Welcome back, I hope you all enjoyed chapter 6. This time we go to our first batch of original content, first we have a little of the dynamic duo being back in the village and next chapter, we'll, you'll see.

Please review and comment your thoughts as always, I enjoy hearing your thoughts and feedback.

On the road back to the hidden leaf village

Naruto and company were walking back silently, all pretty happy with themselves, Kakashi had achieved many deeds over his longer then average ninja carrier, but liberating a country from tyranny and poverty was one he was particularly proud of, he was also proud of his cute little genin, they had been pushed into the deep end and emerged greater, Satsuki finally awakening to her Sharingan would be a great boon on future missions, yet also set a target on her back due to the dojutsu's scarcity and her lack of experience.

He was also worried about what he felt on the bridge, it had happened, no mistaking that chakra, it was thick, potent and full of rage and hate, the same as that night if only on a smaller scale. He would have to talk with Naruto alone when he could, give sensei's seal a check, while it definitely was nowhere near as skilled as he was, he knew enough about seals to have a look to see any irregularities.

Sakura was happy she they had completed the mission but felt almost like a bystander, Naruto, Satsuki and their sensei had done all the heavy lifting, all she did was stand close to Tazuna and hold a kunai, hardly action worth celebrating when her two teammates had achieved much more, maybe she needed to rethink her skillset, bring something to the team.

Naruto was ecstatic with himself, he had done what he'd always fantasized about, getting a real ninja mission and being the hero who saved people from tragedy, definitely something to mark off the bucket list. He also thought about Haku and Zabuza and what he could learn from their passing, one thing was for certain he'd never forget either of them, and become a stronger ninja with his own nindo in their wake.

Satsuki while she wasn't showing it was incredibly joyful, she had finally taken a major step towards her goal, awakening her Sharingan, she had known for a long time her ambition as an avenger would never come to fruition without her own Sharingan. Now she could finally press along her path, she did think about what had happened after she was placed into the false death state, what had happened for Haku to be dead and Naruto out of the mirror dome. She decided to ask him.

"Hey, loser, I need you to answer something." she said to him as she grabbed his jacket and held him back a few steps so they were out of earshot of Sakura and Kakashi.

"Hey let go! What do you need Suki?" Naruto asked her, using that name again.

"First is for you to stop calling me that!" She said menacingly, eyes hardening.

"Well stop calling me a loser, I'm gonna be an ever better ninja then you one day you know, so it's not a good idea to keep calling someone who will surpass you a loser." Naruto answered back.

"Yea that'll be the day, I've got my Sharingan now, no way you'll surpass me." Satsuki said smugly to him, knowing her growth would now accelerate with these eyes.

"Yea yea, you've got your cool eyes, big deal, I'll get something just as strong to push me ahead." Naruto said confidently, his ambition to surpass Satsuki not wavering even for a second in the face of her powerful kekkei genkai.

"Whatever, the question I wanted to ask was how did you get out of that dome after I went down? You should have gone down with me?" She asked him, while Naruto was definitely different now from the useless class clown from the academy, he wasn't that different, he shouldn't have been able to overcome Haku.

"Oh that, well honestly, I can't remember that well, I thought you died I got really angry I think then the next thing I recall is finally seeing Haku's face as the guy I saw in the forest the other day, I think I landed a punch and broke his mask, then he went on about being a broken tool and stuff." Naruto said to her honestly, he really could not recall that section of the fight that well, it did worry him a little, it was like a dream that you slightly recalled the basic idea of but not the exact details.

"You really don't remember? He had us both, dead to rites and you can't recall how you survived?!" She asked him sternly, trying to figure out if he was lying or not.

"Hey that's the honest truth, maybe the senbon were messing with my head or something? Either way I'm really glad you're ok Satsuki, you worried me for a while there." Naruto admitted, his face taking on a more solemn look.

She thought it was pretty odd to see Naruto have a look like that, he was normally brimming with optimism and lacked a care in the world, it's part of what made him so infuriating.

"Heh, you should worry about yourself loser, with my eyes, I won't be caught out by anybody's jutsu ever again." Satsuki did smugly, she had gotten a taste of what someone with a single Sharingan and no Uchiha blood could do with her clans dojutsu by watching Kakashi, she definitely wanted to see what her eyes could accomplish.

"So let's see em?" Naruto asked her, kinda curious, he'd seen Kakashi-sensei's eye but apparently Satsuki could turn hers on and off.

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"*quite mumble*" Naruto wasn't able to make out what she said.

"Pardon?" Naruto asked her, an embarrassed blush came on her face.

"Idontknowhow." She quickly mumbled again, face shadowed by her hair.

"Satsuki, I can't hear what you're saying." Naruto said again, making her blush grow and for her to let out growl.

"I! Don't! Know! How! Ok!" She shouted slowly, clearly very embarrassed by the fact.

"Wait really?!" Naruto answered back, shocked she was talking about how her eye jutsu was super amazing and everything yet she didn't know how to even turn the things on!

"Yes! It was a life or death moment, it was pure instinct and fight or flight that I even awakened them on the bridge, so I'm not one-hundred percent sure how to activate them at will yet." She admitted, normally she would never say this but partly due to Naruto's life being at risk on the bridge being a factor that awakened them in the first place and that he of all people could not judge her for not being able to do jutsu she did tell Naruto that while she had awakened its power, she lacked the ability the activate her Sharingan at will, after all she'd been trying relentlessly over the past few days.

"Well, is there anything I can do to help?" Naruto asked her, while one may say it would be counterintuitive to help her unlock her kekkei genkai that she said would allow her to surpass him in growth exponentially, Naruto welcomed the challenge, also there would be no point in finally surpassing Satsuki and making her acknowledge him if she wasn't at her best. Also she had said how her family had passed away, and while he couldn't sympathize very well as he had never had a family, if she could obtain something precious to the family and clan she lost it would be good for her.

Satsuki also thought it was odd that he offered to help. She thought he would wish she never learnt to use it so he could surpass her, not offer to help her.

"Whatever, maybe…make some clones? I'll try and see which is the real one with my Sharingan?" She said, not turning down his offer, the quicker she learned how to control her eyes, the quicker she could begin to use them to advance even further.

Naruto made two clones as they walked and Satsuki tried to concentrate, trying to see if she could tell which one was fake by seeing its chakra. He tried focusing her eyes on them, one clone flinching at the death glare that was unwillingly aimed at it due to her frustration building. She channeled chakra into her eyes still to no avail, the concentration of chakra in her eyes did make her vision sharpen but it was nothing like on the bridge and Naruto reported no visual change in her eyes.

"I don't get what I'm doing wrong! When mother showed me hers she made it look so easy! Just blinked and boom, Sharingan!" Satsuki ranted, this made her mind wander slightly to the times she spent with her mother.

Flashback

"Hey mom, when do you think I'll get my Sharingan?" A ten year old Satsuki asked as she sat at the kitchen table, doing her homework.

"Well it depends, I'd say some time after you become genin." One Mikoto Uchiha answered her daughter, Mikoto was a beautiful women with a slender yet toned figure from her days as a kunoichi, Satsuki knew her mother retired once Itachi was born but she also knew her mother's skills were still sharp, she just got this sense she was always ready, even of she hadn't been on a mission in years, Satsuki always thought that made her really cool.

"Well I don't want to wait that long, I got the Fireball jutsu down, so the next step in being an Uchiha shinobi is to awaken it right?" The young girl complained.

"Well Sharingan is a little different, then just mastering a fire style jutsu." Mikoto said as she sat down, closed her eyes for just a second and opened them to reveal her own pair of fully mature Sharingan, shown by the three tomoe in each eye.

"Sharingan oy awakens in the heat of real battle, when what matters to you is in danger. So you'll most likely be a full fledged ninja before you experience anything like that, Sharingan is indeed one of our clans greatest weapons but it's not everything, try hard and make sure all your skills are top notch, then one day, your own pair of eyes will take you to a higher level. That's your goal right, to be better then your big brother." Mikoto said kindly to her daughter, kissing her forehead as she deactivated her dojutsu.

"Well not just him, I want to be the best kunoichi in the history of the Uchiha clan, then everyone will say to Itachi, 'you're the brother of the legendary kunoichi Satsuki Uchiha'." Satsuki said with her eyes full of determination, she had lived in her brother's shadow her entire life, it was only natural for Satsuki to want to surpass him and place a shadow over him.

"Best Uchiha kunoichi huh? So you seek to be better then Madara?" Mikoto asked her daughter, accepting her daughters beyond lofty goal.

"Madara? Wasn't she a friend of the first Hokage?" Satsuki asked, she think he remembered hearing her name before in class, mainly that she was a friend of the first Hokage, which then turned into a lecture about how amazing the first Hokage was. She wanted to hear more about the member of her clan.

"Yes she was, she was the leader of the clan when we finally forged a peace treaty with the Senju clan and together they founded the hidden leaf, first of all hidden villages." Mikoto told her daughter.

"She was also hailed alongside Hashirama Senju who was named 'God of shinobi' as 'goddess of shinobi' and is said to be the strongest kunoichi ever. Maybe just try to be the strongest kunoichi currently in the clan first." Mikoto told her, while she supported her daughter's dreams wholeheartedly, she felt that she shouldn't shoot for the stars just yet.

"'Goddess of shinobi'? She must have been amazing, but I'm gonna be better. But who's the best kunoichi in the clan right now?" Satsuki asked her mother, definitely going to research the kunoichi of her clan who was strong enough to be labeled 'goddess'. As she asked her question her mother disappeared from view, she didn't even blink and she was just gone.

She was tapped on the shoulder from behind to see her mother standing there,eyes closed,with a smile both kind and motherly yet also smug.

"Who do you think?" She asked rhetorically.

"You have to teach me that!" Satsuki shouted, eyes bright, man she'd definitely impress everyone if she could do that.

"Of course sweetie, maybe as a reward for graduating." Mikoto said, happy that her daughter looked up to, and wanted to surpass her as a ninja, it made her happy to be a mother.

Satsuki never did learn that from her mother, and many other things a mother should teach her daughter.

Flashback end

Satsuki thought back to her bittersweet memories, in some ways she did achieve the goal she strived for, by process of elimination she was currently the best and only Uchiha kunoichi.

She thought back to the words she had said about awakening Sharingan. She had nobody that mattered to her anymore, so maybe she could never properly awaken it?

The thought terrified her, she would never be able to achieve her ambition of killing Itachi without Sharingan, it just wasn't possible.

She supposed her original goal was still something she could strive to, after all she needed power to kill Itachi and maybe she'd become the greatest Uchiha kunoichi ever while she was at it.

She'd have to look over her family's documents and scrolls when she got back to the village, it may have some advice for her.

"Forget it, we'll sort it out when we get back." Satsuki said, roping Naruto into her endeavor, with his clones that would be a serious boost in manpower which she could definitely use, otherwise she'd take hours upon hours looking for the scroll.

"Urrr ok. Figure I own you a few dozen after that whole mission." Naruto said, while part of him did want to venture down the Sharingan rabbit hole with Satsuki he also did feel like he owed her and wanted to help.

The rest of the Journey was pretty uneventful, all it contained was Satsuki asking Kakashi about her problem only for him to say his Sharingan was always active so he'd be no help, saying her current plan to look at her clans records being her best bet.

As they reached the village gates Kalashi told them they had to all be present for this mission report as it went so off the rails.

While she wanted to leave all this to Kalashi and look for ways to activate her Sharingan at will, she relented, the sooner they got this over with the sooner she could get back to her matter of great importance.

At the Hokage tower Kakashi stood in front of his three students as they all stood in front of the Hokage and leaf village mission assignment team.

"Ah Kakashi, I'm glad to see you've returned, tell me, how did the mission go?" The Hokage asked kindly, pipe in his mouth.

"Well, hypothetically, what if I told you our mission went a bit off the rails and became and A-rank…" Kakashi said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as his genin looked at him, wondering if his approach to this would end up screwing them.

"Explain." The third Hokage demanded, his gaze hardening in an instant, he wasn't happy some of the villages most precious genin had been placed in what was apparently an A-rank mission but all three had it back seemingly unharmed so it couldn't have been that bad.

Kakashi went on to explain the details of the mission and the events, with the Hokage taking some extra long drags of his pipe all the way through it.

"So you freed an entire country from tyranny, battled a dangerous, high jonin level ninja and almost died at the hands of the last member of a dead clan…well, a good enough 'test of your skills' then Naruto?" the Sarutobi said chuckling, Naruto had asked him and he had gotten more then his share of 'real ninja mission', it was a good thing he did, if it was anyone else other then this team they probably wouldn't have made it back alive…well maybe Guy could have.

"Well you completed the mission with no casualties, collected full pay, defeated a powerful rogue ninja and secured a potent ally for trade, hmm. Stellar work, all four of you, I look forward to seeing what else you'll accomplish." The third Hoakge spoke, smirking with his pipe in his mouth.

While Sarutobi supposed he should be angry, what else did he honestly expect to happen when he let Naruto off the leash for the first time, honestly he'd probably be more surprised if the mission went off without a hitch.

"Oh just you wait old man, we're just getting started." Naruto said confidently, already excited to perform another act of heroism on a mission.

"Yes, that's what worries me." The third Hokage said.

After some more details were exchanged Kakashi dismissed the team but kept Naruto back, he wanted to keep his promise to help out Satsuki so he said he'd meet up with her after he finished.

She simply nodded and left the building.

"So what's up Kakashi sensei, gonna give me a medal for my exemplary service?" Naruto asked, smugly grinning at his sensei, who kept an unreadable look on his face.

"No, we are having a private word with lord Hokage in his office." Kakashi said in a serious tone that made Naruto gulp, he really hoped he wasn't in trouble for something, not exactly the trouble part but that fact that he didn't know what he may have done.

Kakashi and Naruto reached the Hokage's office to see he had moved there from the mission room.

"Now Kakashi, you gave hand codes saying there was something important you needed to speak about regarding Naruto. Please speak." The Third said, lighting his pipe with a small flicker of fire style.

"Yes, lord Hokage, it's about what I felt on the bridge, do you remember what happened, Naruto?" Kakashi asked him only for Naruto to shake his head, still drawing a blank after he saw Naruto 'die'.

"You used the nine-tails's chakra, I felt it." Kakashi answered him. Making both the Hokages and Naruto's eyes go wide.

"I-I did what?" Naruto stuttered, now very worried, was that how he beat Haku? Did it take over his body and do something?!

"Hmmm, tell me Naruto did you feel extreme anger or some other strong emotion near that blank period?" Hiruzen asked him, already having some idea of what happened.

"Well…yeah I guess I got pretty mad at Haku when I thought he had killed Satsuki, like, really mad, I'm not sure I've been that angry before." Naruto said, a blank look on his face, clearly very worried about what this could mean.

"Hmm, I've heard about this, a jinchuuriki is said to be able to draw out the tailed beast's power when they feel angry or even as a fight or flight response. But it's said that the potent chakra can often heighten those emotions causing rampages and highly uncontrollable behavior, not to mention the Prue rage and malice that the nine-tails possess within itself and thus its chakra. Naruto, show us the seal just to be safe." The third Hokage spoke, explaining his knowledge of Jinchuuriki as being a village leader not to mention an old man with years and years of experience meant he had intimate knowledge of Jinchuuriki, them being the world changing weapons that they were.

"So I drew out its power because I was angry?" Naruto said as he tried with all his might to remember but all he could remember…was red and wanting to honestly hurt something, or someone.

Naruto did as he was told and lifted his clothing to expose his belly and challenged his chakra to it, it was worth noting the result came much quicker with Naruto's new grasp over his chakra.

"I don't see any form of weakening or damage to the seal, what about you Kakashi?" Hiruzen asked the silver haired man.

"Not that I can see, it all looks fine." Kakashi answered as he looked over the seal, in truth he never really understood half of the fuinjutsu his sensei wrote, he was truly a master of his craft, they needed master Jiraiya, he was the only person in the leaf village who was a fuinjutsu master and thus the only person who could properly examine Naruto's seal.

"Well then, it seems that there is no danger of the nine-tails being released, but I'd watch out for your emotional state Naruto, learn to control the beast's chakra and not let it control you." Hiruzen said wisely to Naruto who nodded at him, hoping he wouldn't let it get out of control again, or at the very least, only use it when necessary.

"I'll keep my eye on him, lord Hokage, not to worry." Kakashi spoke to the leader of the village.

"Thank you Kakashi, I can always count on you. You are both free to leave." Hiruzen said as Naruto waved goodbye and Kakashi bowed slightly.

Naruto bid farewell to Kakashi and went to meet up with Satsuki at her clan compound.

He reached the far end of the village with haste via hopping over the rooftops, a skill he could now pull off as he had the ability to enhance his jumps with bursts of chakra to his feet.

He got there to find Satsuki leaning against the gate that led into the Uchiha ghost town.

She had her eyes closed and was tapping her left foot against the ground in irritation, clearly more then eager to start. She opened her eyes at the sound of Naruto jumping down from the nearest building.

"Good, let's go." She spoke simply as she opened the gate and ushered Naruto in with a motion and closed it.

"Where are we looking exactly? And what for?" Naruto asked her as they walked through the empty streets.

"The Uchiha clan archives, and any sort of scroll or information on Sharingan and how to activate it." Satsuki said simply, clearly her mind was solely focused on the task at hand.

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The silence was very uncomfortable as they walked so finally Naruto broke said silence and asked not the most tactful question but one that had. Even bugging him since he came here the first time.

"Why do you live here?" Naruto asked, trying to sound as sympathetic as possible when speaking.

"What kind of question is that?! I live here because it's my home." Satsuki snapped at him quickly and rudely.

"You know what I mean." Naruto said back sternly.

"...lest I forget. That's why I still live here." She said quietly as silence came over them yet again.

"You can always talk to me you know. You did say we were friends. Even if we are unconventional ones." Naruto said kindly, while he couldn't sympathize completely with her, as he never had a family, he wanted to be there for her, that's what friends did after all right?

"...thanks. we're here." She said, honestly she probably wouldn't take Naruto up on his offer, but the gesture was a nice one, that was something.

They entered another large building that Satsuki had lead them to, it was similar to the weaponry warehouse Satsuki took him too except this one Satsuki didn't use keys, she bit her finger and wiped a small amount of blood on a sealing tag placed over the door, the tag glowed blood red and Satsuki opened the door.

"Make a few clones and start looking." She said as she went over to a corner and started to shift through the many scrolls.

Naruto did as he was asked, Naruto and his four clones looked around at the large building, rows and rows of scrolls were stacked high and seemed to be sorted, Satsuki was looking through the 'jutsu' section, while his clones broke off in multiple others, the original blonde haired genin taking the section marked with the Uchiha clan symbol, what was that anyway? Some kinda fan? He'd have to ask Satsuki if he could take a look at that jutsu section at some point, as there was a couple of already open scrolls near that section, it seems Satsuki had been making use of it herself.

The the new two hours or so were a exercise in futility, while there were many scrolls and documentation on Sharingan there was a lack of knowledge about activating it.

"Dammit!" Satsuki yelled, throwing a scroll across the room, hitting the wall with a light thud.

"There's nothing! It all says that an Uchiha should be able to activate their Sharingan like its second nature after it's awakened, and I know that happened on the bridge." She ranted, clearly at her wits end, she had chased after this next step in her evolution as an Uchiha since she mastered the Fireball jutsu, even more so after that night. Yet now, when they had awakened and everything they were still lost to her. It was involuntary and she hated herself for it but she started to cry. God she was still so WEAK!

"Hey hey hey. You'll figure it out, you're too amazing a ninja to let this stop you." Naruto said, walking up to her and smiling.

"To my clan. The true mark of a great ninja is a strong Sharingan. If mine is so weak I can't activate it at will. How can I ever hope to beat my brother? He mastered it by the time he was eight years old! How can I possibly overcome him without any eyes?!" Satsuki raged again, all her doubts and fears about her ambition coming to the forefront, she always knew even with everything she had it would be nearly impossible to achieve her goals as an avenger, Itachi was one of the most gifted Uchiha and ninja in recorded history, killing such a shinobi is a task many would deem insane and suicidal. Yet she had to, lest her life and existence lose all meaning.

"As I said, you'll get it, you're one of the best ninja I know, besides, where's all that arrogance you usually show?" Naruto said, continuing to support her. Honestly he wasn't completely sure why a few weeks ago he honestly didn't like Satsuki, but he thought back to how they had been neck and neck while training and fighting together on that bridge and honestly, he was sure it wasn't just in the moment, they were friends.

"I'm arrogant because I'm up against people like you, loser. My brother has been amazing from the day he was born, the pride of the Uchiha." She lamented, thinking back to before her brother lost his mind and almost committed genocide save for her.

"You keep going on about how your brother killed your clan. But I don't understand why?" Naruto said innocently as he sat down next to her.

Part of her wanted to scream "it doesn't matter why!" At him but she held off, Naruto was someone who was supporting her, it was only right that he understood.

"Ever since I was born my older brother Itachi was beyond a genius, a once in a lifetime prodigy, I both idolized him and was always in his shadow, by the time he was our age he was a captain in the Anbu black ops, I'd always try and get my brother to teach me, after all he was the best, then I noticed he started to get angrier and more hostile with members of the clan and seem to be busy, more and more. Then, one night it happened, he killed everyone even women, all except me, he told me I was a coward, not even worth killing, for a time I thought about giving up, but instead this is what I chose, the path of an avenger, because other then that, what else do I have?" Satsuki said as she sat against the wall with Naruto, thinking of how her life had been destroyed in an instant, her desire for a sense of justice and revenge being the only thing that allowed her to pick up the pieces of herself and somewhat repair them.

"I just…I don't have any words." Naruto said, laying his head back against the wall and looking up, he wished he had some words of comfort or some way to make her feel better, but he didn't, so he just sat there as someone willing to listen, and accept her truth.

"Yea, I don't have any either. It's funny, I've only really been told how stupid my mission is, and to abandon it when I've spoken to other people." Satsuki said as they continued to sit there.

"It'd be as pointless as telling me to give up on being Hokage, I think. People like us, who only have their purpose to keep them going…that's everything, you lose that. You'll lose yourself. But if you ever want help…I'm here." Naruto said, thinking about what he'd be, or what Satsuki would be with a goal. Just husks going through the motions of life but not really living? The thought of himself like that and even more so, Satsuki like that? It disgusted him, someone who was such a skilled shinobi and someone who he wanted to acknowledge him more so then many others a husk of herself? Never.

"Wow, that's…why offer help?" Satsuki spoke, surprised by his answer, part of her wanted to tell him to leave her be, that this was her burden and her burden alone, but she was honestly kind of touched by his offer.

"Well your brother is some incredibly strong, super rogue ninja right? Would be pretty good of the future Hokage to bring him to justice. Besides, you did say we were friends, right?" Naruto said smiling, being a shoulder to lean on while he was letting out her emotions in this moment.

"I take back what I said." She said, worrying Naruto slightly.

Until she placed her head on his shoulder and huffed, he couldn't see that she was blushing slightly.

"You're not such a bad friend after all. Even if you are still a massive loser." Satsuki spoke as she smiled slightly.

"I'll stop being a loser one day ya know." He said back jokingly with a smile, content with this moment.

"Never gonna happen." She jabbed back, still smiling, feeling better even if her thoughts sti lingered slightly on her brother.

The two just sat there in silence for a while thinking over what the other said.

Omake

"Boss there's nothing here!" A Naruto clone yelled as he poked his head out of a stack of scrolls.

"Well there must be something?!" The original yelled back as he looked through some scrolls himself.

"It's all junk like look at these. 'Autobiography of Kaguya Otsutsuki' 'the secrets of the Rinnegan' 'Mangekyou Sharingan how does it work?' 'the infinite Tsukuyomi' '101 applications of the cells of Hashirama Senju' and 'why I really did it?' By Itachi Uchiha. All useless junk." The clone spoke as he listed off scrolls.

"Naruto! stay focused, none of that's helpful." Satsuki said as she tossed away a scroll titled 'last will and testament of Minato Namikaze' and another saying 'how to remove cursed seals for dummies' onto a pile with another that read 'perfect tailed beast control by Hagoromo Otsutsuki' and 'history of the Uzumaki clan' deeming them useless.

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"WAIT WHAT WAS THAT LAST ON-"

Omake end

Kind of a shorter chapter this time so I hope you don't mind and I hope you enjoyed, pretty much all of this chapter was Naruto and Satsuki accepting their new friendship and spending some time with one another, and I hope you enjoyed the Omake I might do a few more if I have some good ideas.

Next time we definitely will start up on my own original small arc before we get to the chunin exams, hopefully Satsuki will get her Sharingan working by then, stay tuned.