anything. Being the grandchild of a kage at the time had its benefits; probably why Sarutobi-sensei made sure to be strict with Konohamaru.

Tsunade gave a nostalgic smile. "Yeah. Those were the days."

"And you saved my life more times than I could count." Jiraiya finished. "Don't ever sell yourself short on being there for me. "

Tsunade finally gave a genuine smile, and Jiraiya thought she never looked better. "Thank you. Now that we have that out of the way…what do you say?"

Jiraiya thought about it for a bit, and smiled. "Why not? In fact, I think we should celebrate!" Tsunade suddenly leaned over, and kissed him on the cheek. Jiraiya was shocked for the umpteenth time today but he quickly got over it this time around. Now, he was ready for whatever Tsunade threw at him.

She shouted to the bartender "Hey! A few more jugs of sake here, please!"

Naruto and Sakura walked down the street, giggling. Both of them decided to act more like adults, and went out drinking. They didn't have too much; if anything were to happen tonight (very likely), they would remember it perfectly. For the most part, their judgment was sound, but both felt the loss of inhibitions caused by alcohol. Naruto was dressed semi-casually, with an open button-up shirt, his t-shirt showing. He also wore black jeans, which to Sakura made him look really sexy, though not at all provocative. If she only knew how wild she drove Naruto in his tipsy state. Sakura was wearing green lipstick, the same color as her eyes. Her black strapless dress perfectly hugged her curves, and her pink jacket went well with her, causing Naruto's eyes to wander to two particular places on her body. Her red heels nearly drove him up the wall, but in a good way. None of it was sultry at all; had it been a more formal occasion, she would have been dressed appropriately. But all Naruto could think about was ripping that black dress off when they got back to his apartment. He'd probably leave the heels on; they looked too good to discard.

Suddenly, Sakura kissed him deeply, which Naruto gladly returned. It was past midnight, so there were not a lot of people out to witness the display. Good thing, as out of nowhere Sakura suddenly fondled him. "Sakura-!"

He smashed against her lips, practically pushing her into an alley. They were both aware that this wasn't the smartest idea, but they wanted each other so badly. As dirty as the alley they chose was, they didn't care; neither were planning to lie down on the ground. It was actually sexier to do this standing up.

Both continued making out, as both touched each other everywhere, not yet undressing. "I wonder…" Naruto breathed huskily between kisses. "…what you're wearing underneath that skirt." Naruto rubbed his hand across the back of Sakura's thigh, eliciting a sensual moan from her. "I'm thinking…nothing at all…"

"Naruto!" Sakura gasped as he sucked on her neck. "What kind of a girl do you take me for!" She seemed like she was angry again, but her face quickly changed and Sakura suddenly gave him a scorching kiss. "You're close though." She whispered.

Naruto began to lift her skirt, eager to find his prize beneath…

"These are the best I ever felt, Tsunade!" someone shouted.

"Touch me, Jiraiya! Touch me please!" a woman responded.

Both Naruto and Sakura stopped cold, and felt themselves sobering up really quickly. "Sakura, did I have too much to drink, or did I just hear Ero-senin and Ba-chan making out?"

"You're a really good kisser!..."That sure sounded like Tsunade.

"Wait 'till you see what else I'm good at!" and that was the pervy sage himself.

"The later, unfortunately." Sakura replied, equally stunned.

Both could see what was happening from their shadows against the wall. It was matching their sessions in intensity…and it was quite gross. "I think we should leave." Naruto said.

"Yeah. Good idea." Both Naruto and Sakura straightened up, and walked out of the alley.

"Talk about a mood killer." Naruto thought.

Jiraiya was almost convinced he died and went to heaven; he never imagined in his lifetime that he would win Tsunade's heart, not at this point in time anyway. And he barely even tried tonight! He supposed that maybe Tsunade had feelings for him all along, but both were too afraid to take that step…until tonight. He almost wished they were teenagers again; but this was going just fine, so he wasn't complaining. They continued kissing and feeling each other up…both were anxious to take this somewhere more private.

Suddenly, Tsunade's eyes shot open. She pushed Jiraiya out of the way, and puked onto the street. "Are you alright, hime?" he asked, concerned.

Tsunade took note of the affectionate name he gave her. Which made her all the more sad. "I had too much to drink. I think…I'm going to be here for a while." Tsunade heaved again. Jiraiya kneeled and held her shoulder. "Lousy way to end a first date, huh?"

"I've had worse." Jiraiya replied. "Besides, we can always try again." Tsunade, despite looking like a mess, smiled. He stayed with her until she finished, and carried her home.

"It's decent." Shiguri said, as he looked around the one bedroom apartment. "It's small, but then again, I can't complain." Shiguri had recently made the decision to move out of his grandfather's mansion. Danzo didn't seem to mind; in fact he seemed quite glad of it. And Shiguri decided to stay in the same complex as Naruto and Iori.

Naruto nodded as he made his own observations; it was similar to his own. It needed work, but he had a good feeling Shiguri could fix it up however he wanted. In fact, he was looking forward to having two of his students live in the same complex as him. Iori was already a resident, and now Shiguri was joining them. Yuji wanted to room with him too, but Naruto told him to wait; his mother would still like to have him around at this age. Besides, for all her faults, she was only trying to protect him. What's more, for most shinobi his age having one parent, let alone a family or a clan to support you was a good deal. Still, Naruto couldn't help but feel he was starting a family, something he nor Sakura had officially talked about just yet. "It's going to be hard to pay for this without a roommate." Naruto noted.

"Gramps gave me enough for the first few months and the deposit." Shiguri replied. Looking at Naruto's shocked expression, he explained. "Don't the wrong idea. That was his way of saying good riddance, and don't come back." He growled. "Also, I had a talk with the Hokage. She said due to my experience during the war, I should be promoted soon."

Naruto smiled and touched his shoulder. "You earned it. You changed a lot ever since the exams. Shiguri, you reminded me of a friend of mine…"

"Uchiha." Shiguri finished for him. When Naruto gave him a look, Shiguri defended himself. "Hey, he told stories about you. I just confirmed them. Some of it, anyway."

Naruto winced. "Yeah." He continued "You were angry at everything; I knew from experience that would only lead you to self-destruction. I understood, though; I could only imagine what your grandpa put you through. But ever since we became a team, I've seen you improve, drastically. If I could do it over again, I would have made sure our team never separated in the first place. But if anything good came out of it, it was you. You were a great help in keeping us alive and in helping me come to my senses. And, I'm proud of you for realizing the importance of comrades." He firmly gripped the young teen's shoulder to prove it.

Shiguri smiled. "Ever since I was put on the team with you guys…even back when I had my doubts…I've never been so happy…" Shiguri was struggling to stop himself from crying.

Naruto took him to a corner where no one could see them should they walk in. He saw this coming, and knew how to handle it. "It's okay; I understand. Go ahead, cry; it's okay to do so when you're happy." He smiled. Shiguri finally let it go, and tears flowed freely. It made Naruto hate Danzo even more, if that was possible. He almost asked himself how he could make his own grandson feel this way. Then again, that was very much on par with his character.

"I'm sorry." Shiguri said.

"What for?" Naruto asked, puzzled.

"For my grandfather. He's done a lot to hurt you. Sending a spy to take out your friend, conspiring with the enemy, trying to get to you through Sakura-sensei…"

"Shiguri." Naruto firmly replied. "That's him. It's not you. Never was, and never will be."

"But, I-"

"Enough!" Naruto commanded. "If I got a problem with him…and I do…it ends with him. Not you. You are not responsible for his actions, and there was nothing you could have done to change him. Whatever made him the way he is was something beyond our control. If he is to ever change, that's up to him. You made your choice for yourself, and for that you are stronger than he ever will be. Understood?"

Shiguri gave him a look of acceptance, and nodded.

"Good. Now, let's-"

"Shiguri? You here?" It seemed Yuji was paying his friend a visit.

Shiguri quickly dried his tears; Naruto figured Shiguri wasn't ready to display emotions to others. That was fine; it was best to let him open up at his own pace. Naruto looked out and said "Yuji? Is that you?"

"Naruto-sensei!" he called, confirming his identity.

Yuji walked into the room just as Shiguri came out of hiding. "Yuji. What's up?" he asked.

"I was just looking for you. I was wondering if you were still considering a two-bedroom apartment; thought we could room together."

Shiguri and Naruto were a bit perplexed. The jonin replied "Yuji, I completely understand why you want to do this. But I strongly urge you to stick with your mom for another couple of years. You can save a lot of money that way, and it would make her happy that you always come home."

"Actually, I had a talk with her." Yuji told him, then looked at his friend. "I told her about your situation…and she agreed to let me stay with you, if that's what you want." Both Naruto and Shiguri were stunned, which the spectacled ninja picked up on. "Yeah, so was I. She explained that I'm a chunin now, and that there was no need to treat me as a child anymore. Plus, she thought that since Shiguri was going through something of a tough time, he probably needed a friend more than ever." Yuji then said "She gave me enough money for the first few months of rent. After that…well, she says I've practically grown up."

Both Naruto and Shiguri smiled. The still-genin shinobi replied "There was another, a two-bedroom. It looked pretty nice, and with your help, I think we can afford it."

Yuji pumped his fist and said "Yes!" He composed himself, and then asked "By the way, where's Sakura-sensei?"

"She had an appointment to attend to." Naruto answered. "Why?"

Sakura knocked on the door to the Hyuuga compound. She was dressed in casual clothes, but was still worried about being unpresentable in the eyes of the clan. She was here now, so she had to hope for the best. Then, the door opened, revealing Hinata. "Sakura-san! What a pleasant surprise!" she smiled.

"It's good to see you too, Hinata." Sakura replied. "Is Neji available? There's something I need to speak with him about."

"Oh, yes! Please, come in!" As the two walked through the large compound, Hinata asked "How have things been? I've been hearing the townspeople spreading terrible rumors…"

Sakura sighed. "Well, thankfully they haven't amounted to much. But my work has been restricted, and that has caused financial problems for me. I've only been on a couple of missions, and only my most loyal patients have been willing to see me again. But, if I hadn't…well, you'll see soon enough. By the way, Hiashi-sama may want to listen to what I have to tell him to. Anyone in the compound is welcome to listen, in fact."

Hinata nodded, and said "I'll tell everyone when Neji is ready to listen to what you have to say."

"Good."

Finally, they reached Neji's room. Neji looked up from his calligraphy. "Haruno-san! What a pleasant surprise!"

As he bowed, Sakura observed him. He seemed to have gained weight; not too much, but enough to suggest lack of exercise. "It's been a long time, Neji, and no need to be formal." She bowed in return anyway. "How have your seizures been?"

"Hard to say." he replied, less cheerfully. "In fact, I think they're becoming more numerous."

"Well, what I have to say is related to your condition. If you want, we can talk about it alone, or we could invite some family members with you."

Neji's eyes widened, getting an idea of what he might be told. "We'll talk about this in the living room. Hiashi-sama is more than welcome to join us, and anyone he deems fit to listen."

After twenty minutes, Sakura and Neji, Hiashi, Hinata, Hanabi and, to her surprise, Hero, were gathered in the living room along with members of the branch family. She heard that some of the elders were disgusted that Hinata even let her in, but Hiashi reminded them (harshly, from what she heard) that had she truly been a traitor, he would have seen to it that she would be in jail, if not worse. "Knowing your expertise, I assume you have discovered something that could help Neji with his current condition."

Sakura replied "If it works, even better; he may make a full recovery." Sakura almost regretted saying that last part; too often patients would expect the absolute best possible outcomes, even when they were far from the most probable.

Everyone's eyes lit up. "How is that possible?" Hero asked. "I was taught that once nerves are damaged, there is no hope for recovery…"

"Normally, that would be true." Sakura answered. "But, the key to helping Neji is to begin a process similar in embryonic development. The simple explanation is that we will use our chakra to stimulate the growth of new neurons and nerves, thereby stabilizing the bioelectricity in Neji's body, which is now unstable."

Neji eyes went wide at the possibilities this procedure implied. "If they can do that, then…!"

Before he could say anything, Hiashi spoke in his place. "But, there's a catch, correct? You are a talented medic, Haruno-san, one equal to Hokage-sama. But such a process carries great risk."

Sakura nodded solemnly. "Yes. If anything goes wrong, Neji's nervous system could be destroyed completely. If that happens…well, I'm sure you already know." The Hyuugas and Hero looked at her with concern. "Plus, the procedure has a low chance of success. I couldn't get it any higher than 30%, even with a team of medics." The Hyuugas took this all in the best they could. "I know what I have proposed is risky. But please understand, I would have never told you if I felt that this wasn't in Neji's best interests. So please, think it over. When you have reached a decision, please notify me. If you all decide against it, I understand. If you choose to have him go through with it, I promise I will do my best to restore Neji to the great ninja he once was. We'll also need one of you to oversee the operation; the Byuakugan will be essential to detect any problems." Sakura placed a folder on the table. "This is a summary of the procedure. If you have any concerns, please see Tsunade-shishou; she reviewed the process herself and can answer any questions you may have." She stood up and bowed. "Thank you all for your time. I understand this is much to take in…"

Hiashi then rose and bowed. "And thank you for informing us of your research; we deeply appreciate you offering us this opportunity. Neji will let you know his decision." Neji hastily got up and bowed as well, and the other members followed their example.

After escorting Sakura outside, Hinata went straight to Hero. "You're scared for your cousin?" he asked, observing Hinata's forlorn face.

Hinata nodded. "I know Sakura wouldn't have come if she didn't believe there was any way to help him…but the risk…"

"For him, it may be worth it." Hero finished for her. "I understand what he's going through. He studied to be a shinobi all his life. Without that, he feels that he's nothing. I would probably react the same way he did if something like that happened to me."

Hinata just looked at him sadly, and took a seat next to him on the landing. "None of us can be shinobi forever. With the lifestyle we lead, your strength and power can be taken away in an instant. Injury, old age… You can't rely on solely that to determine your identity."

"Some of us never had the choice." Hero replied, looking away. His tone was slightly angry.

Hinata looked at him stunned, realizing becoming a shinobi was forced on him. Suddenly, she clasped his hand. Hero gave her a surprised look. "If you'd like…I can help you find a way to be something more than just a shinobi."

Hero looked at her still in disbelief, but then gave her a slight smile, something out of character for him. "I'd like that." Their faces leaned closer together…and kissed.

Sakura walked into her shared apartment with Naruto, who was there to greet her. "Sakura-chan! How'd it go?" Naruto embraced her in a hug and gave her a deep kiss.

"I think it went well." Sakura answered as they took a seat on the small sofa. Naruto let her lie on his lap. "It was a lot to take in for them; they may wind up not doing it."

"They will." Naruto said, trying to be reassuring. "Ninjutsu is everything to Neji. He will take the chance, no matter the risk."

"In a way, that worries me." Sakura replied, the smile on her face quickly disappearing.

Naruto cupped her chin and looked into her eyes; it was beginning to become a habit. "No matter what the statistics say, as long as you're there, you will succeed."

Sakura smiled and snuggled into him. "How do you do it?"

"Trade secret." Naruto replied, giving her a goofy smile.

"No fair!"

"Well, I might be able to tell you…after I see you in the new lingerie you bought the other night."

Sakura's skin once again matched the color of her hair. She went shopping for sexier clothes recently, and intended to surprise Naruto on a special occasion. "Y-you were supposed to be taking a nap!"

"I pretended to be." Naruto embraced her again and touched her more intimately. "You put it on, and I'll spill the beans. Deal?"

Sakura pretended to the best of her ability that his charms had no effect on her. "Naruto…you know if I do that we won't be talking. And even if I could manage, you're not going to listen." She gave him a kiss across the cheek. "But you'll see my new collection soon enough, okay?"

"Sure." Naruto gave her body one quick rubdown, causing her to moan and then deeply kissing her again. He still couldn't get over how so many places on her body once formerly taboo were now his to touch unless otherwise told by her. "By the way, you've been invited for tea tomorrow." Naruto suddenly told her.

Sakura, surprised, asked "Really? By whom?"

Naruto smiled. "Yuji's mother."

The next day Sakura knocked on the door of the Miyamoto residence. On cue, Yuji's mother opened the door. Yuji was nowhere to be seen; probably with the rest of his team. All for the best, perhaps; she didn't know exactly how this all was going to go down, and if it wasn't going to be good, she didn't want the young chunin here to see it. "Miyamoto-dono? I'm Haruno Sakura; I was told you invited me over?"

Miyamoto immediately smiled and said "Yes, yes! Please, do come in."

Sakura took a brief look around the house. It was a modest house, but it had all the basics. However, Sakura's mind was elsewhere, wondering what she should say to the woman. She was with her husband on what was his final mission, and trained her son. Bringing up the later was easy enough, but the former? "Have a seat. This won't take long." The woman told her as she strode into the kitchen. Sakura took a seat on the sofa as she was told, and tried to get her thoughts together. Before she was ready, Mrs. Miyamoto returned with their tea. "I hope standard green tea is fine."

Sakura put on her most cheerful face. "It will do nicely. Thank you for having me." She replied as she took the cup.

"Yes." Miyamoto answered as she sat on the opposite sofa. "Yuji speaks very highly of you…although, I suppose anyone would of the Hokage's apprentice. He said he learned that technique he pulled at the tournament from you. " She finished her tea, and seemed to be in deep thought. "It's pretty amazing that you are tied to my family, seemingly by destiny itself. Or, to be more correct, to the two most important men in my life."

Straight to the point, it seemed. "Uh, yeah…"

Mrs. Miyamoto was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "I know, this must be awkward for you. My fault, really." It seemed that she to, had trouble forming the words. "I received your letter all those years ago. I read it, and…and…I'm so sorry!" Sakura was surprised by the old woman's sudden burst of tears. "I couldn't handle it. Everyone warned me this would happen, even Ryu." Sakura rushed over to her, trying to comfort her. "I thought I was ready to accept my husband's way of living…I was wrong…" She seemed to get enough of her bearings to finally face Sakura again. " After he died, I was so afraid for Yuji. I wanted him out of the school, but the council wouldn't allow it because of his clan's bloodline. The Hokage made a deal with me that I could see how Yuji performs as a genin, and if I thought it was too dangerous for him…" She stopped herself, and wiped a tear. "I thought I was protecting him. But all I was really doing was keeping him from growing up."

Sakura eased her back into the couch. "Miyamoto-dono…none of us are perfect. You were only doing what you thought was right for your son. Any mother would. You probably should have been more decisive from the beginning about his future…but that's in the past now. What matters now is that you know what Yuji is capable of, and what you want Yuji's future to be."

Miyamoto thought about it before replying. "I want to see him achieve his dream. I was afraid before, but now I can see how strong he has become. Now, as much as it hurts…I must let him go." Despite the pain Sakura could feel in her voice, she smiled nonetheless.

Sakura smiled as well, and stroked her hand. "Don't worry. Yuji has become an incredible ninja; he's catching up with Ryu-sensei, and fast. He can take care of himself now. But, should he ever need help, he will always have Naruto and me."

"I owe him an apology as much as you." Mrs. Miyamoto said at the mention of his name. "He really is the Yodaime's son. I was just as blind as everyone else…" She then looked Sakura in the eye. "…but he's not here at the moment. You're the one I need to ask for forgiveness now." She stood, and bowed. "Haruno Sakura…please understand that all these years, I was not angry at you. I allowed my grief to consume me, and distance myself from all shinobi. But in the end, I was only hurting myself even more. I nearly kept Yuji from his dream, and I can only hope he'll forgive me with time. And you. I cannot imagine the guilt I have caused you by not confronting or replying to you all these years. Shinobi or not, no teenage girl deserved that. So please, whatever you may felt about losing Ryu…understand it was not your fault. He died serving Konoha, his people, and I know he was proud to exchange his life for yours. It's a harsh way of living, and a fate I hope Yuji never has to suffer, but now it is out of my hands. All I can do now…is believe in him, his team… and his two senseis."

Sakura suddenly felt like a great weight was lifted from her shoulders. She bowed as well. "Miyamoto-dono…I promise. I will protect Yuji as long as he needs me."

Mrs. Miyamoto smiled, and rose. "That's all I could ever ask of you. Thank you…Haruno-dono."

Time passed, and Neji had finally made his decision. Anyone who knew of his situation would find the answer obvious, as Neji's closest relatives and teammates were accompanying him to the hospital. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Hiashi asked, one more time. While he was happy that Neji was taking a chance to regain his ninjitsu, he was worried.

"I have, Hiashi-sama. This is what I want." Neji said solemnly. He was also frightened, but he had it with being useless. If he died during the procedure, so be it. The life he was living right now was one he did not want to endure if he had a choice.

Hinata gave her cousin a hug. "Don't worry, Neji-nisan. Everything will be alright. As long as Sakura-san is in charge, you're in good hands."

Hanabi also gave her cousin a hug. "Stay strong."

"I will." Neji replied.

"Ohhh!" Gai cried. "It's just like when my dear Lee was sent to the hospital after his fight with Garaa! Had Hokage-sama not come when we needed her, Lee's dreams would have been crushed!"

"He's right!" Lee cried in sync. "Being told I could never be a ninja again was the worst day of my life!"

He suddenly embraced Neji and cried into his shoulder. "H-Hey!" the Hyuuga yelped. "Let go!"

"Don't worry, my friend!" Lee continued to cry. "With Sakura's medical ninjutsu, anything is possible!"

With that, he released him, and the two taijutsu beasts cried in each other's arms. "T-Thanks. I guess." Neji replied flabbergasted. Grateful, but flabbergasted.

"Neji." The Hyuuga turned to Tenten. She seemed to be staring at the ground, mumbling incoherently.

"What is it, Tenten?"

Tenten, seemed to fumble with her words, then twiddled her fingers. Suddenly, she grunted and launched herself at Neji. She pulled him into a hug, and kissed him.

"Yes!" Gai cried. "You see that Neji! The springtime of youth is still strong in you!"

Lee, for once, was not matching his master's attitude. "Not again!" he yelled, crying a river.

Tenten and Neji's faces were blushing red, but looked at each other in a way that they never did before. "Promise." Tenten whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "Promise me you'll make it through this."

Neji embraced her this time. "Yes. I promise. Thank you…"

The two separated, leaving all those in attendance stunned. Except for Lee, all were smiling. Even Hero, who managed a small smile and walked up to pat Neji on the shoulder. "Good luck." he said.

Hesitantly, Hiashi came to him. "Neji…I know things haven't always been well between us. But…in case something were to happen to you…" He clasped Neji's hands, and squeezed them firmly. "…I want you to know, you've been like a son to me. My only regret… is failing to protect your real father."

Too stunned to say anything, Neji simply nodded. Hiashi understood the impact his confession had on him, and didn't press any further.

With that, they all entered the hospital.

"I'm not ready for this, I'm not ready for this…" Sakura kept repeating to herself. So many things could go wrong!

"Yes, you are." Naruto said sternly as he massaged her shoulders. "You want to help Neji, not just because of your promise to me, but for his own sake, right?"

"Yes! Of course!" She replied defensively.

Naruto simply gave her the smile that she had grown to love before she even knew it as she turned around. "Then just think about him, and you'll both be fine." Naruto replied. He then embraced her. "And remember, no matter what happens, I'm here for you."

Sakura cupped Naruto's cheek, kissing him. "I needed that."

"You're welcome." Naruto said. "Now get going; Neji's nerves aren't going to repair themselves."

"That's the point of this operation, Naruto!" Sakura said as she gave him a playful smile, temporarily forgetting the seriousness of the situation.

"Are we all set?" Sakura and other medic nins, including Tsunade, gathered in a circle around Neji, who was put under anesthesia. Normally, Tsunade would be in charge of the operation, but because Sakura was the one who discovered this experimental therapy, she would be in charge. Still, Tsunade wouldn't have allowed her to take charge unless she saw Sakura's research for herself. She had to say, she couldn't have done a better job herself.

Also among the group was Hinata. She was going to monitor the progress of Neji's nerves with her Byakuugan, and alert the team of any problems.

"Ready, Hinata?" Sakura asked.

"Yes." She nodded. The Hyuuga heiress activated her byakugan.

"Administer stem cells now." Sakura commanded the team. Stem cells were then injected into Neji's body, in the nerves that took the most damage. "Gather around and begin phase 2." Sakura, Tsunade, and the other medics pressed their palms against the injection sites. "Begin." The medics poured their chakra into Neji's body. However, unlike most medical techniques, which affected the host's cells, their chakra was fueling only the newly injected stem cells. Stem cells required energy and other signals to conform to the tissue, and in a living sample often did not complete their growth. The medics were using their own chakra to speed along the process.

"Inoue-san, ease up a bit." Hinata said as she observed the progress. "Naka-san, put a little bit more into it. It's not growing fast enough." Too little chakra would mean that the stem cells couldn't grow, and would die. Too much, and they could become cancerous. Each site required the exact amount.

"Stop!" Hinata suddenly shouted to a medic operating along Neji's arms. "They're mutating!"

Sakura, who was working along Neji's cranial nerves, immediately rushed forward to the troubled spot. "Move!" She took over, and quickly used her chakra to destroy the cells before they could reproduce. "Bring me a new batch of stem cells, quickly!" The medic brought her another syringe, which she quickly administered. She brought his hand forward to feel hers as she poured the chakra in. "Make sure you keep it at this level." She told him sternly.

"Got it. Sorry." The medic replied sheepishly.

The operation continued on. ..

Naruto twiddled his thumbs in the waiting room, as Hiashi and Hanabi settled themselves in the seiza position. All three were anxious for Neji's recovery, though only the blonde in the room clearly showed it. Naruto was certain Sakura could pull it off. But even he knew statistics didn't lie, and usually weren't off by a long shot. He knew that no matter what, Sakura would give it her all to make sure the operation was a success, or at least ended safely. But what of Neji's family? If Sakura failed, would they be able to forgive her?

"Whatever happens, it is nobody's fault." Naruto turned his head up to Hiashi, who was giving him an understanding smile. "Haruno-dono explained the risks to us; Neji knew what he was getting into." Hiashi's fist tightened; while Naruto had little doubt Hiashi spoke the truth, he could see the Hyuuga patriarch was as nervous as he was. "Should anything happen…and I don't want to think that way…" Hiashi took a deep breath. "…I will thank Haruno-dono for doing her very best."

Naruto was stunned; he heard about how his match with Neji melted the ice around Hiashi's heart, but he never knew just how much. "She can do it." He told him. "She's the most amazing kunoichi I've ever met."

Hiashi nodded in understanding; that wasn't just his personal feelings for her talking, he could tell that much.

Suddenly, the doors to the operation room burst open. Sakura and Hinata came walking out, and judging by their smiles, it had to be good news. "The operation was a success!" an exhausted Sakura exclaimed proudly. "The stem cells we gave Neji have conformed to the nerve tissue, and have stabilized. We'll still have to monitor him for a month, just in case…but if nothing changes, I can safely conclude that Neji will make a full recovery!" She took a deep breath. "Your nephew…will be back on the field soon."

The Hyuugas just looked at her shocked, and quickly bowed to her, including Hinata. "P-please Hiashi-sama! There's no need to be so formal!..."

"You are wrong, Haruno-dono." Hiashi interrupted. "Not only will you have improved Neji's life, but you saved him from himself. You don't know how much this means to me." Both Naruto and Sakura saw that Hiashi was crying out of happiness. "If for any reason Uzumaki-san does not become Hokage…you will take your mentor's place splendidly." Sakura was stunned beyond belief of the praise. "You have my support, should you ever consider that." Hiashi added, letting her know that was no exaggeration.

Sakura bowed back abruptly. "Neji is in room 3. He's still asleep, and he'll be out of it for a while, but if you wish, you can go see him now."

"Thank you." The 3 Hyuugas said softly at once. They proceeded down the hallway, as Sakura looked on.

Sakura was never in it for the glory. She already received praise from her closest people, and that was enough. But still, to be complimented like that. "If only father…" No. She could not think like that. All her father cared about was the Kekkei Genkai he failed to pass on. He did not deserve her love anymore. So she kept telling herself…

Suddenly, Sakura was twirled around and pinned to the wall by Naruto. "Naruto! What has gotten into…" Before she could finish, Naruto placed a deep, DEEP kiss on her lips. Sakura was too shocked to return it, but damn did it feel good!

"I'm so proud of you Sakura." Naruto said, releasing her. "You've done something that no one thought could be done, not even Ba-chan…" Naruto hugged her tightly, causing Sakura to blush. "Sakura…I know that life hasn't been easy for you. But I've watched you grow alongside of me. I've seen you work hard. I've seen you push yourself above and beyond. Just remember, there is no limit to what you can do…or endure. And no matter what happens…"

Sakura shushed his lips. "Naruto. The reason I am as strong and wise as I am now is because of you. You were the bottom of the class, and no one, not even me, expected you to become something great. But you never gave up, and overtime, you proved everyone wrong. You have a mysterious power, Naruto. You change people. You bring out the best in them, give them the courage to do what they thought was impossible, and bring out the good in even the darkest of hearts. It's because of that power that Neji will return to field duty." Sakura smiled, and hugged him. "I'm so glad you were always a presence in my life."

"Is everyone ready?" Sakura asked as she adjusted the camera.

"Whenever you are, Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiled.

"Wasn't the last photo we took together good enough?" Sai asked. "Besides, I've no attachment to your students. There's really no reason for me to be here." Sai had finally came out of hiding. It seemed that Danzo and Root were laying low, and Sai felt no fear in walking out in the open again. If they did try to kill him again, they would be the prime suspects, no matter how well they covered their tracks. He knew that Danzo wouldn't risk it, not now. Still, he had to stay on his toes; when angered, Danzo was one who never forgot.

"Sai. Just do as you're told."Naruto sighed heavily.

Sai snapped back to the present and smiled. "Yes, yes. Sorry."

"They really outta find a way to make cameras work faster…" Yuji complained as he stood still in the pose he chose. "I'm getting cramps!"

"Yeah, she might as well try to paint the picture instead of taking it." Shiguri added sarcastically.

Iori suddenly sent a fist across her two teammates' heads. "Knock it off! Just stop acting like a bunch of goofballs and let us get this done and over with!" Iori looked away, trying her best not to look irritated. "Besides…you should treasure your memories with a photograph. You never know; one day, it could burn away into ashes."

Yuji could tell by her voice that Iori was on the verge of tears. "Hey, don't think like that." He placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "No matter what happens, we'll always have the memories to look back on and smile. I promise."

Iori turned around to look at him, and smiled. "I'll hold you to it."

"All right everyone! Timer's set! Get into your positions!" Sakura called.

Sakura ran to join the group before the camera went off. Sakura stood behind Yuji, both flexing their right arms. Naruto was behind Iori, both smiling and showing the hand sign for the Kage Bushin. Sai was behind Shiguri, kneeling to his level. Naruto and Sakura felt that Sai should be with them in another photograph again, as even if it was only part time, they still considered him a team member. Plus, they came to know that Shiguri hated to be the odd man left out. He needed the company, and figured that Sai could be a good teacher to him if he chose to accept that role.

Finally, the camera flashed; a new memory was created for both the original Team 7 and now Team 12.

Tsunade stamped the last bit of paperwork for approval. She was usually a procrastinator, but today she was being quite efficient. She had to be; she had an appointment coming soon, and it would probably take a while. She believed it was best to get it all out of the way. Besides, she found she actually had more free time if she worked like this. The knock she had been anticipating finally resounded in her ears. "Enter."

Yuji entered, and Hyouike, now fully recovered, followed from behind. The Ainu girl seemed nervous; Tsunade expected this. When Yuji told her of the situation, she knew exactly what she was talking about. This was a few decades too late, in her opinion, but even if he wasn't alive to see it, Uncle Tobimara deserved some closure.

"Miyamoto. I take it everything is alright?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Yuji replied quickly, too nervous to engage her in casual conversation.

Tsunade then said "Before we begin, I wanted to let you know that you show exceptional promise as a medical ninja. Since Sakura still needs a full-time job, I decided that she will oversee your training. We just need your mother's permission, and from what Sakura told me, we're likely to get it. Since you've mastered the chakra-enhanced strength technique, you should have no trouble melding your chakra into a tool for healing as well." Yuji was, needless to say, speechless. Even Hyouike had to feel happy for him. "Congratulations, Miyamoto." Tsunade smiled. "Your father would be very proud of you."

Yuji blushed and scratched his head. "Uh, thank you, Hokage-sama. But…we're not here for me."

"Yes, of course." Tsunade's face turned serious. "I believe you said that this girl had something to say about our village's past, specifically regarding my great uncle, Senju Tobimara."

Yuji nodded, and allowed Hyouike to speak. She told Tsunade about how her people wandered the continent, always trying to get away from prejudice. But, how according to some Konoha ninja, it was the 2nd Hokage who actively persecuted them during their time in Fire Country. To her credit, Hyouike kept her tale as non-malicious as she could, understanding that whoever was responsible in the past was now dead and gone. At the end of it all, both teens were afraid of Tsunade's reaction.

Instead of vehemently denying it, however, Tsunade sighed heavily. "I was afraid your people would think that, Hyouike-san." She then signaled for the two to follow her. "Hyouike-san. I cannot deny anything that happened to your people, and our village is partially to blame. But not in the way you think." Tsunade pulled out a book partway, and the entire shelf moved, revealing a large space for them to walk through.

"A hidden passageway!" Yuji exclaimed. "I know shinobi are supposed to be secretive and sneaky…but!..."

"It's not that secret." Tsunade replied. "It's actually quite well known with the higher-ups, but you need my permission explicitly to have access. It's merely a vault of the previous Hokages belongings. My predecessors would place things that belonged to them they didn't want the public to access, just for personal reasons. After a hundred years or so, they will be released to the public unless other information is deemed too sensitive. You two should consider yourselves lucky; not even many high-ranking jonin like Kakashi have had a chance to look inside."

Tsunade began to descend down the stairs, while the two kids looked on nervously. Tsunade glanced behind her, annoyed. "What are you doing? Get down here; it's the only way the two of you will know the truth."

Yuji and Hyouike eeped, and ran downstairs after her. When they reached the bottom floor, the two stared in wonder. While it was mostly books and scrolls, Yuji could tell they all had valuable knowledge inside. He wasn't much of a history buff, but he would have very much liked to learn about the leaders' of his village; it was the closest thing to meeting them.

Tsunade rummaged through the material as she said "Most of these are journals of the Hokages lives, the parts that they are either not proud of or simply do not wish to be seen."

"And, the attack on my people?" Hyouike asked. She tried to be polite, but she did not want to beat around the bush any longer.

"Before we get to that, I suggest you two have a look at this portrait." Tsunade said as she passed a large picture to them. Yuji and Hyouike took a look. It was clearly the Nidaime. Instead of his battle armor, however, he was wearing a formal yukata. Next to him was a woman with tan skin and silver-blue hair.

"An Ainu?" Hyouike asked in surprise. "But, if the Nidaime loved an Ainu woman, than why…?"

"Her name was Eikyuutoudo." Tsunade began to explain. "My uncle had lost his first wife in one of the shinobi wars years before your people came to our lands, and out of goodwill, rescued her caravan from being attacked one day. It was love at first sight for both of them, and he offered all of them sanctuary. However…no one place is free of racism." Tsunade noted sadly. The two adolescents were almost afraid to ask what happened next. Tsunade continued "It wasn't a particularly strong organization. But they were there. Most were just a few civilians who didn't know better. Others, however, were council members. They didn't want Ainu 'polluting our land', as they put it. Tobimara, of course, ignored their claims and had enough political power to make sure that the Ainu were given basic rights. But, when such men of prejudice and power are backed into a corner…" Tsunade seemed to have trouble forming the words.

"It was Danzo, wasn't it?" Yuji asked, gritting his teeth. "Every problem Konoha had, he was behind. Shiguri has enough stories about him to confirm that."

"No." Tsunade replied. "Danzo wasn't seasoned enough to gain such political power at that time; he would have only been in his early twenties. Besides, Sarutobi-sensei often teased him about being crazy for Ainu girls back then." Hyouike's face nearly turned red at the statement. "Naming those responsible is pointless at this point; they're all dead now." The Hokage noted sadly.

Yuji noticed that a single tear dropped from Tsunade's face. Whatever happened back then, it must have affected her too. "Right before their wedding, the Ainu caravan Eikyuutoudo was from was attacked by some of our own shinobi. Many were captured, tortured…" Tsunade choked on her words. "…the damage was done by the time my uncle found out. The caravan left, and believing that Tobimara was responsible, she left with them as well, and rejected his love. Tobimara was devastated, but he remained strong and disciplined in his position as Hokage, to the disappointment of some."

"It was a plot to destroy the Nidaime…from within." Yuji said in realization. "What about the people who were responsible? Were they found out?"

"Eventually." Tsunade replied. "By that time, they were already old men; Sarutobi-sensei was Hokage by the time they were convicted. They were sent to prison, but it wasn't long before they died of old age."

"And the Nidaime?" Yuji asked, hoping to hear a happy ending to all this. He sincerely doubted it, though.

"He never stopped looking for her, to beg for her forgiveness." Tsunade replied, doing her best to stay strong. She remembered how hard it was on her uncle. Every day, he would put up a brave face. But when he was alone in his room, he would drink enough sake to make even her puke and called to her in his sleep.

A long moment of silence engulfed everyone. "Eikyuutoudo was my great aunt." Hyouike said softly. "My grandfather was her little brother. He was one of the lucky few who escaped, and I learned the version of the story I was told from him." Tsunade then looked straight at her, silently telling her to go on. "My grandfather told me that while she ultimately sided with her people, she never did stop loving him, hoping to believe that Senju Tobimara was innocent." Hyouike then began to cry. "And now…she's gone. I'm the one who had to find out in her place. It isn't fair." Hyouike then bowed at Tsunade suddenly. "Hokage-sama, my whole life I believed your uncle had wronged my people. But, I see the truth now. I only wish for both of us that someone found out back then. I am so sorry that we ever doubted the village."

Tsunade bowed back. "Not all of us were responsible like you thought, and certainly not my uncle. But that does not change the fact that a select few chose to commit atrocious acts; the village must still share responsibility for those crimes."

Tsunade then beckoned the two teens to follow her up the stairs. "Things are different now; in fact, I'd say your absence from these lands has somewhat benefited you. Most anti-ainu feelings are gone. In fact, I'd say a good portion of the village never even heard of your clan." Yuji blushed slightly, embarrassed that he was one of those ignorant people just a couple of months ago that Tsunade was speaking of. "I think with the current council…we can begin to set things right again." Tsunade proclaimed softly as she guided the two teens up the stairs.

"Whatever the village done in the past, it was nothing compared to the cruelty of Iwa." Yuji said. "Even if we forced them there, that doesn't excuse what THEY did. We should have intervened sooner."

Tsunade looked back at him and said "And if you were in my shoes, would you risk your own shinobi dying? For a people they may not know or understand? Even may hate? And only further aggravate the enemy into attacking us? Miyamoto, people go to war for their own preservation, not for those of others. At least, that's how most people view it. And such people become very powerful in their lives."

Yuji clenched his fists. "War may not be the answer. But I just can't stand by and do nothing! There has to be another way…and I will find it."

Tsunade then smiled slightly. "Then, I wish you luck. But for now, we have to take care of Hyouike-san's needs." The two stared at the Ainu girl, who was wondering what the big deal was. "You've got a long road ahead of you as ambassador of your people. Come."

That certainly stunned Hyouike. Though she was unprepared, she promised herself at that moment to do her best to represent her people. As they walked towards the council, Hyouike whispered "Yuji?"

"Yeah?"

Suddenly, Hyouike embraced him from behind, and nuzzled her head against his back. "Thank you. I'll never forget this."

Yuji turned red at the close contact. "Y-you're welcome." Yuji said nothing more as Hyouike released him; though he doubted it would happen, he didn't want Iori to walk in on them and get mad.

"Naruto, I'm home!" Sakura called as she entered their apartment. She had to do some administrative work earlier in the morning, but Sakura was always an efficient worker; it was only about 1 o'clock in the afternoon. "Naruto?" Usually Naruto would be bursting with joy for her return, even if she was only gone for a few hours.

She looked around, and found Naruto sulking in the bedroom. Naruto seemed to be looking at a picture, but he then looked up when he sensed her approach before she could ask. "Oh. Hi, Sakura-chan." He said in a depressed tone.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sakura asked concerned as she took a seat next to Naruto, and noticed he was looking at a picture of him and Iruka-sensei. A twinge of sadness touched her as well. "Oh…"

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan." Naruto began to explain. "I…I just miss him so much…"

Sakura hugged Naruto close. "Naruto, it's okay. He was like a father to you; of course you feel the way you do."

Naruto shut his eyes and shook his head. "It's not just that, I…"

"Naruto, you should have been told sooner." Sakura interrupted him sternly. "One of us who knew should have. Your attitude was OUR fault. Nonetheless, I know Iruka-sensei was always proud of you, and just seeing you grow up was enough. He died without regret, I just know it."

Naruto looked at her, and smiled slightly. "Thanks, Sakura-chan." He said as he put the photo down on his lap. "I needed that." He leaned over to kiss her, which Sakura gladly returned.

"Hey, lately you've been saying a lot of things to help me. It was only fair that I returned the favor." Sakura winked at him.

Naruto gave her his usual goofy grin. "I guess."

Still, Sakura knew from personal experience that Naruto needed to do something else to take his mind off Iruka. And that's when she got a brilliant idea. "Hey, Naruto. Did you make any plans for today?"

"Uh, no, not really." Naruto replied, scratching his head.

"Why don't we do a little sparring for today? It will help take your mind off things. Besides…" Sakura leaned in to nibble his ear, turning Naruto's skin red. "…you'll get a surprise if you win."

Naruto gulped. "O-okay, Sakura-chan! Just…just give me a few minutes, okay? I need to find something to wear!"

Sakura smiled and walked away, swaying her hips in an absolutely sinful manner, not that Naruto was complaining. "Sure thing, sweetie. Take all the time you need. I'll be in Training Area 7, waiting for you." She blew him a kiss, and walked out the door.

"Oh, jeez!" Naruto ran to the shower as he shed his clothes; he was going to need a cold shower before their spar…

Naruto entered the training area half an hour later. His normal shinobi clothes were dirty, and he didn't want to wear them for this spar, not when Sakura was giving the hint it might be something "special". However, he found something he figured Sakura might like to see again: his old orange suit. It was a little bit small, but he could still move with no problem, plus it didn't look too young for him. "Wait 'till Sakura-chan gets a load of this!" he thought ecstatically.

"Sakura-chan! I'm here!" Normally, he wouldn't be calling for his sparring partner, at least not these days. But something told him this wouldn't be a normal sparring session.

"I see you made it. And nice choice of clothing too."

Naruto looked behind him to see Sakura leaning against a tree, clearly expecting him. And like him, it seemed she had a similar choice of attire: her old clothes. Sakura was still as lithe, athletic and beautiful as he remembered. However, she was now a grown woman, and Naruto went farther with her than he had ever hoped. Those two facts brought old adolescent fantasies surging through Naruto's mind. "You…" he began. For some reason, he couldn't form the words. There was no reason he shouldn't have been able to; he had been on missions with Sakura dressed like that with no problem, never mind the recent milestones in their relationship. "You look good." He finally blurted out. Naruto smacked his head as he realized he should have said something nicer.

"Just good, huh?" Sakura asked, looking slightly annoyed. She strutted over to Naruto and placed her hands on her hips. "That's too bad. I go through the trouble of finding my old clothes, and that's all you say. Huh. I suppose you will have to forget about your surprise then…" she turned around, giving him a "Hmph". "…not that I think you'd have a chance of winning anyway…"

Naruto suddenly protested and flapped his arms wildly. "W-wait! You just surprised me, that's all! Please, what was it?"

"Not telling." Had Naruto been paying better attention, he would have noticed the sly smile across Sakura's face before she turned her away again.

Naruto let out a low growl, but he wasn't angry; on the contrary, he was giving her a seductive smile. "Name your terms, vixen." He said in a low voice and wrapped his strong arms around her.

"Put me in a position where no matter what, I will most certainly lose." Sakura replied, returning the smile.

Naruto backed away, and pulled out a kunai. Sakura did the same. "Ready…GO!"

Both ninjas disappeared into the forest. However, Sakura's taunts had gotten to Naruto; he was impatient. Quickly, he ran across the forest, sprinting towards where he saw her move. "Here I come, Sakura-chan…" He quickly spotted some pink hair, and pulled out his kunai, pointing it at her back. "This is the part where you surrender…WHAT!" Naruto found himself holding a pink wig on top of a log hostage instead of a person.

"Not quite." Sakura came from behind, and Naruto's face met her fist. Normally, his skull would have been shattered by such a blow. But she wasn't worried; the clone dissipated as if she hit nothing at all. Still, she fell into Naruto's trap herself; she was now exposed. Quickly, Sakura pulled out a kunai. "I should expect some shuriken in about 3…2…1…" As she expected, the sharp weapons were hurled towards her. Sakura deflected and dodged all of them, but when she back flipped away, Naruto was in her face as soon as she was upright. Sakura hastily blocked Naruto's punch. While she avoided the blow, she was still thrown back.

To her surprise, Naruto became the aggressor, using his kunai and fists to keep her on the defensive. Sakura countered, but Naruto dodged each one of them by a hair's breadth. Sakura fell back, holding her kunai in a defensive position. Both stared at each other panting, smiling at one another. "You really have gotten better." Sakura complimented him. "A year ago, unless you planned to use Rasengan, you wouldn't have dared to get this close to me."

Naruto smiled. "Well, after all the fights I've been in, getting up close isn't as scary as it used to be. Besides…"

Sakura suddenly felt arms hug her body. "A Kage Bushin!"

"…it's fun messing with you." Naruto grinned naughtily. Suddenly, the bushin began to grope her all over.

"Naruto! This isn't…ah!... Sakura's face flushed as Naruto massaged her breasts over her shirt.

"Neither was the way we beat Kakashi." Naruto replied, knowing what she was going to say. Hearing Sakura moaning the way she was aroused him almost as much as seeing her naked. Naruto's hand snaked its way down into her pants, and suddenly, Sakura flipped the Bushin over. Naruto had to bring his knees together and squat as the clone's memories flooded his mind. "Maybe I should be doing the physical contact from now on." He thought. All those feelings at light speed wouldn't have bided too well for him right now.

"Naruto!" Sakura panted. She wasn't angry. In fact, she was becoming rather playful. "Concentrate." she said as sternly as she could; which wasn't very much at all.

"Of course." Naruto said, smiling back. "I might not be concentrating on what you want me to, though."

Sakura only gave him a sexy grin. "Oh, I wouldn't know about that." Sakura vanished into the woods, and Naruto desperately tried to follow her trail.

Naruto leapt into the treetops, looking left and right. Then his eyes widened at what he saw: Sakura's shirt splayed haphazardly on a branch. "OH YEAHHH!" Naruto quickly made his way towards the spot, looking forward to a topless Sakura. "You little vixen, you…" He made it to his target…only to find Sakura was not in sight. "….Sakura-chan?" Suddenly, a volley of shuriken flew at him from all directions. Naruto ran for dear life. "HEY! You're acting like I've never seen you like that before!" Naruto finally cleared the trap, and bent over to catch his breath. "Jeez…this is the most I've ever had to work for…" Sakura's laughter caught his attention, and he looked to see where it was coming from. In another part of the thicket, Naruto found Sakura's arm, this time hanging up her shorts on a branch. "HOLY…!" Naruto sprinted over there, only to find Sakura was once again nowhere in sight. Then, Naruto felt something tug on his ankle. "Oh no, not this ag-" Naruto was hoisted upside down in the air by a snare. "Aw, come on!" Naruto screamed. "What did I do to deserve this!"

"Well, for starters, you could have found a better way to compliment me." Sakura came out of hiding…and much to Naruto's disappointment, fully clothed. Sakura just gave him a mischievous smirk at seeing him upside down. "You disappoint me, Naruto. I figured you would have learned your lesson by now."

Naruto pouted "Kakashi never used one's pervertedness against them."

"No, but it was the same principle. Use the enemy's weakness against them. In your case…" Sakura turned to herself and smacked her ass, resulting in Naruto getting a nosebleed upside down. "I think I made my point."

Naruto cleaned his face, and gave her a serious look. "This calls for a rematch." Naruto cut the snare with his kunai, and flipped onto the ground. "You're going to pay for that. I'm going to rip those clothes off of you…" Naruto licked his lips with a predatory gaze. "…and I'll make love to you until you pass out."

Sakura just looked at him skeptically. "You've got stamina, I'll give you that. But enough to make me pass out? Don't underestimate me."

"We'll see." Naruto replied, never losing his confidence, whether it be battle or love. He then got into a defensive stance. "Ready?"

"Born ready." Sakura replied, equally as confident.

The two jumped back, only to leap towards each other once more. Sakura held nothing back; if a punch connected, Naruto would be on his way to the hospital. IF a punch connected, a big if. Naruto had clearly been studying her; he parried all of her blows and made sure not to use any hard blocks to counter. While Sakura was still more agile, Naruto had gotten crazy fast over the years. Quickly, Sakura attached an explosive tag on her kunai, and flung it. While the kunai itself missed Naruto, it was close enough for the explosion to have an effect if Naruto didn't get out of the way. It went off, and when the smoke cleared, she saw no sign of Naruto or that he retreated; that worried her. "Naruto?"

"Right here, Sakura-chan!"

Suddenly, Sakura felt a pair of hands rubbing her rear. "AHHH!"

"My god, Sakura. I could never get tired of this…"

"NARUTO!" Sakura slugged Naruto across the face, worried she may have done too much damage. Her fears were relieved when the Bushin dissipated. "I should have known…"

Before Sakura had a chance to straighten herself out, Naruto suddenly leapt in front of her, and grabbed her breasts. Sakura's face turned the same color as her shirt as Naruto squeezed them. "Actually, concerning you, I can never get enough of any part of the body."

"Naruto, quit fucking around!" Sakura uppercutted him into the air, but that to was a bushin as well. If Sakura thought she could get some relief, she was wrong; Naruto burst from the ground, again headed for her breasts. Sakura tried to block his hands, but that only proved to be a feint as Naruto instead placed his head in her chest and motor-boated. "Damn it, Naruto!" Sakura slammed him back in, but that only proved to be a bushin once more.

Sakura stepped back a bit, preparing for an attack, both the violent and the sexual kind. Sakura noticed she was panting nervously. However, it probably had more to do with the anticipation of what may be to come… "Damn it, Sakura! Get a grip!" Sakura spun as she heard Naruto giggle from all directions.

"I'm just taking your advice, Sakura-chan." Sakura spun to her left; nothing there. "You used my weakness quite well, I'll give you that." To her right, nothing there either. "But you can't say you don't share the same weakness as I."

Behind her, he was still nowhere in sight. "Kage Bushin…he's filled the forest with Kage Bushin!"

"And now, we're going to make you pay for that." The unseen clones said in unison from all directions.

Suddenly, Naruto landed in front of her, and showed off a protruding tent in his pants. "Damn it, Naruto!" Sakura's face turned blood red with shock and embarrassment, and leapt back, throwing some shuriken. "Naruto, you baka! For once, fight like a real ninja!"

Naruto side-stepped the sharp objects with ease; getting her flustered threw her aim way off."Um…no. What I'm doing now seems to be much more effective." he replied nonchalantly.

Sakura stopped to prepare herself for anything. Unfortunately, the way her body was reacting physically, she couldn't think straight or calm down. Suddenly, shuriken came from both her sides. She jumped up and away, but Sakura saw the skirt-flannels fall to the ground as she back-flipped away. "Oh no, he didn't…" Sakura turned her head around, and saw exactly what that area of her shorts looked like without them. While being without them was by no means inappropriate, they did nothing to conceal her bottom's perfectly circular shape. "I'll have to remember to thank Shishou those, profusely." Sakura reminded herself. "You like that!" Sakura shouted, pointing to her somewhat-exposed area. "Take a good look, you perv!"

"Oh, I am." he called.

"Damn it!" She still couldn't pinpoint his location as she looked around!

"But I was already thinking of you with much, much less on since this sparring session began." Shuriken were hurled towards her, and Sakura leapt to avoid them. For some reason, she was hoping the shuriken would shred her clothes off. The more rational part of her mind fought that more primal part, reminding herself that she did not plan for it to go like this, and that she still valued those clothes. But still, the excitement that Naruto had begun to build up inside of her…it was exciting beyond anything she felt before, even from their previous trysts. Had her shorts been a lighter color, Naruto might have noticed something peculiar but arousing, and at least for that she was grateful. Naruto continued to taunt her with his plans for her, and Sakura was losing balance and concentration…

Suddenly, Naruto leapt towards her. It was a laughably predictable lunge, one not even in his younger days would Naruto dare try. Even an academy student could easily counter such an "attack". And yet, Sakura found herself helpless. Perhaps it was his piercing blue eyes, the way his hair waved in the wind. Or…perhaps it was Sakura 's mind and body separated, and the later wanted to receive whatever Naruto had in mind. Then, Naruto captured her lips in a kiss. Sakura was so entranced by Naruto, all she could do was return the kiss. "I win." Naruto breathed.

Sakura just felt the sharp edge of a kunai behind her head. "You know…uh…most shinobi…oooh…I…wouldn't fall for this." She finally managed to gasp as she and Naruto continued to French each other.

"The same could be said about Kakashi-sensei. I doubt he would let a real enemy exploit his fondness of Icha-Icha. But that worked for us, didn't it?" Naruto grabbed her bottom and hoisted her against a tree, causing her to yelp in excitement. "And I think I'm the only one who could do this to you, right?"

Sakura moaned as Naruto massaged her breasts over her shirt. "YES! Yes…" Sakura wanted him so bad! She tried to undress him, but Naruto only kept her away from his zippers. She then tried to undress herself, but Naruto stopped her again, which really stumped her. "What…what are you doing? This is what you want? Right?" Sakura never wanted so bad to take her clothes off and experience pleasure.

"Do you…have any idea…" Naruto paused to finger her under her pants, causing her to stifle a scream. "…how long I waited for this? Sakura, when you asked me if you looked more woman-like…it was true that you were always as beautiful to me as you ever were. But that didn't change the fact that I noticed that you had matured. I wanted to tear those clothes off and take you right then and there. I never thought of you that intensely…until that time. And despite everything we've done recently, I'm feeling that way again."

"Then…what's keeping you?" Sakura asked in anticipation.

"I'm going to make you suffer like I have…until you break anyway." Naruto grinned wickedly, growling.

For what seemed like an eternity, Naruto groped her and made her writhe in pleasure. However, he kept himself from stripping her and made sure she did not climax. No matter how much Sakura moaned or grinded herself against him, Naruto refused to give her any more than what he was…at least until he felt he broke her. "Naruto…ah…please…"

Naruto stopped his rubbing between her legs and smiled slyly. "Yes, what?"

Sakura nearly screamed "Oh kami, please! Please, take me! Make me yours!"

Satisfied, Naruto kissed her deeply. He then proceeded to unzip her vest…"Oh, how I've longed to take this off!" He was imagining what kind of bra she usually wore under it…and that's when he was met with a big surprise. Right after opening it, he found himself staring at Sakura's bare breasts. Sakura, taking notice of his surprise, looked at him nervously. "What the-!" Before Sakura could answer him, Naruto pulled her shorts down, eliciting a small scream of surprise from Sakura. As Naruto feared, nothing down there either. Normally, this would excite Naruto, but he couldn't imagine Sakura going commando on their missions together. "Sakura…" he began to ask, nervously. "You mean…all this time…"

"Of course not, baka!" Sakura replied harshly. "What kind of a woman do you take me for!" Feeling that things just got tense between them and the mood was on the verge of being ruined, Sakura's expression soften. "This was supposed to be your surprise." She blushed, imagining that such a thought did cross Naruto's mind when they were younger

Naruto just stared at her in shock; then, upon finally comprehending what Sakura just told him, the lust returned full force as he kissed her deeply. Sakura fumbled with Naruto's pants, trying to undo the zipper; quite a challenge when she felt her breasts being fondled. "Oh...Naruto…" Sakura moaned as she felt Naruto finger her. Despite how much she was enjoying this, she still hesitated to do it outdoors in broad daylight. She broke away from their kiss and whimpered "We shouldn't…not here…"

"No one's supposed to come here when it's occupied, remember?" Naruto asked huskily. Considering how preoccupied he was with Sakura at the moment, it was amazing that he could answer at all. Hearing no objection from her, Naruto helped her out of her open vest while Sakura got him out of his jacket. "Besides…didn't you ever fantasize about making love here?"

Sakura slipped her shorts off her ankles and removed Naruto's boxers. "More times than I could count." She replied before grinding against him. Naruto hissed at the contact; it seemed the both of them wanted to do away with foreplay and climax quickly. It was certainly tempting. But no, Naruto wanted to drag this out; he wanted Sakura to be desperate from his touch, and that wouldn't happen if he gave her what she wanted now.

Sakura was about to take off her boots, but Naruto grasped her hand in his. "Leave them!" he nearly shouted. Her boots accentuated her legs and stuck to them like a second skin; Naruto almost never fantasized about her without them (not that she didn't look good without them).

Both of their lips locked, but Naruto made it a point to keep contact between the rest of their bodies at a minimum. Sakura obviously didn't like this, and pushed harder. She managed to sneak her hand out and touch him all over. Naruto winced in pleasure as she stroked his manhood. Before he lost control, he grabbed Sakura's butt and holstered her up against the tree again. Sakura gasped and straddled him, still locking lips. Naruto suddenly took her to the ground and pinned her there. It was then that he went to work on her breasts. Sakura moaned loudly as he touched their bare skin. "About…time!" Sakura's legs squirmed as Naruto pinched her nipples, but she could do nothing to change her position. Naruto lowered his head and began to suck on them, and Sakura made sure to keep him there. While the pleasure her body was feeling was overwhelming as it was, the feeling of her fingers of Naruto's hair combined with the former was beginning to drive her mad. As Naruto nipped at the skin of her neck, one of his hands inched down to Sakura's sex; the kunoichi was quickly becoming pudding in his hands.

Finally, Sakura's hold loosened enough for him to move his head, causing Sakura to pout. "Relax; I think you'll enjoy this." he assured her.

Naruto hoisted up her rear while Sakura's shoulders and head remained on the ground. Sakura's breathing quickened in anticipation of what was to come. Then Naruto lowered his mouth…"OH KAMI!" Sakura screamed. This wasn't anything new, but Sakura felt she would never get used to this. Every flick of his tongue sent jolts of pleasure up her spine; with each stroke she felt she would die a very pleasant death. "Naruto…Oh Naruto…" Sakura couldn't form a coherent sentence to tell him how much she enjoyed this.

Using his fingers to substitute for his mouth, he said "Relax. Just relax and enjoy…" He continued his oral administrations as Sakura continued to writhe furiously in pleasure. Little did she know, Naruto was nearly going mad himself. Sakura's taste drove him wild; it took all of his willpower just to go slowly so he could torture his lover with pleasure. The sight of seeing her writhe, seeing her truly be his was enough to make him enjoy the slow pace.

But, it seemed he wouldn't have to keep it up much longer. "NARUTO!" Sakura finally climaxed, smiling as she came down from her high. But her taste finally pushed Naruto over the edge. He needed more NOW! "Oh Kami, Nar-AHH!" Naruto continued his administrations, this time with wild abandon.

The cascades of pleasure came to Sakura never ending; Naruto was never this wild around her before. "I better calm him down if we're going to make this last." Sakura somehow managed to find the strength to lift herself up, and placed her palms on Naruto's temples. Her hands glowed green with chakra, and began to alter Naruto's physiology to calm him down. While he still made an effort, Naruto was beginning to slow down. He still held firm, determined to make Sakura orgasm a second time. Just as he felt himself go numb, he succeeded. Sakura's legs landed in a heap, and Naruto fell back on his butt.

He was quickly feeling the sexual excitement from before returning with a vengeance. "Why…" he panted, both feeling disoriented and distracted from the site of Sakura lying down open-legged. "…what did you go and do that for?"

Sakura managed to recover, and crawled towards him seductively. "Come now, you didn't think you could torture me like that and get away with it, did you?" She reached him, and ran her hands down his chest. Naruto tried to fight it, but he couldn't help but shudder in delight at her touch. "I'll show you…what it's like to be on the receiving end." Naruto gasped as he felt Sakura's lips envelope his manhood. She didn't hold back, not all. The ministrations of her tongue would have sent him climaxing immediately under normal circumstances. NORMAL circumstances; with 2 students of the benign sanin, circumstances often took a turn for the extraordinary. While she was playing with Naruto, Sakura placed her hands between his thighs and pumped her chakra into him. Her chakra inhibited the normal physiological reaction for a male orgasm, building up Naruto's pleasure to unimaginable heights. Soon, not even he could keep himself from writhing around and moaning. Sakura would have smiled if she could; she would have loved watching Naruto like this. However, even with her medical expertise, she could only keep this up for so long; Naruto's body's need to climax would soon overrun the chakra blocks she was administering. Soon, it happened, and Naruto finally felt some relief. Sakura wasn't wild about the taste, but she didn't hate it either.

Naruto panted as he watched Sakura relax and lick her lips. "Naruto, would you mind getting me some water? It's in one of my scrolls…in the shorts you ripped off." Naruto smiled and made a Bushin to retrieve it. Sakura looked slyly as she watched the clone run off for it. Naruto himself only continued to look at Sakura, amazed that she seemed to be as aroused as he was. The Bushin came back with the scroll, and dissipated. Sakura summoned a water bottle and washed her mouth; she figured Naruto wouldn't appreciate tasting himself. Oddly enough, she didn't mind when the situation was reversed.

She then noticed that Naruto was staring at her intently. There was no debate that he was enjoying what he was watching. "Sakura-chan…" he hoarsely whispered. "I need you. NOW."

Sakura stood up, and walked towards him, emphasizing her breasts and her sex, smiling naughtily. However, she stopped short and appeared to be reconsidering, as suggested by the finger under her chin. She even rubbed her calves together, and dangled her womanhood above him in a tease. Then, she smiled broadly. "You'll have to earn it!" Then just like that, she took off.

"WHAT!" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief. The only response Naruto got was Sakura's laughter through the forest. He sprang up, and sprinted like there was no tomorrow. While Naruto's tracking skills weren't the best, especially when being as "unfocused" as he was, his tenacity allowed him to find Sakura. Sakura continued to run, which proved difficult for both of them. Watching Sakura run naked…and from the rear…made him lose sight of his surroundings, leading to him tripping and unable to concentrate on sprinting. As for Sakura, it just felt weird to run without clothes on. The unfamiliar feeling prevented her from running at her full potential. That, and the butterflies in her stomach made it difficult for her to put any real effort into her running.

Suddenly she was tackled from behind and the two sprawled to the ground. Both laughed hysterically at the turn of events. Before Sakura could stop laughing, Naruto pulled her into his lap and began kissing her neck. "OHHH. AHHH…" Sakura grinded into him, having enough with the foreplay. Then, Naruto had an idea. His chakra control was still a little bit below average, but he could still make small rasengans about the size of his pinky. From personal experimentation, he knew that they were harmless on human skin. But it still created a massage-like sensation. Naruto began to squeeze his lover's breasts, and then held his palms at the tip of her nipple. "Naruto…why…"

"Shh…you'll see."

Naruto began to concentrate (which proved difficult because of his current situation). His mini-rasengans began to form on both hands, and then he placed them on both of Sakura's breasts. "AHHHH!" Naruto was worried for a second that he may have hurt her. But he was proven wrong when Sakura began to grind against him violently and crank her neck back to access his lips. Naruto continued to use his chakra to fondle her, seeing Sakura go mad with ecstasy. Naruto felt his lap becoming sticky and wet…and he wasn't aware of himself climaxing. Naruto had to smile with male pride with what he was able to accomplish. Then, he lowered his left hand between her legs while he squeezed her breast with his other hand, both still swirling with chakra. Sakura let out an even louder scream from before, and Naruto felt her body go slack. Naruto let her go, and she collapsed the ground like a ragdoll. "Sakura!" Naruto shook her, worried he went too far again. "Are you alright!"

Sakura began to come to, and was panting like she ran a ninja marathon. "I…I'm fine Naruto." Sakura then sat up, looking at Naruto seductively. Naruto, transfixed by her beauty, felt himself leaning back. "That was very clever of you, Naruto. Using your ninjutsu specialty to…" Sakura couldn't quite form the words. Suddenly, she pinned Naruto onto the ground. "I think I'll put my own abilities to the test as well."

Suddenly, Naruto felt roots growing around his wrists, and pulling. They didn't hurt, but Naruto could not break the bonds unless he wanted to tap into Kyuubi's power. "Genjutsu." He said in realization. "You're going to use genjutsu against me."

Sakura just gave him an evil smile. "Oh, I'm not just going to hold you in place." With that, Sakura began to alter her appearance slightly.

She didn't do anything drastic like change her hair color or enlarge her breasts; Naruto would never forgive her if she pulled a stunt like that. What she did made it appear that Naruto's senses had enhanced. Suddenly, her skin seemed to shine brighter, and her pink hair more radiant. Her eyes seemed to be practically sparkling. Her touch also began to feel softer and smoother than before. What caught off guard was the new smell that invaded his nostrils. The scent smelled like a cross between cherry blossom perfume (go figure), sweat, and sex. Naruto didn't think he could've been driven more wild than he already was, but this was quickly proving him wrong. "Oh kami…"

"You like what you're sensing, Naruto?" Sakura smiled while sitting on him as if he were a comfy pillow.

Naruto also realized that her voice sounded even sexier than usual, although still the familiar one he grew to love. "Sakura…" His lover stroked his chest, tracing circles around it and eliciting electric bolts of pleasure inside of him. Naruto was about to climax again. "…I can't take much more of this…"

Sakura looked back at him and smiled wickedly. "If you think this is overwhelming…wait until you get a load of this." Sakura turned around so that she and Naruto were face to face. She began licking his chest, and nipping at it while her hands played with him elsewhere. Naruto let out feral screams as it went on. Soon, Sakura's sex joined with Naruto's at last. Naruto was yelling like an animal, due to the sensory overload. He didn't know that Sakura was being pushed to the brink as well. Her core went from bonfire to magnesium flame; she could no longer stand teasing Naruto and began to rapidly grind against him. That one round probably lasted only a minute, but to both it felt like an eternity.

Just when Naruto was about to finally climax, he screamed and broke his illusionary bonds. Sakura screamed as he pinned Sakura on her stomach. "No more games; you're mine now." He growled animilastically, although there was no sign of Kyuubi influence on him. Naruto began to pound into Sakura with reckless abandon. This wasn't the most romantic way to do it, Sakura thought; but it felt pretty damn good. From their previous trysts, Sakura was now used to having Naruto inside her; Naruto therefore had no trouble moving. In addition, she was already so aroused that Naruto felt practically nothing as he went inside of her. As driven into a hormonal frenzy as he was, Naruto hadn't forgotten about his promise to her. He wanted to make this a day Sakura would NEVER forget. Sakura moaned loudly from his ministrations, urging him to move faster and faster. Naruto eventually pulled her arms towards him to get a better grip on her. Sakura climaxed violently, but Naruto did not release her. "Not yet. I'm not done with you yet."

Their love-making was becoming the polar opposite of an intense sparring session. Both involved physical activity, could be quite tiring, and knocking out the opponent was an acceptable outcome. However, the key difference was that a sparring session could injure the opponent and caused both participants pain. Instead, Naruto was hoping to knock out Sakura through extreme pleasure. Sakura tried to keep pace, switching positions and trying to pleasure him as well. But Naruto was too determined, and soon Sakura's body was too exhausted to turn the tables. All she could do was sit back and enjoy. Both partners went through several more orgasms, oblivious to the setting sun and the combined smell of sex and sweat.

Finally, when Naruto lifted her pelvis up and drove into her, both experienced a wall-shattering orgasm. The two saw colors off all kinds, and their world became distorted. Both failed to hear themselves release feral screams. Sakura's world went white, and then, blackness.

Naruto groaned as he started to become aware of his surroundings. He felt exhausted, almost like he had gone through a dozen S-ranked missions without rest. He also faintly recalled some rather "interesting" activities with Sakura. "What a wild dream…" He laid back against the grass…wait a minute, grass?

Naruto instantly shot up. Naruto's mind finally woke up, and took a good look around. It seemed they were on the training grounds; it was hard to tell, however, because it was nighttime. Naruto then observed he was naked, and looked to his side to see an equally naked Sakura. She was lying in a splayed position, her limbs pointing in different directions. Her breathing was so shallow that for a second Naruto thought she was dead. "So, it wasn't a dream…" Naruto just smiled and sat down to gently stroke the sleeping beauty. Like this, she looked so vulnerable, yet she was so strong. Admittedly, it was quite arousing to, but of course Naruto knew better. Besides, he had a feeling Sakura would be giving him a hard time tomorrow for making her so sore she couldn't walk. Naruto had to snicker at that thought. "Hey; I do keep my promises…well, most of the time anyway." Good thing they were both over that one.

Naruto realized he was getting cold, and he probably was a blanket to Sakura. She twitched slightly in her sleep; perhaps a reaction to the cool breeze. "I should get us both back home, before we catch a cold." But how was he going to do that? Their clothes were probably scattered everywhere, and he didn't want to disturb Sakura by trying to dress her. In fact, she looked so peaceful, he didn't want to disturb her in any way. Then, Naruto slapped his forehead. "I really AM such a baka at times."

Quickly, he called upon his Kage Bushins. Naruto was quite thankful it was dark out; the last thing he wanted was to end a day of great sex by seeing several naked copies of himself. "Spread out, and get my clothes." The bushins dispersed, leaving Naruto by himself with the slumbering Sakura. He sat down, shivering while he waited for them to return. He wanted to hug Sakura for warmth, but he would only fall asleep again. He had to stay awake if he was going to get them home.

Soon the bushins returned, each with an article of clothing. "Okay. I need one of you to dress and go to my apartment. Once you're there, strip down and leave them on the floor."

One of them asked "Teleportation technique?"

"You got it." Then, something occurred to him; Naruto nearly kicked himself for nearly forgetting something else. Sakura would send him flying to another continent if he forgot. "Oh, and did any of you bring Sakura-chan's clothes? Don't forget to bring them home too…I want to see her in them again. And…I don't think she'll appreciate me advertising what we did here."

"Way ahead of you." One bushin exclaimed, enjoying the feeling of her clothes perhaps a little too much. But he couldn't blame him.

"Okay then! Hurry up! I'm freezing my ass off here!" The clones dissipated, leaving only one. He dressed as quickly as possible, and tucked Sakura's clothes under one arm while her boots were under another. Perhaps not the most subtle way of doing it, but there were hardly any people out at this hour, which was probably around midnight.

Naruto gently picked up Sakura, careful not to disturb her sleep. Her warmth helped him deal with the cold while he waited. He nearly jumped when he felt Sakura's tongue against his chest. She rolled in her sleep with her mouth open. "Phew. For a minute there I thought she wanted to go at it again." After what seemed to be an eternity, Naruto found himself back in his apartment.

Quickly, he parted open the bedroom door with his foot, and entered. Carefully, he laid Sakura down on the bed, and took the other side. He pulled the covers over them, and scooted next to Sakura, sighing at her touch and warmth. "Sweet dreams, Sakura-chan."

Naruto snuggled in close and embraced her, and ended the night with a kiss to the forehead. Quickly, he fell back asleep in the comfort of his bed and loved one. It was too bad he wasn't awake to hear Sakura murmur "Naruto…"

Kizu glanced at the corner of his eyes as Zetsu dumped the person he requested onto the ground. "That certainly took you a while, Zetsu."

"My apologies; he wasn't where we would have expected."

The man in question only writhed on the ground in fear. "Please…please don't hurt me…"

"Look at what you've become." Kizu said, glaring at his captive with contempt. "You were once so much more…"

"I'm not that same man anymore. There's nothing that can be done; not even the Godaime Hokage could fix me. Hell, even if she could she wouldn't…"

"What if I said there was a way?" Kizu asked.

The man's eyes lit up immediately. But then, he furrowed them in skepticism. "Impossible. Even if such a thing were a possibility, I doubt I would receive such treatment from you."

"And why do you say that?" Kizu asked curiously.

"You're not the type to practice medical ninjutsu. I can see it; the way you move, your demeanor is not as attuned to science as mine…and your chakra. It's too large, too wild. You can't have the precise control needed to use chakra for healing and medical-based attacks."

Kizu only smiled. "And THAT, is why I sought you. You are brilliant, and at your peak, an exceptional fighter. And I don't plan on 'restoring' you per say; I plan on tearing down your entire being, and rebuilding it from the ground up into something better." He then displayed the hand signs for a summon…but instead of an animal, a corpse appeared in front of him.

His kidnapped victim only looked in shock. "Is that…"

"Yes. One of the finest shinobi of an already an exceptional clan…and his power can be yours! IF…you work for me. Do so…and I promise you revenge on your most hated enemies."

The victim's frown slowly turned into a sinister grin. "Yes…YES! I will serve anyone as long as my power is returned to me…and what I had endured will be returned a thousand fold…"

"You'll have to prove yourself first." Kizu warned him. "And the time to exact your revenge will not be right…for a very, very long time."

His "kidnap victim" nodded. "Whatever it takes. Whatever you need. But…if I'm to work for you, I must receive his power first…"

"I was intending on that. But we must hurry. Are you ready to begin?"

Kyuubi slept, his forelimbs tucked under his chin as usual. Not much else to do except that and screw around with Naruto. But the nine-tails was getting weaker; if he didn't act soon, he would have an appointment with death itself. "I'm running out of time. If I'm not reunited with my other half soon…" He couldn't complete that thought. Death was a scary subject for a biju.

"Do I detect fear in your voice?" a voice asked accusingly.

The Kyuubi opened his eyes and glared outside his cage, finding his cellmate on the other side. "You. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" he asked sarcastically.

The being across the cage smirked. "Well, just enjoying watching our host kick Akatuski's ass…and insuring you'll never get out, in more ways than one."

Kyuubi lunged at him, trying to catch him in his claws but the bars held strong. "I WILL BE FREE!" he bellowed. "Your precious container will fall eventually! I can feel it, the biju are disappearing one by one. It's only a matter of time before they pull out the big swords…"

"You really want to disappear so badly?" the one on the other side asked. "What Akatsuki offers you is no different than staying in here until your time is up. The difference is that the former will do it much sooner."

Kyuubi stopped, then grinned maliciously. "You don't know? After all this time?"

"I never assumed you knew anything yourself, since you were originally just a beast; it's only because of Naruto that you gained sentience…if only you could have gotten all of his good qualities too…"

Kyuubi chuckled. "You think free will alone is enough to change one's nature?" Kyuubi exhaled slowly, relaxing. "I didn't know myself. But when Kizu possessed Sakura's body, and came in contact with Naruto's, my true memories have finally returned. Now, I know what the Akatsuki really want the biju for…"

"Would you like to tell me what, exactly? The best for you that I can think of Akatsuki offering you is another jinchuriki for you to live in…"

"SILENCE!" Kyuubi bellowed. "Why would I tell you? I don't owe you a damn thing. Besides…aren't you curious to see what happens?" Kyuubi asked maliciously.

"No, and I'd rather not see Naruto go through more than he has to…more than he already has…"

"And we all know who's to blame for that, now, don't we?" Kyuubi laughed evilly. The one outside the cage turned around and waved him off.

"Enough. Even if you decided to tell me, there's not much I can do." He glared behind him with killing intent in his eye. "But let me give you a warning: If you break free, I promise you will regret it."

"Such empty threats." Kyuubi chuckled. "Why, I am the very source of Naruto's power. Should we be separated…even if by miracle he survives, just like Gaara…he'll be no match for me."

The figure only smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't know about that…"

As he turned, Kyuubi bellowed "What are you hiding from me, N-"

"You share what you know, and I'll give you a little bit of what I have up my sleeve. Deal?" Kyuubi remained silent. "Didn't think so. Later, Kyuubi. Let me know when you feel like making yourself a fool again." He trudged across the sludgy waters, the ripples and splashing fading into the darkness.

With that, the figure walked beyond the beast's sight. "Soon." Kyuubi growled, as he lay down to go back to sleep. "Not today, not tomorrow…but soon enough…" He closed his eyes, always dreaming of freedom.

That's it! I hope you enjoyed. For the next arc, the original Team 7 (with one exception) returns to the Land of Waves! What are they going back for? It's not a simple reunion, I can tell you that much.

Iwane-Rock

Eikyuutoudo-Permafrost