A/N:

Long time no see, everyone. I hope you can enjoy this chapter. Let me know in your honest reviews. My Beta reader and I are only human, who do this stuff here because we enjoy doing so. It can happen that chapters will have longer timeframes before I release them here, if you want to know more join the Discord Server in my profile but please don't "demand" faster chapters.

Beta: PraetorXyn - u/9025231/PraetorXyn

Somewhere in Wave, two hours before midnight

Naruto looked at Gatō's bolthole. The little midget had returned a little over one hour ago, and Naruto prepared to enter the place. In the last six hours, his clones had investigated the whispers around Wave, and what he'd heard had angered him beyond belief. It was like Konoha's Red Light District, but worse. Nearly every whore was forced, with one exception out of a hundred. The whispers and rumors pushed Naruto nearly far enough to bathe the brothels in the guards' blood.

Nevertheless, he had to be patient. He was not a brute, but a shinobi, and as such, he would have to be more subtle than that. He had systematically had clones poison the guards, engaging them in a form of combat with a clone transformed into a ghostly looking rōnin and beheading them. He had started on day one, and now it was three days after that. Some thugs who were a bit more superstitious had deserted Gatō each day. All the better for Naruto: he hated to kill so many people, but the elemental nations would not have respect for his feelings regarding all the blood he would have to shed to reach his goals. He just hoped he would be able to reach it someday, and that criminals like Gatō would be left in the past — not plaguing the present or future.

Around Tazuna's house, six hours before midnight

A Naruto clone helped his teammates with the water walking exercise while Kakashi looked on. The silver-haired jōnin had told him to do anything he thought necessary to complete this mission successfully without losses. His injuries were mostly healed, but he had thought about it and decided to let Naruto teach, both to evaluate Naruto and to let himself rest some more: better safe than sorry, right? He already knew Sakura was good at chakra control, but that she had managed it after two tries with Naruto's practical instruction was unexpected.

Sasuke was a whole different kind of kunai. First, he really was incensed at the idea that Naruto would teach him anything, and told Naruto he would do it by himself. After he witnessed Sakura finish the exercise and continue to work on her — still puny compared to his or Kakashi's — reserves, he made up his mind and asked for help.

"Well, Sasuke, think about it like this: when you walk up a tree or a surface, the surface always stays the same. So when walking on a fluctuating surface, you have to regulate your chakra on a whole new level." Naruto looked at Sakura who was still meditating on the water's surface. He held one hand seal and focused some chakra on his arm.

"Suiton: Suiben"

The resulting water whip looked very solid from the outsider's viewpoint. Naruto snapped it in Sakura's direction and hit the water inches away from her. The resulting noise resulted in Sakura losing focus, and the ripples in the water making it hard for her to stay atop the water's surface. The pink kunoichi dropped into the water only to rapidly rise out of it — now completely wet, her battle kimono sticking to her body.

"NARUTO! I WILL KILL YOU!" she screamed at him, only for the blonde to wink in Sasuke's direction. While Sakura made preparations to charge at her blonde teammate, Naruto looked at Sasuke after a short signal to Kakashi.

"There you have it; I think you are good on your own for now. I think I left the window open in our room." With those words — and a furious and charging kunoichi nearing — the blonde ran away, staying ahead of the pinkette just enough that she continued to follow him. Sasuke got back to training in water walking to the sound of an angry Sakura Haruno who tried to catch his blonde teammate.

Their sensei looked on with an amused expression. It was an ingenious way for Naruto to rile up Sakura to do some physical exercise by chasing him, as well. Kakashi knew that if Naruto really wanted to get away he could just use his Shunshin and Sakura wouldn't have any way to follow him. By staying ahead of her and just out of her reach, she would follow him till she was tired enough to give up. Kakashi was proud of his team. Even if Naruto felt exhausted, he gave the team his everything — something Kakashi had to recognize was not something he had thought Naruto would do after they had treated him badly at first.

Somewhere in Wave, thirty minutes before midnight

Naruto checked his mask. It was all black like his outfit and looked like a full oni face, complete with teeth sticking out and everything. It was his newest creation. Like the masks of the ANBU, it concealed his face completely. The eyes and mouth openings were protected by a fūinjutsu barrier. Everything he saw or breathed in was filtered by seals in the mask. The mask sat on a specially crafted piece of cloth.

The cloth was sealed to protect his ears, eyes, nose, and mouth from malicious elements reaching them. It was Naruto's answer to poison and genjutsu. As long as he put chakra into the matrix on his mask along with the cloth he was safe from those nasty branches of the ninja arts. His blonde hair was also safe under the cloth. It would protect his identity, something his parents had emphasized the importance of protecting. It was essential that he used everything possible so his skill would not be public knowledge or reach the ears of some of the enemies his father had made.

In the last few hours, Naruto had completed his preparations. Most guards outside of the mansion had been replaced by his Henged clones. No flashy techniques, just simple shinobi arts. His senbon were laced with a sleeping agent, and his aim was true. His enemies were not trained to look out for skilled shinobi. The blonde ninja had no problem infiltrating Gatō's bolthole. His clones took all the guards to a room and stood guard over them. He was looking for his final target of the night. As the moon pierced through the windows he unlocked the last door and looked at the short criminal sitting at the desk. Gatō didn't even look up for a moment until Naruto closed the door and the lock could be heard clicking into place.

"What is it now? Huh? Who the…" he paused as he took in Naruto's outfit: the all-black battlesuit, the oni mask, and the sword on his back looked menacing enough, but that menace was redoubled with the realization that he came in through the front door, without raising a single alarm. "I, I can pay you, you know! Whatever they paid you, I'll double it!"

Naruto didn't say a word as he summoned his clones and laced his voice with killing intent as the clones took position at the doors and windows, placing seals while Naruto took some steps in Gatō's direction.

"You will pay me alright. But before that, we have to talk a bit."

~~~~graphical description of physical torture and such ahead~~~~

Without another word, Naruto rushed forward, grabbed Gatō by his collar, and threw him into the wall behind him, only to pin both of his palms with a kunai straight into the wall. The kunai embedded itself into the wall while the blood ran in a small river out of Gatō's hands, while he screamed as loudly as he could. Naruto stoically waited until the screams were reduced to small whimpers. "Good. Now listen here you piece of shit. I know some of the things you did, but not everything, and you will tell me everything you did before I clean your stain from this nation."

Gatō hung from the wall, held up only by the kunai. The pain was something he hadn't ever experienced, and he was not prepared to be surprised and attacked in his home base. "Guards! GUARDS!" he screamed for his henchmen, only to scream another time as two kunai pierced his thighs and stuck his legs to the wall. This ironically brought some relief, because his weight was now better distributed, but at the same time again the hot pain lanced through his body. "AAARGH!"

Naruto had steeled himself as he threw the kunai, but even then he had to suppress a short wince. He didn't like his dark side, but he had to accept it. He had been a shinobi — a trained killer — since his sixth birthday, and this man was evil enough to justify his actions.

"Your guards are taking a nap so to speak — a very long one. It's no use screaming for guards, nobody will come to your aid. But to make things simpler for you, every time a word I didn't want to hear leaves your mouth, I will make it clear to you by providing you with some encouragement in the form of pain. Easy, isn't it?" Naruto's voice was cold as he said those words, his full anger behind them. Another kunai found its way into his hand. "Are we clear?"

Gatō did it again. He screamed for his guards again, only for the words to lead to a high-pitched scream as the next kunai found its way into his biceps. He took some time to let out his whimpers and calm himself down enough.

"W-what do you want?" The blonde looked at him and the blood staining and coloring the criminal's three-piece suit blood red wasn't something he would say he loved to see, no, but this evil piece shit was reaping what he had sowed.

"Well Gatō, let's start with your books and the structure of your organization." What followed was a very structured interrogation. Each time Gatō struggled or hesitated to answer Naruto, he got another puncture. This time the blonde used some senbon laced with a non-lethal poison, which only made his interrogation subject more uncomfortable. Naruto had used some clones to support him in reading through the organization's secret books. One thing was clear: the shipping business would prevail — the Wave needed it — but he would stamp out the illegal parts of it. Gatō had mostly trafficked drugs of some kind, but there were also mentions of humans who Gatō had sold.

"Erm, boss?" One of his clones moved towards Naruto, who still was talking with Gatō about some of the figures in the underworld he had dealings with. "Hmm? What is it?" The clone just handed him another more worn book and he read through the pages. The dates were one or two years after the fall of his homeland. "… sold most of the redheaded women to some western nations beyond the elemental nations to avoid suspicion…" Naruto read aloud.

In the next moment, the temperature in the room dropped significantly, and a red shroud built up around Nartuto's form. The pressure his chakra produced now would have been enough to drop most weak minds to their knees. Gatō was not a weak mind, but he was a coward who soiled himself in seconds. Naruto looked at him as he took off his mask — getting a shocked look from the criminal to see such a young face — but the red-slitted eyes would follow him everywhere from then on. Gatō thought he saw a fox behind the small blonde, showing its long teeth and ready to rip him in half. Gatō gulped.

"You know the stupidest thing you ever did in your life, you little shit?" Naruto's voice was deeper now — much deeper — and had a demonic timbre to it. "You fucked with the Uzumaki clan." With those words, blood red chains came into being, rushed at him, and gripped each limb like a vise.

"You did something so cruel I even have trouble understanding it. The villages were scared of us and 's all well and good, but you… you're nothing but a greedy opportunist who had the gall to use the panic of my ancestors — who were fleeing and scared for their lives — to capture them. You killed most of the males and shipped the females away to faraway lands, sold as slaves to some rich men." The chains began to pull at Gatō's limbs, and they slowly tore tendons and muscles. A popping sound was loud enough to be heard above Gatō's screams. In the next second, the screaming stopped as Naruto pierced the heart of the former boss of Wave country, with a fifth blood-red chakra chain. One of his clones approached him slowly.

"Erm, boss?" Naruto looked at him. His voice still filled with the demonic characteristics

"Kill 'em all. Not one of his thugs will live to see the sunlight. We will cleanse these lands completely. We owe it to our clan." The clone nodded and popped to transfer the orders to the others. Teams of Naruto's clones strengthened by the chakra of his tenant began their new mission. The inhabitants of Wave country would give the night the name 'Sakebi no Yoru,' the Night of Screams. It would lead to a national holiday the day after. That night, Naruto's clones had killed all of Gatō's thugs. Most of them were killed by sticking a kunai into their necks. Some of them — those who were in the process of violating women — were castrated and choked to death with their own — almost unanimously lacking — 'equipment.' Two jōnin had sensed the malicious waves of chakra, and thus had reason to investigate. Kakashi rushed to find his student meditating in the forest looking serene on the outside. After Naruto's clones popped and the memories overwhelmed the young blonde, he vomited and tumbled some steps into Gatō's chair, only to fall unconscious.

Naruto's Mindscape

Naruto woke up in a damp, sewer-like place. He looked around and made his way through the narrow pathways to come to a wide-open area with a big cage inside. Naruto held his breath, and he knew where he was then. He approached the cage with caution, stood some meters away, and bowed his head slightly. "Greetings, Kyūbi-sama."

A growl could be heard which could be referred to as a chuckle. A big eye appeared in the darkness, quickly followed by the rest of the impressive and huge body of the Kyūbi no Kitsune.

"Finally, my warden shows up here?" Naruto looked up with a neutral expression — still working through the memories of the moments before he had fallen unconscious in the outside world.

"Hai Kyūbi-sama, I didn't want to intrude or anything. It seems the night's events led me here. I apologize, but I think I used some of your chakra unintentionally," Naruto closed his statement, watching the giant fox with a confident look. The centuries-old bijū looked at him for several seconds. His eyes seemed to read Naruto's soul, then he chuckled; it was a deep rumbling sound.

"Well, that is a new one: a container with those ideas, ambitions, and feelings," the fox spoke with a good-natured laugh at the end, while Naruto looked confused, pointing at himself while trying to come up with an idea of what happened. "Don't strain your brain, kit. The seal stops me from directly influencing you, but with my chakra leaping through the seal and combining itself with yours, over time I gained some insight into your thoughts and ambitions. I must say I approve: you are the first human in nearly a thousand years who didn't follow the belief that we are mindless beasts who need to be tamed and everything that entails."

Naruto nodded shortly, and with a bit more confidence — now knowing that his plans had a seal of approval from one of the nine — as this was very good for his plans.

"I'm glad to hear I have your approval Kyūbi-sama. If I have my facts straight, the Sage of Six Paths wanted you and your siblings to be the guardian spirits of the lands and to prevent another incarnation of the Jūbi. Am I right?"

The kyūbi nodded. "Yeah kit, exactly that. Before my first sealing, I roamed the lands and took in all the world's hatred, unleashing judgment as I saw fit. When you can sense the emotions and true objectives of a person, you quickly come to a conclusion. But I digress. As to your unspoken question, when the time comes, I will help you as long as our goals align. I will not give or lend you my strength at first. You will have to improve and prove your prowess to me. What you did with the shitstain and his thugs was the last straw proving to me that you hold the right balance at the moment. Don't ever lose that. Next up, you may address me as Kyūbi without the honorifics. You may earn the right to call me by name later. Now, let's talk about that plan of yours. We have to make some minor adjustments."

They talked for some time until Naruto woke up in the real world to one of his clones shaking him awake. "Hey, boss, that hunter-nin is on the way here with Zabuza in tow. What should we do?" Naruto put his mask back on and took a calming breath. "Hide yourselves, Henge into things, and suppress your chakra to the max. By the way, thanks for cleaning up the mess." His clone nodded and poofed. While he had talked with the kyūbi, his clones had cleaned the office of blood, sealed everything away, and taken an inventory. He eyed the report laying before him, made himself comfortable, and looked through the scroll, just as the door opened. Zabuza and the hunter-nin entered, both battle-ready, but Zabuza still looked injured and not 100%. Naruto still sat at the desk. "Good day to you two, please enter the office," he joked only to receive a short chuckle.

"Where is the midget?" Zabuza spat out, while the hunter-nin still looked tense. Naruto had laid his feet on the desk and looked relaxed — something that wasn't taken well by the Demon of the Mist. He wanted to take Kubikiribōchō and behead the unknown ninja… only for him to dodge the swing and sit on Kubikiribōchō in the blink of an eye.

"Hey, there's no need for violence. The midget you are looking for is on a cross and is being delivered to the capital of Wave as we speak. As the new head of his businesses, I inherit the contract you two agreed upon, do I not?" Zabuza was shocked. Yes, he was far from 100%, but still, the shinobi with the oni mask had moved faster than he could see and sat on his blade as if he belonged there. So the Demon nodded slowly. "Well you see, I really like that old geezer, so you won't need to kill him. I will give you ryō equal to half of Gatō's net worth, and we will cancel the deal, does that sound good? No strings attached. I think you want the money to use it in the rebellion against your former kage, right?"

That threw Zabuza completely off track. How did this person know that? He looked at Haku. She was even more shocked if he was any judge of her body language. She had always hated killing, but they had needed to raise funds for the rebellion somehow. Half of the midget's net worth would save many lives.

"No strings attached, you would just buy out the contract like that?" Only for the black-clad ninja to unseal some scrolls and throw one of them at Zabuza for him to see the contents. Sealed ryō and gold? Who was that guy? "But why, why share with me when you could have been away before I got here?" the Demon asked next. Naruto chuckled.

"You could say to avoid more blood and fighting if I can help it. I killed all of his men because they did some very heinous things. In my fight with your little friend, it was never above a very intense spar. I concluded that it was not their intention to kill, just keep me busy so you could reach your goals. I appreciate that approach. That is the reason I'm giving you this option." Now Zabuza laughed at the oni's words.

"You're giving us the option? Don't get me wrong, you don't seem to be a wet-behind-the-ears genin, I'll give you that. But it's two against one this time." Zabuza looked like he was about to get his sword, only for Naruto to use his speed as he spoke calmly.

"Chain Style: Restrictive Binding"

A clone stood behind Haku and had her into a kind of chain harness in the blink of an eye, while Naruto and two others used the same jutsu to wrap Zabuza up in chains. The next sound you could hear was a short female moan and the cursing of Zabuza, who could not move an inch.

"You see Zabuza-san, don't ever underestimate your opponent: he might be able to use clones." Naruto looked at the hunter-nin and took some time to remove the mask, looking into the face of his adversary. Naruto concentrated a bit and the harness adjusted accordingly. The chains were rustling between the hunter-nin's legs, eliciting another small moan. "Nor should you bring a kunoichi who isn't trained to resist seduction and erotic torture."

Zabuza was fighting against the chains while Naruto stopped his play; he just wanted to get his point across.

"You are an Uzumaki, aren't you? Only they were able to manifest these devilish chains." He tried to get free, but the chains wouldn't budge. Naruto took out some sealing paper, his ink and brush, and began to scribble some formulas onto it.

"Yes I am, and as a Kiri nin — even a rogue one — you understand I am kind of biased about what to do with you and your aggressive response. First of all, I haven't shown any aggression towards you, and I even made you an acceptable offer. How do you thank me? You try to attack me, even using your companion here." Naruto finished the seal and placed it onto the female hunter-nin's neck. A short ram seal and the seal activated. The chains retracted into the seal while at the same time seeming to sink into her skin.

"What have you done to me?" was the short question from the only female in the room. "I feel like the chains are still there. I can't mold any chakra, but at the same time, I can move freely." To prove her point she walked to Zabuza and checked the chains, while the Demon of the Mist looked totally flabbergasted.

"Well miss, how about your name first, then some explanation of the fūinjutsu I used, and after that, we can talk business. How's that sound?" Naruto still had his mask on, but was grinning brightly behind it. Zabuza gave Haku a short nod, so she told Naruto her name. "Well, Haku-san, the seal on your neck is a combination of a restrictive seal and a chakra suppressor. I can control whether you can use your chakra and the chain harness with my chakra alone. That is something I grant you because you were always peaceful in your way, to be honest. Even in our spar." Naruto took his mask off, shocking both of them.

"You are one of Kakashi's brats! By the log, kid, you are something!" Zabuza exclaimed while Haku was silent. Naruto gave Zabuza a thankful nod and took his seat. His clones had prepared some tea and carried it into the room. After that, they provided chairs to Zabuza and Haku.

"Well Zabuza, I will hold onto Haku-san for now, and you are sitting on a fūinjutsu barrier that would kill you. I will retract my chains. Let's talk business, shall we?" He got a nod from Zabuza, who had received his 'don't make the same stupid mistake again' message loud and clear. After that, Zabuza told Naruto everything about the situation in Kiri, along with his role and aims.

He even included why Naruto should hold onto Haku in the future. She didn't have the problem of being in the Bingo Book. She was too peaceful for what had to be done, and she would be better off staying at Naruto's side for now. The official story was that she would be his personal hostage he encountered after he saw Zabuza leave because of Gatō's death.

Haku was kind of happy that she wouldn't have to kill so often anymore. As the Uzumaki's hostage, the only one to order her to do anything was Naruto, and he had her in his hands either way. Zabuza's farewell brought some tears to both the Kiri nin and his surrogate daughter. He had acknowledged that in a quiet moment, after getting a piece of Naruto's Talk no Jutsu. This special S-Rank kinjutsu had mysterious powers, and could even soften the bloodthirsty Demon of the Mist enough to be true to his feelings for a short duration of time.

With Zabuza back on his way to the rebels, Naruto and Haku got back to Team 7 the next day. They witnessed people in Wave everywhere laying flowers at the base of signs that had been placed at critical spots. All had the same message on them: 'It's a new dawn for the Wave. While the maelstrom grows, it will devour the unjust.' Naruto smiled at the signs: it was his calling card so to speak. Now he only had to find a way to explain everything to Kakashi.

Later with Kakashi and the others, Tazuna's house

"Let me get this straight. You witnessed an assault on a group of women by Gatō's thugs. You followed them to their hideout, killed Gatō, witnessed Zabuza fleeing because his contractor was dead, and captured this kunoichi as your personal hostage, while supervising your teammates' training?" Kakashi was still shocked. After he got the explanation, he had needed some time to process everything, and even now he still couldn't believe what Naruto had done.

He had a strong suspicion that Naruto was behind the Ghost of the Wave and the signs, but he had no evidence, and his blonde genin wasn't very open to disclosing more of his secrets. Naruto only told him that he had done exactly what Kakashi had told him: make sure this mission was a success and get them out alive. That Naruto would use his words to justify a solo assassination mission had never crossed his mind.

He looked at Naruto's smiling face, then at Haku's neutral expression. The former pseudo-hunter-nin wore a stylish and body-fitting kimono, something Naruto had bought her after putting the seals on her so she would not harm the group. Sakura and Sasuke had problems simply keeping up. Sasuke's wounds were healed, and Sakura was kind of dealing with herself. She had nearly died on this mission, but she looked at her Sasuke-kun. He had saved her, and she thought he would do it again.

"Well yes sensei, it's just like you said. That's quite a good outcome, right?" Naruto smiled again. Kakashi could only sigh. If his hair wasn't silver already, he was sure it would turn gray very fast. Naruto stood beside Haku, and she had kind of a submissive look toward him. Kakashi had trouble holding back his more perverted thoughts. He ordered his team to rest; they still had to guard Tazuna until the bridge was finished. This took nearly another week, after which the people of Wave saw them off with a big feast. Team 7 and Haku made their way back to the village in no time.

Hokage office, sometime after they arrived

Hiruzen Sarutobi was feeling his age and had a headache. Kakashi had given the official report. After some wise words, the members of Team 7 were dismissed, except for Naruto. He, Kakashi, and Haku stood before the old Hokage, who was puffing on his pipe.

"Well Naruto-kun, you are quite correct. With the treaty in place — and as the former apprentice of a Kiri nuka-nin — you can claim her as your personal hostage. Your schooling is proving to be a blessing and a curse. The council will have to be informed at the next meeting, at which point you can expect to be summoned." He got a nod from Naruto till he looked at Haku. "And you Haku-san, I hope he's treating you well?"

"Hai Hokage-sama. Naruto-sama is very considerate towards me," Haku told him, with a short bow, and looked at Naruto who nodded encouragingly. "Hokage-sama, if I may. I have a request to make." Hiruzen gave her a signal to continue. Haku took a short calming breath and flattened her kimono. "After some consideration and a talk with Naruto-sama, I decided it would be best to not enter the active shinobi service, but to help out in the medical division. I am not of much use if I have to kill; I seem to be too soft for that."

As the words left her, Naruto put a hand on her back, rubbing a bit to calm her down.

"You know Jiji, I plan to adopt her into the clan not only because she could use the protection, but also because it would be good for the Uzumaki to rise again. As a member of a ninja clan that is allied with Konoha, she would have to provide service to the village. Haku is very proficient with medical herbs. It is her and my understanding it would be the best place to make use of her talents without pushing her too much," Naruto told Hiruzen in his no-nonsense voice.

Hiruzen smiled. It was refreshing to see his surrogate grandson establish himself. Maybe he could hand him the hat when he was a bit older? He took out a scroll and scribbled some orders onto it.

"It's a good idea, Haku-san. Take this scroll and show it to the hospital staff. An ANBU will show you the way while you are on probation. Naruto-kun, because you claimed her, you will be responsible for her actions." He got nods from the two teens. Haku took her scroll, bowed again, and left with Naruto after Hiruzen gave them a signal to do so. After that, he activated the seals on his desk.

"Well Kakashi, give me all the details the reports left out, and your recommendation." What followed was something even Hiruzen Sarutobi — The Professor — hadn't expected. Wordlessly, he took out two cups and a bottle of sake, and poured them both a strong drink.

Uzumaki Compound, two hours later

"… here we have the garden, all of which is usable by you to grow some herbs and stuff. Mito-obāsan controls most of the garden at the moment. How is the seal?" Naruto had changed into his casual kimono shirt and black pants. Haku still wore her kimono, but also wore a small collar made of metal with fūinjutsu engraved upon it — something Mito and Kushina were adamant about.

If Naruto wanted to use the personal hostage approach, she would have to look the part. As long as Haku was on probation, the two Uzumaki women had told her to pose as Naruto's maid. After she had proven that she really wanted to be adopted, Kushina would place the Legacy Seal with Naruto's help. At that moment she would trade the collar for something more permanent. Haku gave a short nod to his question and smiled.

"If you mean my collar Naruto-sama, it is as comfortable as Kushina-sama promised. If you mean your special seal on my neck, it is distracting sometimes." She blushed a bit, while Naruto made an apologetic gesture.

"Sorry about that, but kaa-san was intrigued by the seal, and now it was added to your probation requirements. I try not to focus on the seal so much, so it should stay dormant." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit sheepish while Haku just smiled. They were on their way to the tea area. Haku would normally be the person to prepare the tea for the inhabitants, but Hatsumi had done it this time. The moment they arrived, Kushina smiled at them and motioned them to their seats.

"Well now that everyone is here…" Mito started. "Let's wish our Hatsumi-chan the very best on her vacation. She will look after some opportunities in Wave, and after that will move forward to check on the defenses and state of our home. I am very grateful that you will have a good protector even if you do not need it." Mito took her cup of tea and held it up. "I wish you all the very best and hope you will come back safely in due time." All joined in on her toast, and the inhabitants of the compound had some relaxing time together. Haku didn't have any problems fitting in. The peacefulness and way of living were something more befitting of her character. The party would go late into the evening and the next morning, whereupon Hatsumi was off.

Ten miles outside of Konoha's walls

Two people waited for her and nodded in greeting, Hatsumi had changed into her skintight bodysuit, this time complete with the oni mask Naruto had developed. "Sai, Shisui, thanks for accompanying me on this journey. Unfortunately, Itachi couldn't come this time." After that, all three vanished with a Shunshin.