Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either manga or anime!); the wonderful Masashi Kishimoto-sensei owns all rights. However, the plot and Namiko Uzumaki are mine!

Chapter 19: The Promise That Could Not Be Kept

"Namiko!" yelled out Kakashi as he jumped down the cliff to the other side of Naruto, kneeling across from her. He could see the tears streaming down her face, even though the rain mostly concealed it. "Is he—?"

She shook her head. "His heartbeat is strong and he's breathing on his own, but he's just unconscious with some cuts and bruises. He must've taken several large blows from him."

Kakashi lifted the blond onto his back to carry him home to Konoha. He noticed Namiko grip the scratched hitai-ate in her hand tightly. "Did you see Sasuke?"

She nodded, and he pressed further. "Did you try to stop him?"

"If Uchiha wants to leave, that's his decision. He's stuck on revenge and it's only going to kill him." Her anger was palpable in her words.

'Her underlying anger. She didn't act this way before…what changed?' thought Kakashi. The rain finally came to a stop and Kakashi looked at Pakkun. "Can you track Sasuke?"

The dog hung his head. "With all that rain, I won't be able to follow his scent. I'm sorry."

Kakashi turned to Namiko again. "Can you still sense him?"

Namiko froze but tried to not show any emotion on her face. Sasuke was on the very edge of her senses; if they followed now, they could catch up to him quickly. He had sped off to get out of Kakashi's sight but had slowed to walking. It wouldn't take but two minutes to catch up to him…but she wasn't going to tell Kakashi that. She simply shook her head.

He felt Naruto stir and groan. "Hey, welcome back…"

Namiko blew out a shaky sigh of relief. If he was already awake after that fight, then maybe his unconscious state had been due to chakra exhaustion. "Nii-chan, I'm so glad you're awake—"

"Where's Sasuke?" Naruto cut off Namiko.

Namiko's eyes widened. She could lie to Kakashi, but her brother was a totally different story. She actively scanned the area for Sasuke; his chakra was fuzzy and then…it was gone. He was officially out of her range. "I'm sorry, nii-chan, he's out of my range." She laid a hand on his arm gently in an attempt to comfort him.

She felt sadness sweep over him, clouding his baby-blue eyes. 'At least I didn't technically lie…I promise I'm saving you from heartache in the long run. He's just a selfish asshole who chose to walk away. We all cared about him and he couldn't care less for any of us. It'll be better if Naruto just forgets about him.'

"On that note," said Kakashi as he jumped in the trees, "let's go back home. There's nothing more we can do now." Deafening silence swept over the three shinobi as they headed back to Konoha.

Namiko gently knocked on her brother's hospital room door. She heard his voice on the other side say "Come in" and she poked her head in, holding up a plastic bag. "Delivery for one Uzumaki Naruto, one bowl of Ichiraku tonkatsu ramen with extra pork," she said with a wide grin. She removed the bag to reveal a large takeout bowl and set it on the table next to his bed.

Naruto gave a sad smile but didn't move toward the bowl. "Thanks, imouto…"

"Not hungry?" she asked. He shook his head. It wasn't like him to ever refuse food, especially ramen. She palmed the hitai-ate in her hip pouch and pulled it out slowly before setting it on the edge of the mattress. "Here. I thought you might want to hold onto it since he was your teammate."

"Is."

"What?"

"Is. Sasuke is still my teammate."

"He—" Namiko quickly closed her mouth just before Shikamaru walked in.

"Well, well, you're finally awake, huh?" said Shikamaru as he walked up to the edge of Naruto's bed.

"Shikamaru!" replied Naruto happily. "Good to see you're okay! How is everyone else?"

"I got a few cuts, but nothing major. Chouji and Neji had it the worst; they were touch and go for a while, but thanks to Godaime, they'll pull through," explained Shikamaru.

"Kiba-kun is fine as well, though he won't be taking Akamaru on any walks any time soon," said Namiko.

Naruto nodded. "That's good…"

There was a pregnant pause before Shikamaru spoke up, "So…so, Sasuke's gone?"

Namiko felt two familiar chakras coming close to the door and she waved her hands frantically, trying to get Naruto to not answer but it was too late. "Yeah, he's gone," answered Naruto quietly.

Tsunade opened the door with Sakura closely following. "I'd heard your injuries were pretty serious. You seem to be doing well, considering."

Naruto ignored Tsunade's statement and he was doing everything to not look Sakura in the eyes. "Sakura, I'm so sorry…"

"Sorry?" said Sakura. "What do you have to be sorry about? Let me guess, you got reckless and went off half-cocked again, huh? Look at you now, you look like a mummy." She walked over to the window. "Hey, why do you have the curtains closed? It's a beautiful day outside! See?" She opened the curtains and the window, looking outside. Namiko could tell Sakura's smile was forced like she was trying to mentally distract herself.

"I haven't given up! Listen, I'm still going to keep my promise. After all, it was once in a lifetime request, and I mean it!" Naruto's voice cracked as he spoke. "If I say I'm going to do it, it means I will, okay?" His attitude suddenly perked up and he put on a smile. "I never go back on my word, 'cause that's my shinobi way!"

Sakura quickly crossed the room to the doorway, smiling brightly as she turned back to look at Naruto. "Naruto, I'm sorry, but you'll need to wait a while. Next time, I'm coming with you to bring him home."

Namiko stared at the door as Sakura left. 'I'm not sure what just went on in her head, but it was like a switch just flipped.' Tsunade and Shikamaru both left shortly after, leaving the two siblings in silence.

It had been a long day and Kurenai had never been happier to have a drink at the bar with Asuma. She sighed as they sat down. "How are Shikamaru and Chouji?"

Asuma placed their order and turned to her. "They'll be fine, but Shikamaru is blaming himself for how the mission failed."

"It's not his fault at all! Sasuke was determined to leave, not even Sakura or Namiko could stop him."

"Namiko and he did seem to be oddly close for two kids who aren't on the same team."

Kurenai took a sip of her sake. "Well, I mean, she spent a lot of time with Team 7 since Naruto is on that team. It only makes sense to me. There's nothing weird about it."

"Good to know you're as oblivious about Sasuke and Namiko's feelings as you're oblivious about yours and Asuma's," said a lazy drawl.

"Kakashi!" Kurenai glanced over at Asuma as she flushed pink. "I've told you before, we're not dating!"

Kakashi grinned. "Oh, I know. That's why I said you're oblivious to your feelings."

Kurenai let out an irritated huff of air. "Why are you here anyway?"

"I saw you two and I wanted to pass on some information from Jiraiya." Asuma scooted over to allow Kakashi to sit down as he continued explaining, "The Akatsuki are planning to come after Naruto and Namiko in a few years. Jiraiya is planning on taking Naruto as his apprentice for a couple of years to help him get stronger. I suggest you find someone to train Namiko intensely as well."

Asuma spoke up, "What about you?"

"What? Oh no, I just brought you the information, I wasn't signing up to train her."

"Asuma has a point." Kurenai folded her hands, leaning her chin on them thoughtfully. "You should be the one to train her, supplementally at least. Jiraiya told me when they returned from that encounter with Itachi that Namiko showed promise with sealing jutsu and also the teleportation jutsu. Considering Yondaime was your teacher, I can't think of anyone better than you to teach her both."

"Fine, I'll do it." Kakashi sighed and got up to leave. "Maybe I should've left you two to your date after all…"

After Kakashi left, Asuma gave a sly smile at Kurenai. "Sneaky, sneaky. One of the reasons I like you. Maybe Kakashi is right; we should date."

Kurenai's attention was fully on Asuma and she blinked as she smiled back at him. "Maybe we should."

Later that evening, a loud thunk sounded from outside the open window and Namiko was surprised to feel a familiar chakra outside. "Oh! Jiraiya-sama!"

Jiraiya sat upon one of his large toads. "Hey there! Mind if we talk?" Namiko shook her head and stepped back so Jiraiya could come into the room.

"Only if I can join in too," said Kakashi as he walked into the room from the hallway.

Naruto watched Kakashi nervously. "Why do I feel like I'm about to be in trouble?"

"No, nothing further from the truth. Jiraiya and I just need to talk to you both," stated Kakashi.

Jiraiya nodded. "Exactly. I've come to make a formal announcement, Naruto. You are now officially my apprentice. I need to make you a full-fledged shinobi within three years; I'll make sure it happens."

Naruto eyed the Sannin carefully. "Need? And why within three years?"

"When I was researching Orochimaru's Art of Immortality, my source brought to my attention some reliable information regarding the Akatsuki." Jiraiya sat on the edge of the window as he continued. "We have reason to believe that you two have been chosen as their target, but they won't be back for three to four more years."

Naruto's eyes fell on Sasuke's hitai-ate in his hands. "No way, that's not going to work. I don't have time for that! Do you think I care about what might happen three years down the road?" Naruto was almost yelling at Jiraiya.

"What are you talking about?" asked Jiraiya.

"Orochimaru's already got his hands on Sasuke, and his life is in danger, right now. That's what I'm talking about!" snapped Naruto. Kimimaro's words rang loudly in Naruto's thoughts: "Just because it's immortality doesn't mean your flesh lives on as is. Before the body decays, another strong body must be obtained as a vessel for the soul."

Jiraiya scoffed. "Sounds like you know all the gruesome details of Orochimaru's little scheme."

Naruto's jaw went slack in surprise. "Wait, you mean you know all about it too?"

"Well of course I do! Didn't I just tell you I've been researching Orochimaru's Art of Immortality Jutsu?" said Jiraiya with a shake of his head.

Now Namiko was paying close attention. "Wait, I feel like I'm missing something here."

Jiraiya decided to explain, "Orochimaru has to 'swap' bodies every few years to remain 'immortal', but he has to swap before the next one decays."

Namiko was trying not to panic. Now she felt sick to her stomach. "Please don't tell me that Sasuke is his…next body?" She looked to her brother for support and clarification, all while praying she was wrong. Naruto nodded and Namiko swallowed the bile that threatened to rise. While she despised Sasuke for what he's put everyone through and almost killing Naruto, he didn't deserve to die.

"Anyway, that's how I know our good friend Orochimaru won't be able to reincarnate himself in another body for at least three more years." Jiraiya crossed his arms over his chest. "Fortunately, he ran out of time and had to take over another body before Sasuke could get there. That means Sasuke is safe for three years. So you do have time, Naruto."

"Are you sure of that?" asked Naruto, hope tinging his voice. "Absolutely sure?"

"Yeah," replied Jiraiya and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, "Naruto, you should forget Sasuke. You can't help him, so just forget about him. Sasuke went to Orochimaru of his own free will. No matter what you do, he won't change.

"I've seen many shinobi, so I know the type…Orochimaru and Sasuke are cut from the same cloth. Don't delude yourself into thinking you can bring him back, you can't. It's hopeless, a fool's errand."

Naruto snapped at him, "Maybe it's easy for you to give up on him, Ero-sennin, but I can't! He may mean nothing to you, but he's my friend!"

Namiko screamed at Naruto, "Have you looked at yourself?! You're covered in injuries and he's the one who did it to you! How can you call him a friend? Friends don't try to kill you! The only reason you didn't die is because the kyuubi kept you alive!" Tears of anger and fear pricked the corners of her eyes. "I can't lose you…"

"Namiko…" whispered Naruto. He'd rarely seen her cry; he could count the total times on one hand.

"Naruto, if you're determined to go after Sasuke, then forget training with me; I'll have ANBU tail you and you'll be forbidden to leave Konoha." Naruto's eyes widened in shock as Jiraiya continued. "You and Namiko are special. You're jinchuriki, the hosts of the kyuubi, and people will come after you that are far worse than Orochimaru. This is serious business. If you won't listen, if you're determined to do what you want, then I have no choice. You must forget Sasuke. He was destined to leave sooner or later. Don't blame yourself."

"To be shinobi, you need more than strength and jutsu. You need to learn to weigh your options and make the best decision. If you want to be a shinobi, you need to be smarter. This world is no place for a fool."

"I understand," said Naruto, face settling in determination. "If being smart means what you say, then I'll remain a fool my entire life! Even if I've got to do it alone, I'll create my own incredible jutsu, and save Sasuke, no matter what! And whenever the Akatsuki show up, I'll just beat 'em back down!"

Jiraiya's expression softened and he gave a small chuckle. "If I leave you to create your own jutsu, you'll just create something even more foolish than that Sexy Jutsu of yours. Fine then…we have lots of work to do when you get out of the hospital." Naruto broke out into a full grin.

Kakashi turned to Namiko and finally spoke up. "Jiraiya makes a good point: to be shinobi, you need to be well-rounded. Namiko, you need to work on your strength and jutsu. Kurenai wants me to train you while Naruto and Jiraiya are gone."

"Gone? And why you?" questioned Namiko.

"We'll be leaving the village in a few months or so. I need to return to my research," explained Jiraiya. "I plan on taking Naruto with me when that happens since Team 7 is disbanded until Sasuke returns. That way I can train him and continue to do my research."

"The reason I'll be training you, Namiko, is that you need to learn things to protect yourself as well." Kakashi sat backward in a nearby chair so he could look Namiko in the eye. "Apparently, Jiraiya thinks you might have some skill in sealing jutsu and with teleportation jutsu. Yondaime was great with both and since he was my sensei—"

"Yondaime was your sensei?!" exclaimed Naruto and Namiko together.

Kakashi simply nodded and Naruto turned to Jiraiya. "And you taught the Yondaime…does that make you like my grandpa-sensei?" Jiraiya sighed and his shoulders slumped.

Kakashi chuckled. "This brings us to another important bit of information. Would you care to explain it, Jiraiya?"

The sannin's face grew serious again. "What I'm going to tell you stays here…your father was Yondaime Namikaze Minato."

Time seemed to stop.

Naruto blinked as he tried to process the information. "WHAT?!"

Namiko's jaw practically hit the floor. She had wanted to know who their parents were for her whole life and suddenly Jiraiya just dropped a bomb like that out of nowhere? Their father was Yondaime? But who was their mother? And why was their last name Uzumaki?

Namiko tried to calm her breathing as her mind raced. "Why is our last name different?"

"It was to keep you safe," said Kakashi. "Your father made a lot of enemies in the war before you were born, back even before he was Hokage. The last name Namikaze wasn't common, so it wouldn't have taken a lot to connect you two to him. Although, your name, 'Namiko', was a nod to your father's last name of Namikaze. He was the one who decided to give you your mother's last name even before you were born.

"Your mother's last name was Uzumaki; she kept her last name as a precaution at your father's insistence. No one even knew they were married until their funeral except for a select few, including Jiraiya, Tsunade, and I.

"They had married in secret and their whole relationship was hidden. Your father used his Flying Raijin to mark several 'safe places' for him to meet with your mother. His sensory skill was extremely helpful with that too; he could know how many people were nearby with a single touch to the ground. Namiko, I'm sure that's where your affinity for sensory jutsu comes from."

Naruto was finally finding words again. "Who was our mother?"

"Uzumaki Kushina." Jiraiya looked reminiscent, with a small smile on his face. "She was a true redheaded beauty. Namiko, you are the spitting image of her, but Naruto definitely has her personality. Kushina was headstrong, impulsive, extremely talkative, and quite a tomboy. Naruto looks a lot like Minato, but you have a lot of his quiet, observant personality and love for knowledge."

"Wait," interjected Namiko. "Yondaime, our father, was the one who sealed the kyuubi in us, correct?"

Kakashi sighed. He knew this question was coming. "Yes, he was, but he had no choice."

Naruto raised his voice. "He had no choice? He sealed a demon in babies!"

"Your mother was the previous host; your father tasked me as her guard during her pregnancy. However, when she went into labor, she was escorted to a safe house, and I wasn't allowed to know where it was to keep too many people from knowing too much.

"Someone kidnapped her just after she gave birth to you two, then removed the kyuubi and took it on the warpath through Konoha. Your father had no choice but to reseal the kyuubi to save the village, but your mother was too weak; she wouldn't have survived.

"The kyuubi's chakra was too large for one person, let alone a child. Minato didn't have enough chakra to seal the kyuubi twice, so he sealed half in one of you and Kushina sealed half in the other. Before they could finish the seal the kyuubi stabbed them both with its claw when it tried to stop them." Kakashi paused. "Sandaime and I both got there after the kyuubi was sealed and though they were still alive when we got there, it was too late to save them. I've never quite forgiven myself for not getting there quicker."

Namiko's voice was small, "Why tell us now?"

"I'm technically your godfather and Tsunade is your godmother. I always intended on telling you when I saw you both, but so much happened between the Chuunin Exams and then having to find Tsunade and now Sasuke, I haven't had the time," answered Jiraiya.

"You've had almost thirteen years to tell us!" snapped Namiko bitterly. "You could've taken care of us! We didn't have to be alone…" her voice became small and quiet again.

"I know, and I regret not coming sooner," said Jiraiya with a sympathetic tone, "but you both were safe inside the village and I didn't have to worry about anyone coming after you because of your father because no one knew who you were. Now that the threat of your father's old enemies has passed, and with new enemies starting to come after you, I felt it was important to make sure you both knew the truth before Naruto and I left."

Namiko took a shaky breath to calm herself. Now was not the time to dive deep into the whys. "How long are you planning on being gone?"

Jiraiya casually shrugged. "Could be a couple of years."

"Years?!" Naruto yelled in surprise, "Not that I don't like ya, old man, but that's crazy long!"

Namiko felt numb. She had struggled without her brother after just a month. How would she handle years? "Would we be able to contact each other?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "Due to the delicate nature of my research, I'll only be able to communicate directly with Tsunade. However, I'll make sure she keeps you informed of our safety and such."

"Delicate nature? You write porn!" exclaimed Naruto.

Jiraiya had a deadpan expression on his face. "I do actually research other things, you know. You'll find out about that on our journey."

Naruto perked up and asked excitedly, "So when do we leave?"

"Not until around the end of December; I have some things I need to wrap up here before we leave," said Jiraiya. "I'm going to head out for the evening, but the minute you're released, Naruto, we'll start your training again. You better be prepared."

Naruto put on his bright grin and gave the sannin a thumbs-up. "You know it, dattebayo!"

As the sannin left, Kakashi chuckled. "That's another thing you got from your mother, she always said 'dattebane' when she was excited or anxious, which was often."

"Sensei," said Namiko quietly, "do you…think they loved us?"

Kakashi's expression softened. "I know they loved you. Kushina was beyond excited and so nervous she wouldn't be a good mom. Minato was beyond thrilled to be a father. They would be so proud of you both."

"Why…were we left alone?" Namiko's voice cracked.

"I don't know why Sandaime made that decision. I did keep watch over you both from a distance, but I wasn't allowed to have contact with either of you until Naruto became part of Team 7," answered Kakashi, tone somber. "You may have felt alone, but I tried my best to protect you from a distance."

"From a distance?" Namiko said bitterly. "Children are supposed to be loved and held by their parents or at least an adult! We were children taking care of children!" Her voice started rising in volume. "No child should have to do that. We deserved love! We had to feed ourselves, dress ourselves, bathe ourselves, put ourselves to sleep…we had to do everything ourselves! You have no idea how it feels to be alone at four years old, terrified of a thunderstorm and no one to comfort you. You have no idea what it's like to be alone!" Anger flooded her body like a scorching fire.

"I do know." Kakashi kept his emotions neutral. "My father committed suicide when I was only five years old. My mother had died during childbirth, so when he died, I had no one to care for me either. That's why I watched you from afar. Because at the very least I could make sure neither of you got physically hurt."

Suddenly, it felt like cold water had been dumped on the flames of her anger. Embarrassment replaced the anger and hurt. She sat up straight at the end of Naruto's bed, trying to not make eye contact with either male. "Sorry, I should have thought about—"

"You didn't know," reassured Kakashi. 'She and Sasuke act more alike than either would admit. I'll have to be careful with her…'

Kakashi told the siblings goodnight and suggested Namiko go back home for the night. Namiko followed the instructions of her sensei and went home to bed, but her mind still raced and her dreams were filled with chaos. What would the next couple of years look like for everyone?

Over two months passed and things were already changing quickly. Namiko started her training with Kakashi and it was going well. She could already recall the Sealing Chains on command, but the Flying Raijin was a different beast altogether. Kakashi helped her design her seal, showing her examples of both Nidaime's and Minato's seals to base hers on, but she was unable to mark with a single touch as Minato had. So far she was only able to use premade markers on tags and transporting objects, not herself, even then she could only transport an object so far. It was still a start though.

Naruto and Kiba both quickly healed thanks to Tsunade, and even Chouji and Neji were fully healed a couple of weeks later. Sakura started studying under Tsunade to learn healing ninjutsu and she seemed to actually be pretty skilled in it. Naruto and Namiko celebrated their thirteenth birthday at Ichiraku with Sakura, Kiba, and Hinata. It was nice to spend time together with both teams, but without Sasuke, things were awkward.

December was nearing its end and the day for Naruto and Jiraiya's departure had arrived. Namiko was trying her best to keep her emotions in check as she heard Naruto packing his backpack. She wasn't ready for this by any means. Could she handle being without her brother for years?

She shook her head clear of her thoughts as she leaned against Naruto's bedroom doorway. "You almost ready? We're supposed to meet Iruka-sensei for one last trip to Ichiraku before you go and I don't think you want to be late."

"I know, I'm coming. I just don't want to forget anything." Naruto scanned through his backpack one more time before hefting it over his shoulder. "Okay, I'm ready if you are!"

Namiko tried to smile, but it quickly faded. "I'm not, but I'll have to be."

Naruto reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. "Imouto, I promise I'll come back in one piece. Time will fly by, you'll see!" His grin stretched over his face, hoping his confidence about the next couple of years would spread to his sister. "Come on, let's go eat! I don't know how I'm gonna live without Ichiraku in my life for the next couple of years!"

"Oh, but you're fine without me for a couple of years?!" She stared in astonishment. Naruto laughed at her, and she finally realized he was teasing her. She smacked him in the arm. "You jerk!"

The pair walked leisurely in silence to Ichiraku, almost as if to prolong Naruto's stay in Konoha, even if just by a few minutes. When they entered Ichiraku, Iruka was already there waiting for them.

"Glad to see you two!" Iruka smiled at them, bursting with pride. "So, you're really going to be traveling the world with Jiraiya, huh, Naruto?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be awesome Iruka-sensei!" exclaimed Naruto excitedly. "I'm gonna learn and create all sorts of jutsu…as long as I can keep Ero-sennin from just constantly gawking at women."

Iruka chuckled. "Good luck with that. He's definitely got a reputation."

Namiko rolled his eyes and whispered under her breath, "Why our parents made that man our godfather, I'll never understand."

Iruka raised a brow at her utterance but didn't address it. "Namiko, I heard you've been doing well so far in your training with Kakashi."

"I guess so," she said after she swallowed a bite of her food. "It's really challenging though; I'm definitely struggling with parts of it. Kakashi-sensei is really tough. I honestly have no idea how you survived being on his team, nii-chan, or I should say how he didn't drop you as a student."

"Hey! I'm good at doing what I set out to do, and you know it!" Naruto yelled in defense.

Namiko fought back a smile. "I'm just kidding, I know you work harder than anyone else. Consider that comment payback for your joke about missing ramen more than me."

Ayame slapped a spoon on Naruto's head. "You really said that? You should be ashamed of yourself! We're glad you like ramen and we'll miss you while you're gone, but—"

Teuchi interrupted her, "But nothing. We'll miss you, and we hope we'll be one of the first people you see when you get back from your mission, Naruto. We'll give you a free bowl when you get back."

"You got it!" Naruto gave a thumbs-up just as he finished off his third bowl of ramen.

Jiraiya poked his head under the curtain. "Naruto, we need to check in with Tsunade before we leave."

"Alright!" shouted Naruto as he jumped up from his seat. "Namiko, I'll see you at the gate in a bit. See ya later, Iruka-sensei!" He waved boldly as he followed Jiraiya toward the Hokage office.

Namiko sighed heavily. Iruka gave her a sympathetic smile. "He'll be okay. He's strong, and with Jiraiya by his side, he'll only get stronger."

"I know. Thanks, Iruka-sensei. I'll see you around." She returned the smile and headed out of Ichiraku to find Hinata.

She sensed her at the training ground closest to Konoha's gates, but Hinata wasn't training. She was standing, leaning against a tree, her lavender eyes focused on the gates. Namiko slowly walked up to Hinata, careful not to make a sound. "You waiting for Naruto?"

Hinata jumped up, grasping at her chest from the surprise. "Namiko! You scared me!"

Namiko gave a little giggle. "Naruto and Jiraiya-sama are checking in with Tsunade-sama before they leave. He told me they weren't leaving until two o'clock, so you have about a half hour before he'll be here. Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei are supposed to be seeing them off as well."

Hinata sat down in the grass, eyes now focusing on her lap. "It's not like I can talk to him without passing out."

"Well, just start by saying you'll see him later," suggested Namiko.

Hinata blew out a determined breath. "I—I think I can do that."

Namiko flopped down on the grass next to her, sighing heavily as her long hair splayed out around her. Hinata looked at her friend with concern. "How are you handling this?"

"Honestly? I've got so much going on right now, I don't even know what to do." Namiko sat back up. "Hinata, I can tell you a secret, right? There's no one around to hear." Hinata nodded and Namiko drew in a deep breath. "Naruto and I found out who our parents were almost three months ago…"

She noticed Hinata's surprise and paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "Yondaime Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were our parents…we're the kids of a former Hokage and I'm not sure what to think about it. Part of me is upset because they're dead and we never got to know them. Part of me is angry because Jiraiya is our godfather but he wasn't here when we were little and needed him most. But I'm most angry about the fact that our own father sealed the kyuubi in Naruto and I…" She froze. "I mean…" Panic filled her body and she tried to scoot away from Hinata, silently praying Hinata didn't hear her last sentence.

"I already knew," said Hinata as Namiko's eyes immediately snapped to hers as she continued. "I can see chakra and chakra points, remember? You and Naruto-kun have a second chakra that feeds into your own chakra system. I never knew exactly what it was, but I suspected."

"You're not scared?"

Hinata shook her head. "Not at all. You're still my dearest friend and I trust you with my life. You are not the kyuubi. You're Namiko…you're smart and funny, you never let anyone put your friends down, and you love to the fullest extent you can. I'm so happy and thankful you and Naruto-kun are in my life. You being the children of a Hokage or hosts to the kyuubi doesn't change that."

Namiko was touched. "For real?"

"For real." Hinata smiled sweetly.

Namiko beamed back at her best friend and gave her a big hug. "Naruto and Jiraiya-sama are headed this way. Are you coming with me?" Hinata pressed her fingers together nervously before Namiko stood and offered her hand for her friend to take. Hinata gently took her hand and stood, quietly following the redhead.

"Come to officially see us off, huh?" asked Jiraiya as he noticed the two girls.

Neither girl said anything until Namiko threw herself at her brother, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "Naruto! Do you have to go?" Tears broke through and streamed down her face. "I don't want you to go!"

"…Namiko…" whispered Naruto as he wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. "I've got to do this. I need to get stronger…to protect you, to protect our friends, and to protect our village. One day I'll be stronger than our dad."

"I know you will be." Namiko choked out a sob and slowly let go. She turned to Jiraiya next, wiping the tears from her eyes and trying to make the most of her tiny one hundred-forty centimeter height. "You take care of him. If he comes back to me with so much as a scratch, Tsunade-sama will look like a kitten compared to me. Got it, Jiraiya-oji-san?" A small smirk peeked out on her tear-stained face as she emphasized the honorific.

"Understood," he said as he affectionately ruffled her hair.

Hinata peered from behind Namiko but couldn't make words come out of her mouth. Naruto had no such trouble though. "Hinata, make sure you and my sister take care of each other. I can't trust Kiba to protect either of you."

Namiko put her hands on her hips. "Hey, don't trash Kiba-kun! He helped you try to get back him after all."

Naruto held up his hands in defense. "I'm just kidding about Kiba, but seriously take care of each other, okay?" Both girls nodded and Naruto threw his arms around them, pulling both into a hug. "I'm going to miss you two…"

Namiko glanced at her teammate. "Naruto, you may want to let go…" He did as told and saw Hinata's face the reddest he had ever seen her before. Namiko quickly put a hand on Hinata's shoulder to try and steady the poor girl but it was too late and Hinata collapsed unconscious into Namiko's arms. Namiko shook her head in amusement as she helped lower Hinata safely against the gate door. 'You tried, Hinata.'

Sakura's voice called out clearly as she approached with Kakashi in tow, "What on earth happened to Hinata?"

Namiko chuckled. "Naruto happened."

"What did I do?" asked Naruto, raising a brow in bewilderment.

"Looks like we'll need to talk about women on this trip." Jiraiya sighed. "Come on, kid, we should head out." He started walking through the gate of the village.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea for him to learn a thing or two about women but try to make sure it's not 'Icha Icha' worthy," agreed Kakashi. "Well, Naruto, be careful on your trip and we'll see you when you two get back." He gave a wave to his master and student.

"See you later, Naruto!" said Sakura, waving as well.

Naruto waved enthusiastically back as he followed Jiraiya. "See ya later everyone!"

"See you soon, nii-chan, ji-san!" called Namiko as she waved back.

The four were there until Naruto and Jiraiya were out of sight. Sakura gently woke Hinata with medical ninjutsu and offered to walk her back home. Kakashi stood with Namiko as she monitored Naruto and Jiraiya's chakra until they were finally out of her sensing range. 'They're really gone… Naruto, I promise, that when you return, Hinata and I will be stronger. We'll look after each other. I'll watch over Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei too. I love you, nii-chan…'

A/N: That's Part One done! I originally planned on stretching this out at least another chapter, but then both chapters would be super short, so I decided to combine them instead.

The next chapter will be the start of Shippuden two years later! How will everything and everyone be after the time skip? Let's just say things will all start to change within two chapters…

Also, for those who want to get sneak peeks and check out pictures, you can find me on Twitter as _Eriisu_

See you next week!

-Eriisu