There had to be something said about what fate had for the village hidden beneath the leaves, the Nin that stood guard at its gates were part of the very few who still knew what the name Uzumaki meant to this village. The two shinobi looked at a woman who bore that name with pride looking to enter Konoha, not sure what to do. She spoke of her relation to Naruto as if it was simply a fact that anyone should know, but they had no arguments against the woman's insistence. She bore red hair that could be mistaken for the signature appearance of the clan.

"Are you going to stand there all day staring, or are you going to let me in, or not?" The Uzumaki questioned her acting, annoyed that these guards would not believe her. She was in many ways not feeling bad about the situation, though using the clan's name brought a bad taste to her mouth. 'I will have to apologize to Naru and Rin later.' She thought, crossing her arms under her chest and waiting for the Nin's response.

Out of the two there, the one she had noticed to having wild hair spoke clearly not fully awake yet. "I'm sorry miss... but we can not just let you in without identification, and we can't ignore that you claim to know one of our Genin."

"Please understand that we have been on high alert for several years now, we can not let you in because you say you know someone in the village." The messy-headed Nin's partner said, scrutinizing her.

Frustration or something close to it crossed on her face. The woman was held here for several hours by these two answering question after question, her answers being considered correct, or the right way to answer if she was reading their expressions right. After waking up in the forest yesterday she was not in the best mood and sneaking around wasn't the best option with how her chakra acts up when she tries to do simple jutsu like an untrained Shinobi. Her only option would be at her destination to remedy the effects of whatever this was, reminded of one of Orochimaru's curse marks still on her at present, needing Naruto to get rid of it again.

(...)

Speaking of Naruto, he and Haruno Sakura were on their way to the former training yard that team seven used to frequent to meet with Kakashi after speaking with their respective teachers. Sakura for her part was interested in learning how much she and Naruto progressed over the last two years. She traversed the village alone thinking that she would be the first one there being several minutes early Kakashi being who he is would use any excuse to show up late, and Naruto was who he was, or at least she thought that he would have the same habits despite his recent change. She in herself had to cling to that fact, to the fact that the world that she knew wasn't some bubble keeping the status quo, that getting their teammate back wasn't a fool's bet.

As her mind wandered she entered the clearing that was her former team's training field, remaining mostly unchanged in the last two years, to find that she was not the first one there. To her surprise, the images of Naruto, Hinata, Ino, and the Toad Senin were right in front of her... And Ino had cut her hair. Ino noticing her presence smiled and waved her over. "Morning Sakura, you're early." Ino spoke to the heavily confused pinkette.

"Why are you?"

The question was directed at her friend but she was not the one to answer, Jiraiya jumped in to explain the situation. "Well, Sakura was it? Me and my new student here..." He said pointing at Ino. "We are just here to observe."

"Yeah, Naruto is my sibling student so this could be a good opportunity to see where I am lacking and what is in store for me in my training." Ino said concisely.

Sakura nodded at the response, she had no arguments against it so she decided to stay silent looking over at Hinata who shrunk underneath her gaze. The Hokage had asked her to be the replacement for the missing Uchiha in light that she wanted to reinstate the team under Kakashi's lead, and Hinata with her family's dojutsu was the perfect replacement without affecting how the team functioned, as well as being here for Kakashi's test. "I have been made a member of your team with Naruto…" The now bright-red Hyuga paused to turn her gaze towards Naruto and Ino who were standing near each other. "That's what the Hokage wants at least so..."

Sakura raised her hand to stop Hinata for a second thinking the whole situation over, again finding her answer from the appearance of everyone involved, for whatever reason this had a lot to do with her teammate Naruto, and she internally chuckled at how this all turned out. "Welcome, I guess we have to come up with a plan on what to do when Kakashi-sensei gets here."

"Knowing him he is going to test us as a team so we should talk about formations and roles." Sakura gave Naruto a look as he said that but he ignored it and began planning with the two of them. With the time they had left, Naruto came up with a plan, he would be at the point for the three-man squad, Hinata would be his support, and Sakura would be the one to complete the objective. Kakashi arrived at the agreed-upon time.

Jiraiya chuckled at the Jonin's entrance, finding it amusing that his student's student cared that much about the series he was writing to change up his habits so he would not get spoiled. 'I will send him the next volume for free, I might even sign it for him.' He mused to himself after watching Kakashi go wide-eyed at the appearance of everyone. "Good morning Kakashi, it's good for you to finally join us."

Sakura turned around to see her former sensei being on time for once and she had another thing to add to the list of things that did not make sense lately. The man looked over everyone genuine in the surprise of the extra three people being there. Jiraiya, Ino, and Hinata all explained what they were all doing there and the new four-man squad's composition. Kakashi took the whole scenario in stride nodding at the explanation, it made sense that the Hokage would choose Hinata as the fourth given her abilities and chemistry with the team, though he was not looking forward to having Hinata on a team that involved both Sakura and Naruto for what he thought was obvious reasons not knowing that those reasons were not a factor anymore. He figured that it was time to get this test over with him being more than happy to see what his former students have been up to in the last two years, and he knew just what that test should be.

The four members of this new team moved to the middle of the training yard as Ino and Jiraiya got out of their way. "Remember the bell test?" Kakashi said getting his team's attention, getting a smile from Naruto, a serious look from Sakura, and a confused look from Hinata. "To explain it to our new member..." He paused to get two bells from his equipment pouch tying them to the waist of his pants. "Your objective is to steal these bells from me... Usually, this test is to see how you three work as a team together but given that you have all worked together by now this will be a test to see how you three have progressed as Shinobi over the last three years." He finished running his right hand over the bells on the same side. "Any questions?" Kakashi asked, getting a raise of the hand from Naruto.

"Are there any restrictions to what we can do in this test of yours?" The teen asked, lowering his hand.

Kakashi took some time to think it over, he was not planning to have any but given that they are the students of Senin he might need to keep things from getting out of hand. "Nothing major, use your judgment well and do not use any jutsu that will have any lasting or col..." Before he could finish Naruto tapped the backs of Hinata and Sakura, getting Hinata to rush Kakashi. "Woah..." The Jonin was taken by surprise as the girl took the stance for her family's taijutsu. 'What? They planned this?' All he could do was parry any direct hits and dodge any 'misplaced' ones.

Hinata smiled sweetly. 'Looks like he hasn't figured it out.' She thought with a lack of visible veins around her eyes.

"Interesting..." Jiraiya said watching from the treeline with Ino.

"Care to explain?" Ino asked watching Hinata lead Kakashi around in an elegant dance in the training yard and watching Sakura disappear into the treeline at the other end with one of two clones of Naruto's.

"Naruto is using that Hyuga as a distraction while he sets up a trap with that clone and Sakura." He paused to scratch his chin. "That question was meant to throw him off so he couldn't get his Sharingan ready. And the Hyuga not using her dojutsu was a challenge to Kakashi to try to use his, because for a Hyuga she is basically fighting blind, she must really trust Naruto."

Ino frowned as she watched Hinata fight and pressure Kakashi to go on defense, and the second Naruto clone ran past the tree they were in to get behind Kakashi. She was fuming for many reasons not only was this something a motivated Shikamaru would do, but she was far behind, more than she thought looking at Sakura and Hinata, and she had to give Hinata her props. Hinata seemed to fit in with the team of her best friend and the guy she had an interest in. It was frustrating.

The Naruto clone was now following the fight between Hinata and Kakashi as they danced around the clearing. It wasn't until Hinata dropped her guard and moved her arms to either side of her, elbows at a ninety-degree angle, forcing the Jonin to notice the clone. He was too late to stop a kunai aimed for his head, dodging it in return. Hinata activated her Byakugan with visible chakra forming around her hands. She launched herself at him again, all the while the original Naruto sat crossed-legged with his hands in a horse seal as another clone stood behind him weaving a bunch of hand seals together.

Ino looked at Jiraiya but didn't say anything as she saw him staring at Naruto with great interest, Jiraiya was surprised at this Naruto's progression. Jiraiya was right the teen was hiding his true power, from The Flying Thunder God he had performed to the complex transformation from yesterday, and now whatever Naruto was doing with his clones and his leadership in this fight, he couldn't help but imagine what type of Shinobi that he would have been in any of the previous wars, the very idea was frightening, and this was before considering that this Naruto seems to not rely on the Kyuubi at all. 'What type of world did you live in for you to turn out this way, Naruto?' The man thought, returning to the fight with Kakashi, the clone, and Hinata.

The momentary break gave both Hinata and Kakashi some breathing room as Kakashi reoriented himself, weaving hand seals and squatting to the ground, a stone-like wall erected between him and Hinata, giving him enough time to turn around and face the clone that had disappeared. He looked around, confused, a wave of chakra hit him, and his body started to feel sluggish. He turned around to see Hinata not anywhere in sight and his wall was still up.

What the Jonin hadn't realized was that the switch in her stance and the throne kunai was a double faint, and his real worries were about to start. "Wind Style: Kabaneri." The original Naruto spoke, opening his eyes to reveal that he had purple eyeshadow, and off-green eyes with slit pupils. With a smirk, Naruto became a white light disappearing too.

Kakashi had no time as the image of pink hair entered his field of vision, he dodged a hand that was closing in on the bells at his waist. He was just in time too, Sakura was now present, she clicked her tongue and without waste pivoting hopping sideways outside of his bubble, to his surprise, she had the same eyes and purple eyeshadow as Naruto, not that he would know that. The eyes reminded him of Orochimaru for some reason, but he did not have time to dwell on that with footsteps behind him, Sakura looking past him, with both him and her in mid-air. He saw Hinata with the same purple eyeshadow, but with her Byakugan active, she had switched stance again, and he recognized it. 'This is bad.' Kakashi thought that he might be in trouble. He thought fast and went for his headband for the Sharingan. His eyes went wide when he felt no chakra in his eye or anywhere in his body.

At that moment, he was hit by two chakra-charged strikes right between his shoulder blades near the base of the neck and in his lower back around his stomach, twisting his body upward, noticing Naruto over him with a fully prepared tiny Resengan with a whirlwind forming around it. Thinking as fast as he had ever had Kakashi pulled Hinata by the sleeve of her signature hoodie, switching places with her, causing Naruto to disappear in a cloud of smoke at the developments, apparently, he was another clone. Now Kakashi was worried he had no chakra and his team still had theirs.

No one had time to rest however, Sakura had recovered and was on Kakashi again. Kakashi had to dodge a heavy blow, a punch from Sakura, causing a large crater where he was standing, if that was not enough Naruto appeared right on top of Sakura's follow-through, from a yellow flash, using her as a post, mid-corkscrew spin. 'Shit.' Kakashi was at his wit's end, not realizing that Naruto had used his sensei's most famous jutsu.

Kakashi barely had enough to get out of the way as Naruto missed a standing flash kick, only for Kakashi to let out a pained gasp looking as Hinata was there at his side, a gentle fist strike blurring his vision. Naruto regrouped with Hinata, offering her a few words. "I will match your timing, Hina." He said winded.

Hinata tired herself and blushed trying to keep a straight face. "Yes… I'm sorry, I messed up." She said trying not to cry, she did not want to disappoint Naruto, when she wanted to be on his team when they first became Shinobi.

She nearly jumps out of her skin, feeling Naruto's hand reach up her back and start rubbing it. "Don't worry about it, Hina. He's a student of the Yodaime it would be weird if he folded that easily." He paused his rubbing. "Feeling better?"

Hinata smiled up at him with her face red, Hinata did not know why, but she loved all the attention she had been getting from him since yesterday. "Yes!" She announced with a nod.

"If you are done flirting, I could really use your help right now." Sakura spoke holding off Kakashi, the two of them were trading blows amongst themselves. She did not need their help, it was just getting annoying holding back while being forced to listen to them. She had gotten in her head that Naruto hated her because he had finally given up on her after years of being rejected, but this was not the case; she now realized that he was just focused on other things and had no time to chase her. She knew what it was but that in itself was keeping her from killing Kakashi with the chakra that Naruto gave her, and that's another thing. Whatever this Sage mode is, is incredible, Naruto had shared what was 2/3 of his chakra with her and Hinata, and despite her only having a third it was hard to control, with how much of it there was, Naruto's chakra control was monstrous if she had the best control in their year. 'You have changed too much.' She thought as she clicked her tongue at their former sensei, looking at the pair three or four meters away.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, and Hinata looked down, blushing. "Like you haven't done it before Uchiha-san." Everyone stopped in their tracks, it took everything Kakashi had to stop and look at Naruto. "What if I don't want to, I mean I did take both Hinata and Ino out to dinner." Naruto said jokingly.

With Ino and Jiraiya, Jiraiya burst out in tears. He was laughing so much, Ino was confused at why the four had stopped and why her new sensei was laughing when she, herself was not able to hear them clearly from this distance. "Why are you laughing?" She asked from her vantage point in the branches of the tree as her sensei tried to compose himself leaning on the trunk of the tree next to her.

"It's nothing," he looked up to her in the tree. "I get not really learning how to with your clan's jutsu but learning to read lips is a good investment. You can know when your boyfriend is defending your honor." Jiraiya continued chuckling. "Where did Naruto have dinner with you anyway?"

She was just jealous of Hinata getting Naruto rubbing her back, but what was a pout was now a blush with her hands coming up to her face to cup her cheeks. Not only did Asuma say something similar but it seemed that Naruto just existing around her got people thinking that they were a couple, not that she minded.

'Looks like he is never going to feel alone here.' Jiraiya was again reminded that the Naruto in front of them was not the one they knew. After everything that happened in the last six months, he could not help but believe that it might be for the better, clenching his fist when it felt like he was abandoning his godson to an unknown fate.

Back with Naruto and his team Kakashi was still looking at Naruto like he grew a second head. Though the fifteen-year-old was not wrong he wasn't expecting that, something changed between Sakura and Naruto over the last two years, and it weirded him out. Remembering what Jiraiya talked to him about, he looked over to where the man was currently conversing with Ino.

"Got you.." He heard Naruto's voice behind him, looking over to see the boy's smiling face. He felt Naruto's hand on his back. "Palm explosion." A wave of chakra pushed the team's leader forward towards his pinkette student. "Heads up, Haruno." Naruto said as the Naruto by Hinata disappeared.

The might be a clone who disappeared from Hinata's side in a cloud of smoke was the last thing that Kakashi saw when he was launched into an uppercut by Sakura, knocking him out. "Wha…" Sakura asked, looking at the unconscious Kakashi reacting on instinct, as their Sage modes faded.

"Just as planned." Naruto spoke, grabbing the two bells from Kakashi's limp form and handing one to Sakura.

"So, that taking Hinata and Ino out was another distraction." Sakura said, walking to Kakashi to help heal his wounds, from what Naruto said Kakashi was in a state of chakra exhaustion from what Naruto's jutsu did to him, and if it wasn't for Sage mode they would be too. "I don't think you should lie about that stuff, it's going to bite you in the butt if Ino finds out."

Watching Sakura start treating her former sensei he laughed pointing to Hinata. "Who's lying?" He asked as Hinata was crouching down with her hands over her red face, with Naruto with a sad smile on his face. He wasn't used to Hinata's personality yet, the 'Hina' he knew was more 'in your face' if there was a phrase for it, and this Hina was more like her sister but his Hanabi was not as shy. "She got it bad, doesn't she?" Naruto questioned Sakura.

"You knew?" Sakura looked at Naruto, shocked.

"I wouldn't say that…" Naruto shrugged. "It's more that she is too obvious for words." He spoke thinking to the Hina he knew, they were so similar but that Hina would openly wear her emotions on her sleeve. Now that he thought about it he was probably going to have to deal with a Hanabi-level stalker phase like the one he had to deal with in his world.

"You finally caught on, so do you like her?"

Naruto shivered. He imagined his Hina liking him too, and all life drained from his face for a split second. "Why ask me that if you know the answer?" The question seemed to go over her head so he decided to explain further. "Listen, I haven't been in the village for two years, and if I remember correctly I had feelings and asked you out many times," or he was told by Jiraiya. He couldn't say that his Uchiha was female and he had promised her that he would basically marry her and father her children to rebuild the Uchiha clan, They having sex several times already, and the one thing he wanted to change about this whole situation, not having his fiancée by his side. His fist clenched at the thought of never seeing her, or any of his friends and family again.

Sakura reading the mood changed what she wanted to say, misunderstanding the look on Naruto's. "I'm sorry…" She had never really looked from his side before, of course, he would treat her the way he had. The woman he loved was in love with another man, and she asked him to chase after him for her. Now that she thought about it, her words from that time could be seen as a total rejection from her, she did call Uchiha Sasuke hers after all. She couldn't help but feel pain at the thought.

Being brought back to the present, Naruto shook his head offering a gentle smile to Sakura. "Oh, don't worry about Haruno." Naruto began. 'It's not my heart you broke, after all.' He continued. "After all, we were in the same position back then, and it's not like I acted like you broke my heart, besides it's not like the heart could be changed that easily. Even after years, right? Don't worry once we get him back I'm going to show him how wrong he was to leave." He finished, wanting to keep every promise that the other Naruto had made.

Sakura looked up to him, shocked at his declaration. She was wrong about everything that had to do with Uzumaki Naruto, and she couldn't help but feel a pain in her chest, but before she could open her mouth to speak the panicked voice of her best friend entered her ears. "Hinata!" She was coming from the tree line in a full sprint.

Naruto looked at where Hinata was with her falling face first, using The Flying Thunder God jutsu he was able to catch her in time, flipping her over to check on her, and undoing the equipment pouch around his thigh. Ino passed Sakura toward Naruto and Hinata. Sakura was about to stop her treatment of Kakashi to join them but was stopped by Jiraiya. "Worry about your own patient, they can take care of her. Trust me."

Ino joined Naruto who flipped Hinata on her back with two fingers at her neck counting to himself. '...Sixty. Crap...' Seeing Ino he passed her the pouch. "Do you know any medical ninjutsu?"

Ino nodded, coming to a stop kneeling at the other side of Hinata. "I know some but it's only first aid."

"No worries, Ino. There's a clear case with food pills... Take the green one, and start using the ninjutsu around her stomach." He said, unzipping Hinata's hoodie.

Without a word of doubt, Ino dug into the pouch and found the case with the food pills she grabbed the green out of the three tossing the case aside, she got a hint of a familiar smell, her mother's favorite cafe's tea, she popped it in her mouth and went to work, she looked over at Naruto surprised as he picked up Hinata. It was what she thought it was, it smelled the way it tasted, and as she swallowed her chakra raised to levels that she had never felt before.

"Can you come with me? I am taking her to Lady Tsunade and Shizune." Naruto asked while Ino started the first aid, both at their full height.

"Yeah..." She was concentrating on the ninjutsu so she kept her answer brief. Naruto smiled and the three of them flashed out of the training yard.

(...)

At Hokage mansion Tsunade was perplexed at what she was looking at, it was a dead teenager using the Uzumaki name flanked by two Anbu. "Come again?" The headaches with Naruto are here to stay she thought. The girl in front of her, with almost red pink hair let out a smug smile.

"As I said to everyone on the way here, I am here to see Naruto, once I get him to do something for me then I will be out of your hair if you want me gone, Lady Tsunade."

"You know Naruto? Then you know who I am to him." This was a test, if she was a person from this Naruto's world she would have no choice but to answer her with what she knew was true about him.

The teen scoffed and answered almost immediately, the other three adults silent at her words. "You are the Godaime Hokage, Senju Naruto's mother... Senju Tsunade."

That confirmed it she leaned in folding her hands and resting her elbows on her desk, this was someone from Naruto's world, and not some zombie created by her former teammate. The only question was how they got here, but before anyone could say anything the aforementioned Naruto appeared in the room with Ino using her ninjutsu on Hinata in the boy's arms, yet another surprise. "Sorry, but this is an emergency Lady Tsunade." Without another word, Naruto moved to Tsunade's desk creating a clone to clear it of its contents. He then laid Hinata on it carefully.

Shizune seeing this jumped into action, and Tsunade followed suit. "Tiger, dragon, get some help." She ordered the Anbu who looked at each other for a second. "NOW!" She shouted, getting them to exit. She turned to Naruto. "What happened?"

Hinata was warm to the touch, her skin pale, and taking nothing but short breaths. "Her heart rate is 240 over 60." Shizune spoke, releasing the hand from Hinata's neck.

"I don't know one second she was fine the other she was like this." Naruto said, looking at Tsunade. "I think it has to do with the nature chakra in her system."

"Nature chakra?"

"Yeah, it looks like she is not used to using Sage mode." The teenage girl Tsunade was talking to chimed in. "Naru, you know that was dangerous even for a Hyuga."

Naruto had to do a double take, recognizing the nickname, the almost red hair, and the grinning face that was all too familiar to him. "Tayuya?"

"Yo, Naru, long time no see." The girl said, hugging the confused Naruto.

A/N: AHHHHH fight scene, Also now you know why this Naruto dating someone was going to be messy. But I am committed sooo... BTW Ignore the follow an ad for Tsukimi kinda... lore.

*Two years earlier [AU]Naruto's world*

Uchiha Satsuki was walking through a park in the light of the full moon with a pack with all of the worldly possessions that she wanted to bring with her strapped to her back. As she was about to cross one of the benches in the park she felt a few taps on her shoulder. Being alerted to the person behind her she quickly rocketed forward two meters before turning around and dropping down into a fighting stance while producing a kunai in the process. She activated her three tomoe Sharingan surprised at the sight of a thirteen-year-old Naruto with his hands up in surrender in what looked like pjs. Satsuki deactivated her Sharingan when she was sure it was Naruto and relaxed straightening up. "Naruto, what are you doing here?" She asked annoyed at his appearance.

Her answer was Naruto's goofy grin as he pulled out a board for the game Go from a sealing scroll. "The hospital can get pretty boring if you have nothing to do. I wanted to know if you want to hang out to pass the time."

"No, I meant why did you follow me here dope?" She snarled out, not too happy with his answer.

Naruto pointed at where his neck and shoulder met on his body to make a point to mirror hers before speaking. "My seal takes some time to get rid of the snake pervert's curse mark so I put some of the kyuubi's chakra mix with mine so I can be there if something happens."

The girl looked offended at the boy's answer before she became completely upset. "You put a tracker on me?" Satsuki asked Naruto, her face with no emotion.

Naruto, getting the seriousness of the situation, backed up and raised his hands again. "Woah, woah, woah. No... At least not really." He moved closer trying not to make any sudden moves, she still had her kunai out after all. "I am a sensory type remember, it's more like I know your general direction, and with the Kyuubi's chakra powering the seal you are like a giant beacon for me considering you are the only other person with that much in your system around." He said underselling Gaara and Shukaku.

"And you weren't going to tell me, Naruto? It has been over a month." Satsuki questioned, clearly angry.

"It was all going to fade in a couple of days anyway, and you were in the hospital for most of that time so I didn't think it was important."

"Naruto..." She voiced taking a step towards him before sighing and letting it go. "You did not answer my question, why are you here?"

Naruto shrugged pointing at her in response. "I came to see you. But it looks like you are not going back to the hospital." He said looking at the bag on her back.

A small sense of guilt entered her mind before she buried it as far into the back of her mind as it would go. She was hoping to avoid this conversation, Naruto was at the very top of the short list of people that she cared about who were still in the village. "I am leaving Naru... Naruto." She changes her stance in a motion to put her bag behind her, looking as if protecting it from him. "I am not like you Naruto, not like the others. Seeing my brother again..." She paused looking at the ground. 'And fighting you.' She thought. "It had reminded me how weak I was, and staying here is not going to help me get stronger... No offense to Kakashi-sensei, Kiba, and Hinata, you and team eight proved that I was weak and I could not catch up to you." She continued to speak, thinking about a dream that she had in which she had not been able to catch up to Naruto on a path with a blinding light ahead of them, and the fact that no matter what she did she could not catch up to him or her brother who was in front of both of them.

Naruto grimaced at her words before speaking. "Can't you do that here? I can help you train." There was a hint of desperation that hurt Satsuki to hear. "Name the time and place and I will be there."

Satsuki shook her head and turned away from Naruto, beginning to walk. She was stopped by quickly paced footsteps and a quick hand capturing her wrist, she didn't even look back as she stopped to know who it was. "Naruto let go..." She spoke with her Sharingan, activating on instinct.

"No." The word came out as an almost growl surprising Satsuki. Naruto's grip only tightened as the pair continued their confrontation. "Tell me why you have to leave. Why can't you get stronger here?"

She let out a sharp breath as she forced her arm away from him, not moving any further. "Because I need to be much, much stronger to achieve my goals as a kunoichi. And nothing in this village will help me achieve it." Her response was solemn.

Regardless of what she was going through, Naruto pressed on. "Why is that? Why can't you?"

"Because I can't... I will find my own way... I can't..." Her voice trailed off as she kept the rest to herself. 'Kill you Naruto.'

"Then I will come with you." His tone was flat when she looked at him with surprise on her face, her Sharingan still active.

"What?"

"I am going to need some time. Can you wait a day? I am going to need to talk with my mom and get ready, so we can come back when the time comes."

Satsuki searched his eyes with hers, now being their usual black. "You don't know why I want to become stronger, why would you want to come with me?"

"It has something to do with your brother right?" Her stunned reaction was all he needed to continue. "I was right wasn't I?" He got a nod in confirmation. "Then all the more reason to." Naruto confirmed.

"This has nothing to do with you, Naruto."

Naruto grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace, she tried to push away but was overpowered at every turn. "You shouldn't do this all alone, Satsuki." He let go to look her in the eye. "You want revenge right, then let me help you."

Not seeing her way out of it, Satsuki resigned herself to it all, though she wanted one more thing from Naruto before he ventured on this path of revenge with her. On second thought she stopped herself short before opening her mouth. "Why?"

"Because I like you, and you are my friend." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head in mild embarrassment.

Her thoughts wandered to the accidental kiss the two shared when they first became shinobi before blushing a storm herself. Grabbing at the sleeve of his shirt she looked into his eyes and brings a resolve to kill two birds with one stone. "After it's all said and done you will help me rebuild my clan." She paused as her cheeks were a deeper red, looking away as she spoke again. "As its Patriarch."

"Done." Naruto instantly answered to the surprise of Satsuki.

"Are you sure?" She asked, making sure that he understood. "You know that means sometime in the future you are going to have to marr-"

"I know what you meant, Satsuki." He interrupted her with a blush of his own. "Our goals as shinobi are going to have us taking the same path anyway I figured... I don't know." He said scratching his cheek while chuckling. "We should take this path together, you know, help each other out when we need it."

Satsuki looked at him wide-eyed as the fun-loving goof just insinuated that there was someone out there he wanted to kill, and he looked pretty serious about it. She thought about it and remembered how he had reacted to seeing the curse mark on her, the anger behind it. "Don't tell me you..." Naruto sighed giving her one last solemn look, she could tell that whatever got him on this path of revenge had to do with the curse mark and Orochimaru, how else would he have known how to counteract it? She knew that Naruto hid a lot of things in their time in the academy so this was no surprise, but now she feels bad about making herself believe that they were somehow different. "One day right?"

"What?"

"I will wait one day for you." She paused to poke his chest with a finger. "If you are not here at this spot tomorrow night you can just forget it. I will leave without you." A pain arose from deep down but she needed to make sure that Naruto understood that she was not going to change her mind.

"I will do you one better, Satsuki." He said with a massive grin. "I will treat you to dinner."

"Like a date?" Satsuki asked, skeptical about his intentions.

Naruto laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah you could say that, I don't know if we are ever going to have the chance to have one in Konoha so why not have our first one here before we do leave."

Satsuki was pretty sure that Naruto had an ulterior motive for this date but she agreed to it all the same. They were effectively committing treason in all rights, it being more serious for Naruto as the Jinchūriki of the Kyuubi. "Fine whatever, but I am serious about leaving Naruto." She sighed as she saw him bouncing on his feet. A thought came to her and she groaned. "What am I going to tell those four sound nin." She said out loud thinking of the four Otogakure shinobi that were supposed to escort her to Orochimaru.

Naruto smiled at her perplexed face before speaking, offering her a solution. "We should go together and 'kindly' ask them to wait for a single day." The pretext of a pending fight in the tone of his voice.

Satsuki could tell that when it came to the snake Senin he only trusted her and she got the feeling that she would have to do the same. "Fine, follow me."