Chapter 9: Doorway to the Future! Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters

Reviews:

Krieger Techpreist- I haven't actually decided which way I was going with Cat. I just did it like that so I could have the option of choosing either if I continued with it in the future.

Capitalist-pig- Thank you! I'm glad you like the pacing so far! Hopefully the wait for this chapter wasn't too bad. I'm happy you liked the stuff with Kurenai since she gets done so dirty in the show. I probably won't be focusing too much on her but it was nice to at least give her a little bit of screen time.

Paul Breon- Thank you for your kind words! I hope you keep enjoying the story!

"T-T-Temari!"

Naruto rubbed his eyes at the sight of the Kazekage's daughter, thinking that he might be seeing things or still in a dream. However, she didn't disappear once he looked again, confirming that she was here in the flesh. He was so wholly unprepared for the appearance of Temari, that he hadn't even noticed that the other sand siblings were in the room or that everyone was staring at him and Hinata.

Hinata, for her part, was also stunned by the presence of Temari but she mostly kept her composure. 'She's already here? But I'm not ready' she thought worriedly. Glancing at Temari, a slight frown made it's way to her face. 'I had forgotten how beautiful she is. Not to mention how tall and confident in herself she looks.'

Suddenly feeling self conscious, Hinata thought 'Oh no! What if Naruto-kun likes her more than me! I'm so plain and shy and small. Meanwhile she's breathtaking! Plus, what if Naruto-kun is into older women! I can't compete with that!"

Coming out of her thoughts, Hinata noticed that everyone was looking at her and Naruto. Feeling embarrassed by both the attention and how much Temari outclassed her in her opinion, Hinata tried to hide herself behind Naruto as much as she could. Although she still kept a tight grip on his hand and the warmth from it made her feel slightly better.

Temari's face was composed as she observed Naruto and Hinata when they entered, but her mind was a whirlwind. 'Well, it looks like Naruto is just as loudmouthed as he was back in the Chunnin Exams. Uhh, and he's still wearing that orange eyesore of an outfit. I'll have to do something about that if I have to be around him all the time.'

Watching Naruto as he continued to gape at her and try to see if she was real or not, she had to resist the urge to sigh. 'Tell me again, how this is the guy we're hinging our whole alliance on? I know Baki told us about how powerful the Uzumaki clan used to be, but looking at him I just cant see it. Even if he did beat Gaara.'

'Still' Temari thought as a small smile threatened to cross her face. 'I suppose he could be worse. I'm glad he's lively and not dark or depressing. I've had enough of that living with Gaara for most of my life. Plus, those whisker marks do make him look pretty cute in my opinion.'

Blinking in surprise at herself thinking like that, Temari decided to focus on the other person in the door before she could pursue that line of thought more. However, almost immediately after Temari looked at her, Hinata tried to hide herself behind Naruto.

'There's the timid heiress as well' she thought pensively. 'Looks like she still has her same problems. It's good that she's not a chatterbox or gossip from what I've seen but I hope she doesn't stay completely silent. She'll have to be more confident in herself if she wants to succeed as a kunoichi.'

Noticing Naruto and Hinata's linked hands and how close Hinata was pressing herself into Naruto, Temari had to stop herself from frowning. 'That's different though. Seems like that they're a lot closer than they were before.' Inwardly sighing, Temari thought 'Looks like I've got my work cut out for me. I'll do my best for my village but hopefully I'm not just a third wheel to the two of them.'

Glancing at Hinata, Temari watched as the heiress's head slowly peaked over Naruto's shoulder and looked at her with big doe eyes. Realizing that Temari was looking at her, Hinata blushed red and ducked her head back down to hide herself again. Feeling the urge to let out a groan, Temari thought exasperated 'Uh, and she's adorable too! Why did they both have to be so cute! It's like they know my weakness for cute things!'

Unaware of the thoughts going through the two girls heads, Tsunade had her hands folded and watched with a emotionless mask as the most important people to their alliance fumbled around each other. She wanted to speak up and clear the air, but she knew it was important for them to be able to work things out themselves. Having the leader of the village step in and control everything wouldn't fit that purpose very well.

However, Tsunade soon developed a tick mark when she heard frantic scribbling and quiet giggles coming from close to her. Shooting a side eye to where Jiraiya was located, she wasn't surprised when she saw him writing in a notebook while taking glances at the scene in the doorway. She clenched her jaw, frustrated that he wasn't taking it seriously at all. Instead, here he was using it as inspiration for that smut he calls art! And the worst part was that she couldn't even call him out on it without making a scene!

Fortunately for Tsunade's sanity, someone else decided to help move things along. Gaara moved from where he was passively watching, towards the door where Naruto was at. Naruto jumped in surprise when Gaara walked in front of him, just now realizing that he was also in the room. He felt Hinata tense up slightly from behind him and Naruto was worried that Gaara was mad from their last battle, but was shocked when he instead held out his hand.

Tentatively, Naruto reached out with his free hand to grasp Gaara's own and was pleased when no sand came to stop him. Instead, Gaara smiled and said "Naruto Uzumaki, it is good to see you again."

Naruto smiled back in response, realizing that Gaara was different to how he was before. "It's good to see you too, Gaara" Naruto replied back. "I didn't know you were coming! How have you been since the Chunnin Exams?"

"I've been well" Gaara answered with a slight uptick in his otherwise monotone voice. "I want to thank you, Naruto Uzumaki. Ever since our fight, I have been wondering about the meaning of my life and I've decided to follow your ways. I want to live to protect my precious people and show that I've changed. It might take a long time for people to accept me, but I won't be deterred."

Naruto's smile turned much softer with Gaara's words, and took his other hand out of Hinata's grasp to clutch Gaara's shoulder with it. "I'm happy for you Gaara" Naruto said. "I'm sure that you'll have the acceptance that you're searching for before you know it."

"I hope you're right" Gaara replied. Gaara's mouth briefly ticked into a smirk when he said "Maybe I'll follow in your footsteps and aim to become the Kazekage of my village. I might even end up getting there first."

Laughing out loud at the challenge from Gaara, Naruto smirked back "Sounds good buddy! But I'm not letting you beat me without a fight! I'll be giving it my all to become Hokage, so you better go all out too!"

Gaara let out a chuckle at Naruto's exclamation. "I would expect no less. You might have your hands full with other matters in the meantime however."

At Naruto's confused expression, Gaara decided to elaborate what he meant "You are entering into an arranged marriage to unite our villages after all, with my sister no less. I'm sure it will help your chances of becoming Hokage but it will not be easy."

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't used to so much attention being on him for something that wasn't a prank. "About that, are you really alright with Temari marrying me?"

"Of course I am" Gaara answered confidently. Seeing that his answer stunned Naruto, Gaara continued "While it's not how I would have wanted it to happen, you are the best choice for her. She is important to me and deserves the best. Who better than the person who defeated me and showed me the error of my ways. I know that you'll treat her right and protect her as one of your precious people."

Naruto and Hinata were both shocked at Gaara's confession. 'Oh Naruto-kun, you really are amazing' thought Hinata. Hinata remembered how terrifying Gaara had been in the Forest of Death and the callous way he killed anything in his way. Not to mention the brutal way he had maimed Rock Lee. To be able to change someone like that was something only Naruto could do in her mind.

Though she was embarrassed by what Gaara said, Temari still managed to smile at her brother. She knew how he felt, but she didn't know that he would go ahead and tell everything to Naruto! Still, it was good to see her brother so relaxed and trusting of someone. He needed a friend and it wouldn't hurt to have her future husband and her brother to be on friendly terms.

Once Naruto recovered from his shock, he gave Gaara a blindingly wide grin. "Of course I'll treat her right Gaara! She's both your sister and my future wife! So she's important to both of us! I promise, I'll protect her with all my strength! After all," Naruto turned to look at Temari who felt chills from his gaze and bold declaration "I always keep my promises!"

Gaara nodded his head, grateful that Naruto was the same as he was before. Turning his attention to the girl still behind Naruto, Gaara bowed to her and said "You must be Lady Hinata, heiress of the Hyuga clan."

Hinata stood up straighter when she was addressed. She was still nervous, mostly due to the fact that Gaara frightened her, but she swallowed her fears and inched out from behind Naruto. Returning Gaara's bow, she stuttered out "Y-Yes, I am Hinata Hyuga, L-Lord Gaara."

"Just Gaara is fine" he replied, waving off any protests she might have. "Naruto obviously places trust in you, so I will as well. I would ask that you look after my sister as well. She is a stranger in a foreign village and I would feel better if she had a friend to help her adjust."

Hinata's mouth fell open, surprised that he would ask her to be Temari's friend. Once she got over her shock however, Hinata smiled and nodded, knowing how uncomfortable Temari would be in her situation. "Of course, I would be happy too" Hinata said with a sincere smile.

Temari felt relief when she heard Hinata accept Gaara's request. She would never admit it, but one of her greatest fears when she had been told that she would have to move to Konoha, was that no one would ever accept her being here. She was prepared to carry the burden for the sake of her village, but it would be miserable being treated like an outcast all the time. Temari still held reservations about how much of a friend Hinata would really be to her, but was slightly more hopeful that they would get along.

From her place at the Hokage's desk, Tsunade hid a smile underneath her folded hands. She was worried that tensions would tear this alliance apart before it even began, but these kids proved it different. Satisfied that everything was going well, she decided it was a good time to inform them of everything she needed to. Clearing her throat, Tsunade waited for everyone to quiet down and look at her before she addressed them.

"Well, now that you're all acquainted, why don't we go ahead and talk about why I've called you all here?"

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and exclaimed "Oh yeah! Go ahead Lady Baa-chan!" Everyone else decided merely to nod their head in acknowledgement, although the shinobi from Suna sweat dropped on the inside, wondering how Naruto got away talking to his leader like that.

"Obviously, Temari has arrived in the village as per our agreement states" Tsunade started. "While she is here to be married to you Naruto, that won't be happening for a few years. In the meantime, she will be joining our shinobi forces so I figured we should go ahead and discuss what that entails."

Tsunade shifted her eyes to Temari who put all of her focus on what Tsunade was saying. Pleased with Temari's professionalism, Tsunade elaborated "Unfortunately, due to the importance of this alliance and Temari's status, she can't be put on just any team. Therefore, I have decided to place her on team 7 with you Naruto as an additional member."

"Really! She's gonna be on our team!"

Everyone looked over to Naruto who was almost visibly shaking with excitement. Temari was surprised that he would be so eager to be on the same team as her. Meanwhile, Hinata pouted that she got to be on the same team as Naruto. 'Awww, why can't I be on Naruto-kun's team too?'

Nodding in confirmation to Naruto's exclamation, Tsunade explained "Yes. Kakashi is one of our best jounin and is highly capable to watch over Temari." Baki and Gaara both nodded their agreement to Tsunade's logic.

Temari grit her teeth at the thought of having to be watched, but understood her position as both an important diplomat and former enemy. She let it go and resolved to show her loyalty through actions instead. 'Stay calm. Just do what you do best Temari and prove yourself to them' Temari told herself.

"Temari being on the same team as Naruto is also of great benefit" Tsunade continued. "The two of you will have a lot of people watching to make sure this alliance will work. So being on the same team and showing you can work together will go a long way to quiet some people's worries."

Naruto gulped while Temari had a hard look cross her face. They both ended up nodding though, aware of the roles they would have to play. Pleased that they understood, Tsunade said "Finally, this helps team 7 as well. Besides the few fire jutsus that Sasuke knows, team 7 is severely limited on long range options. With Temari being a long range specialist, she'll carve out an important niche in the team and provide valuable assistance."

Adopting a little bit of a smirk, Temari bowed. "Understood, Lady Fifth." Straightening back up, she was glad that they took her talents into consideration. She was proud of her skills and would have been frustrated if they tried to put her in a team where they weren't of much use. This way she could keep doing things in her style, kicking ass and looking good doing it.

"Now, as I am aware, you were still a genin when you took the exams. Most likely because you were kept that way to be on your brothers' team" Tsunade stated.

Temari was confused but confirmed her suspicions anyway. "Yes Lady Fifth, there was no one we could assign to be on Gaara's team since he would kill anyone but me and Kankuro. So, it was decided that I would be held back to be put on their team."

Gaara looked away, regretful at the pain his past caused. However, Naruto putting a hand on his shoulder and Temari shooting him a small smile eased his worries slightly.

Once their little moment was over, Tsunade continued "Normally, you would have to start as a genin when you transferred here. But, after reviewing the information we have on you, as well as the knowledge that you were only a genin in name, I have decided to go ahead and make you a chunnin."

Mouth open in surprise, Temari only managed to stutter out "T-Thank you, Lady Hokage!" She heard someone yell out "Temari, you're a chunnin already! That's so awesome" and she knew who it was immediately. She looked over to her brothers and sensei who were all giving her proud looks and smiled at her. She averted her gaze, not wanting to start tearing up. She even saw Hinata giving her a soft smile.

'It might be late and not even for my own village. But I finally managed to do it' Temari thought happily.

Deciding she should clear up some things before everyone got too ahead of themselves, Tsunade cleared her throat. When everyone turned their heads back to her, she said "Now, this position does come with a few conditions on it. It's on a trial basis, so if either me or Kakashi thinks you're not ready for it, I will have to demote you back to genin. Also, even though you aren't a genin, Kakashi will still be your superior and you must follow his orders. Any other particulars about how your rank affects the team will be addressed by him."

Temari nodded, knowing that she could still have her privileges revoked. She would just have to keep working hard and show that their trust in her wasn't misplaced.

"Good" Tsunade said, seeing she understood. "I will be informing Kakashi of the arrangements later. I would like for you to show up to team 7's training tomorrow so you can get to know them. I'm sure that Naruto can show you the way."

Tsunade reached for something below her desk and pulled out a Konoha hiate. Putting it on the desk, she slid it towards Temari "With that said, congratulations Temari. We're glad to have you here."

Temari grasped the hiate in her hand and looked down on it in contemplation. Slowly, she took of her Suna hiate around her neck with her other hand. Rubbing the Suna inscription with her finger, she turned towards Baki and reluctantly held it out toward him.

However, to her surprise he shook his head, saying "Keep it. So you always remember where you come from."

Feeling relieved, Temari let a soft smile grace her face, before she nodded and put the Suna hiate in her pack. She then tied the Konoha one to her neck and bowed towards Tsunade.

"Thank you Lady Fifth. I won't let you down."

"I have faith that you won't" Tsunade replied. Closing her eyes for a moment, Tsunade thought about the possible ramifications of what she was about to disclose. After thinking it through, she opened her eyes and looked straight towards the Suna shinobi.

"Now, I believe that I should tell you about the true importance of this union. Be warned though, it is of the upmost importance that this information remains a secret!"

Concentrating on Gaara and Kankuro, she addressed the two of them "I am only letting the two of you listen to this because Temari would have to know anyway. I decided to tell you as well out of courtesy, due to being her only remaining family. However, if either of you let one word of this slip, there will be consequences!"

She punctuated her statement with her fist slamming on her desk, causing a slight crack to form. Seeing this, Kankuro started to sweat and gulped slightly, although Gaara stayed stoic and only nodded.

Confident that she had made her point, she glanced at Baki and said "I will allow you to tell the Suna council of this as well. They will be beholden to the same guidelines though. If I find out that one of them leaked this information there will be war, treaty or no treaty!"

Baki sensed the killing intent directed towards him by Tsunade and paled. Not wanting to get on the bad side of one of the Sannin he quickly agreed "Y-Yes, Lady Hokage!"

Satisfied that he agreed, Tsunade toned herself back down. Just as she was about to begin speaking again, Jiraiya spoke up "Perhaps you should let me explain this next part hime."

Tsunade glared at him slightly for interrupting her but went ahead and motioned for him to continue. Sighing slightly, Jiraiya looked at the Suna shinobi and started "Are any of you aware of the Uzumaki clan?"

Temari answered for them "Yes, Baki-sensei informed us when we were told of this arrangement. He said that they were infamous for their high chakra pool and vast knowledge of fuinjutsu. But he also mentioned that they were wiped out several years ago."

Nodding, Jiraiya continued "That's all true. The Uzumaki were both respected and feared for their prowess. In the end, several villages came together to destroy them because they feared what the Uzumaki could become. However, even though Uzushiogakure was destroyed, the Uzumaki weren't completely wiped out. One was already in Konoha when Uzu was attacked and there is always the possibility of other survivors scattered throughout the continent."

Naruto's head perked up at hearing there could be other Uzumaki out there, though he didn't interrupt Jiraiya to ask more. The Suna siblings were listening intently, interested in what Jiraiya would say although Baki had a growing suspicion that he knew where this was going.

Not wanting to keep them waiting, Jiraiya smiled "The Uzumaki that was here in Konoha was known as Kushina Uzumaki. She was pretty young at the time and was living in Konoha as part of an agreement with Uzu. After the attack, she was the last known living Uzumaki."

"Kushina Uzumaki" Temari said, tilting her head. Looking over to Baki who had his eyes closed, she asked "Do you know her, Baki-sensei?"

Baki opened his eyes upon hearing her question, and nodded. "I do, or rather I know of her. She was a fairly well known Konoha shinobi who was in the bingo book for a time. She was called the Red Death, due to both her striking red hair and fiery temper. It was said that she had great skill in both kenjutsu and fuinjutsu. Although, she was reported to have died during the Kyuubi attack."

At the mention of his mothers death, Naruto flinched and looked to the side. Hinata noticed this and reached for his hand, giving it a soft squeeze of reassurance. Gaara and Temari both saw him look away as well. Gaara filed it away to ask him later, while Temari's expression fell slightly. To her, something about Naruto's sad expression tugged at her heartstrings.

"Yes, Kushina was a valuable member of Konoha's shinobi" Jiraiya said. "She was so strong that she was even considered for the position of Fourth Hokage before that honor fell to Minato Namikaze."

Jiraiya's face took on a grimace before he added "Sadly, she did end up dying in the Kyuubi attack. With her death, the last known member of Uzumaki lineage would have died." He observed as the faces of the Suna siblings turned slightly more somber, Temari's more so than her siblings'.

"At least that would have been the case, if not for the fact that there was one other Uzumaki alive."

Watching as everyone perked up slightly, Jiraiya continued with a small smile on his face. "It was kept under pretty tight wraps, but Kushina was actually pregnant before the Kyuubi attack. We didn't want other nations to know that the last Uzumaki was weakened and about to give birth to another Uzumaki. So the knowledge was limited and Kushina ended up giving birth before she died."

"That child was Naruto."

Temari glanced at Naruto who was still hiding his expression from the rest of them. 'So he never even knew his mother' she thought sadly. 'Mine died early but at least I got a few years with her. Unlike both him and Gaara.'

Before she could get depressed any more from that knowledge, Kankuro spoke up and asked "So that's why Naruto was chosen for this? Since he's technically the heir to the Uzumaki clan? Is that why you're making him take a second wife as well?"

Tsunade looked at him stoically for a second before answering "Yes and no. Naruto being of the Uzumaki clan is a very important factor but it's not the only one. Haven't you noticed that I haven't made any mention of Naruto's father so far?"

Kankuro tilted his head in confusion. "Uh, I mean I did notice but I figured he was just some civilian or something and not that important."

Roaring laughter shook everyone where they stood. They quickly all turned their attention towards Jiraiya who was holding his sides and hunched over. "Hahaha! Not that important!"

"Um, what's so funny Lord Jiraiya" Temari asked cautiously.

Jiraiya chuckled a few more times before standing back up straight. He glanced to Naruto out of the corner of his eye and saw that he had a small smile on his face. Jiraiya's mouth upturned slightly, before he answered Temari. "Well, if you must know, Naruto's father was actually someone very well known. He did come from a civilian family, but he was hailed as a prodigy and rose through the shinobi ranks quickly."

With a fond smile, Jiraiya said "He was my student and one of the strongest shinobi to ever live, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage."

All three of the siblings' eyes widened. Temari stuttered out "T-T-The Fourth Hokage!" Her mind was racing with thoughts of what that could mean. 'He's the son of the Yellow Flash! Is that why he was able to beat Gaara? Because he is the son of such strong people?"

"WHAT!" Kankuro yelled out, leveling his finger to point at Naruto. "You're telling me that shrimp is the son of the Fourth Hokage! No way!"

Hinata and Tsunade both had a tick mark at Kankuro's words but before they could say anything Temari hit him upside the head. Kankuro clutched the back of his head and turned to say something to Temari, but settled down seeing her glare at him.

Ignoring his siblings antics, Gaara looked at Baki and asked him "Were you already aware of this?"

Gaara's question got the attention of both Temari and Kankuro who shot Baki curious gazes. Baki sighed before saying "We had our suspicions but didn't know for sure. I will admit it is one of the main reasons we chose Naruto though."

With a slightly hurt expression, Temari asked "Why didn't you tell us?"

Baki looked at Temari and answered "We had no concrete evidence. It wouldn't have done any good to inform you if it had turned out to be false. Or worse, if it was true and you told someone which hurt our standing with Konoha who wanted to keep it secret. Besides, all we had to go off of was the fact that Lord Jiraiya trained both of them and their similar looks."

Finishing his statement with a gesture to the wall, Temari turned around to see where the pictures of the previous hokage were. Her eyes immediately honed in on the Fourth Hokage's portrait and she felt like kicking herself. 'They look just alike! Just add some whisker marks and it would be like Naruto had only aged a few years!'

As she was gazing at the the Fourth Hokage's picture, Temari's cheeks started to turn slightly pink against her will. 'He really is handsome though. Minato Namikaze was supposed to be one of the most sought after bachelors back then. Women went crazy for him wherever he went. I thought it was all just an exaggeration but looking at him now, I kind of get it.'

Temari glanced over to where Naruto was and felt her face get slightly hotter. 'If Naruto is his son then that means he'll probably look like this in a few years.'

That thought sent an electric shock through Temari's system and she had to resist the urge to shake her head in front of everyone. 'NO! Bad thoughts Temari!' Trying to focus on something else, she turned her head back towards Tsunade. Though not before she saw that Hinata was looking at the same picture too and had an even deeper blush than she did.

"Yes, it's true" Tsunade said. "Naruto is the Fourth Hokage's son, although this information is kept under tight wraps. Besides the people in this room, only the shinobi council and two others know of this. That's why I stress it's so important to be a secret. This kind of knowledge can cause wars if the wrong people find out about it."

Everyone nodded at her command but Temari had a thought bugging her. Deciding to speak up she asked "Wait, does this mean that Naruto has always known about his parents? Did he become the dead last on purpose to try to hide that fact?"

Naruto winced at her comment and Temari felt like kicking herself for her lack of tact. Especially after the slight glare that Hinata seemed to shoot towards her.

Shaking her head, Tsunade shot down her theory. "No, Naruto was never told of his parentage as a child. He was only told a few days ago when he was informed of this marriage."

Now Temari just felt like a jerk. 'Good going, now they think you're an asshole.'

Intent on rectifying her mistake, she turned towards Naruto and bowed, saying "Forgive me Lord Naruto. I didn't mean to offend you."

Immediately waving his hands in front of him, Naruto tried to downplay it. "N-No it's fine! You didn't mean any harm by it! And just call me Naruto! I only just learned about my parents and I'm not comfortable with titles like that!"

Grateful that he wasn't upset, Temari stood back up and said "Thank you, Naruto." Then she shot him a warm smile which caused his cheeks to be dusted pink. Turning his head to the side, he muttered out "No problem."

Temari glanced over at Hinata who had softened her glare but was still keeping a watchful eye on her. Resisting the urge to sigh, Temari thought 'I'm glad he's so forgiving. Still, I'll have to be careful and not slip up anymore. I don't want them to have any reason to hate me.'

Turning her gaze back over to Tsunade, Temari had another thought 'I guess his parentage isn't his source of strength though. If he didn't know about them until recently then he couldn't have been trained in their techniques either. How did he get so strong then? Gaara mentioned that it's because he fights for his precious people but it can't be that simple. Can it?'

"Anyways" Tsunade spoke up "it's because of who Naruto's parents are, that Konoha decided Naruto would have two wives instead of just Temari. I'm not sure how much of this is known in Suna, but whenever a new hokage is chosen, they are given the option to start their own clan if they are not already part of one. It's how the Sarutobi clan came to be when the Third Hokage was chosen. Although they are still small at the moment and currently have no spot on the council since the only eligible member as of now wants nothing to do with politics."

Baki saw where she was going with this. "So that means that Naruto is the heir to two clans then, am I correct" he asked.

Nodding, Tsunade answered "Yes. Minato had planned on starting his own clan. The compound had even been ordered to be constructed. However, between all his duties in taking leadership and him wanting to keep his marriage secret until Naruto was born, he was never able to get all the details straightened out before his untimely death. And with his son being hidden from all but a select few, the idea of a Namikaze clan eventually faded from everyone's minds."

Turning her attention towards Hinata and Temari, she addressed the both of them. "That's why there's two of you. You will each be the matriarch of one of the clans, with Naruto being the head of both. Any children that you have will belong to whichever clan you are the matriarch of. Of course, any specifics in how they interact with each other can be decided between the three of you in your own time. It might sound like we're trying to divide the two of you but we're not. We actually encourage the two clans to get along and be close since you'll be part of the same village anyways."

Temari's mind was whirling with all the revelations she had been subjected to in such a short time. She had suspected there was something different about Naruto, but to be the heir to two different clans? And she was supposed to be the matriarch of one? She had come here under the assumption that she was going to be helping him revive the Uzumaki clan, but she didn't suspect she would be helping to lead one. She figured that Hinata would be doing most of that while she was relegated to becoming a concubine, bearing him children.

'Part of me is relieved that isn't going to be the case honestly. I won't necessarily be seen as inferior and my children won't be lesser because of it' she thought. 'Another part of me is terrified though, having so much responsibility put on me, a foreigner! Not to mention what it could look like for me if my clan doesn't live up to expectations.'

Hinata had already been informed several days ago so she was handling it a little better. She was still nervous though from all the expectations that were being put on them. 'I hope I don't mess it up for Naruto-kun' she thought pushing her fingertips together.

Jiraiya noticed the state that the two girls had turned into and decided to try to help them out. Looking at Tsunade he gave her a wide grin. "Tsunade, don't you think our guests here deserve a little bit of a break? We've done nothing but tell them about responsibilities when they might want to go look around the village some. Besides, it's not like any of this has to be resolved immediately. Temari is here to stay and we can figure it all out later."

Tsunade sighed but agreed with Jiraiya. "Very well. We still have to discuss some things but I suppose they can be put off till another time." She then looked at Naruto and Hinata and asked "Why don't the two of you show them around some? Maybe get some lunch or something."

Naruto nodded eagerly while Hinata gave a much more controlled one. "Sure thing, Lady Baa-chan! You can count on us!" With that he started to walk towards the door while telling the Suna shinobi "Come on guys! I know just the place we can go!"

Before he could get all the way out the door though, Tsunade called out to him "By the way Naruto, I'll be meeting up with all of you again later to show you your new house! I'll send an anbu to collect you when I'm ready!"

Halfway through the doorway, Naruto almost fell down in shock. 'Crap! I forgot that I'm supposed to be going to a house with Temari! I'm not prepared at all!'

Throwing on a fake grin, he looked back at Tsunade and exclaimed back "Sure thing, Lady Baa-chan!" Showing more excitement than he felt, he continued on his way, Hinata and the Suna siblings following after him.

As she was almost out the door, Temari glanced back at Baki and asked "Aren't you coming with us Baki-sensei?"

However, he shook his head and said "No, I've got a few more details to discuss with the Lady Hokage. Go ahead and I'll catch up later."

Temari looked reluctant but bowed and hurried to catch back up with everyone else. Once they were gone, Tsunade summoned one of her anbu and said "Go get Kakashi for me, I have to inform him of the changes to his team." The anbu nodded and disappeared. Sighing, she glanced at Jiraiya and Baki who both seemingly had things to ask her.

Pinching her nose in frustration, she muttered out "I need a drink."

"So over there is the pharmacy and right beside it is where a lot of people get their groceries! If you keep heading that way you'll eventually get to the hospital, not that I like to go there! Oh, and over this way is that barbecue place that Team 10 is always hanging out at!"

Naruto had taken to his orders of showing around the Suna siblings with gusto. He was currently leading them down one of the main streets of the village, pointing at everything and anything to tell them what made it awesome in his opinion. Hinata walked close to him and seemed content to let him ramble on and do all the talking for them. Although she kept glancing at everyone they passed and looking back towards their guests.

Temari and Kankuro were only halfway listening to what he was saying though. They were more so focused on their surroundings and the other people on the street. Just like before, a good portion of people would send scathing looks in their direction or point and whisper about them to someone else.

They were expecting this kind of treatment and so they weren't surprised by it. What confused them though, was that for as many glares and comments they got, another one would seem to be because of Naruto.

Temari kept swapping her gaze between watching Naruto and looking at people's reactions. 'What's going on here' she thought. 'I get why they're looking at us with hate, but why would they do that to Naruto? Sure, they don't know who his parents are, but why would they treat some random orphan like that?'

She tried to think back on all the reports that she had read on Naruto and everything she had observed in the Chunnin exams. Doing that didn't seem to help her any though. 'The only thing I can think of is because he supposedly used to pull pranks in the academy. But that shouldn't be enough to have this many people dislike him. What do they know that we don't?'

Glancing at Kankuro, she saw he was just as perplexed as she was. Trying to see if her youngest sibling had noticed anything, she looked at Gaara and was surprised that he wasn't paying attention to any of the citizens. Instead, he was giving his full attention to Naruto who was talking about the backstory of some building they were walking by.

'Huh? Why is Gaara not fazed by any of this' she thought, tilting her head. 'Surely he notices all the attention that we're drawing and how they're looking at Naruto. Why is he just ignoring all of them?'

Looking at Naruto who was grinning brightly while saying something to Hinata, she had another stray thought. 'And why is Naruto reacting to any of this either? I can tell Hinata's bothered by everyone's glares, but he doesn't even bat an eye. Instead, he seems like he can't be happier to just have someone listen to him talk about his village.'

"Here we are!"

Naruto's loud exclamation shook Temari out of her thoughts. Looking around, she saw that they had arrived at some sort of ramen stand. "Ichiraku's Ramen" she muttered to herself, taking a look at their sign.

Shaking her head, she followed after Naruto who gestured for all of them to come inside. Upon entering, she was immediately hit by the strong smell of ramen cooking. While it wasn't her favorite food, she didn't mind it either and the smell made her hungrier than she cared to admit.

Taking a moment to try to see just what made this place so special to Naruto, she was slightly disappointed to see how small it was. With only a few tables and some chairs to sit at the bar, the restaurant definitely wasn't too popular. Adding on to that was the fact that there was no other customers here even though it was only a little bit after lunch.

'Still it is kinda nice how quaint it is. It has an almost homely feel to it. Hopefully the food is at least decent.'

"Naruto! It's been a few days since we've seen you!"

Turning her head to behind the bar where the greeting had come from, Temari saw a young brown haired girl in an apron giving them all a wide smile. From her uniform it was obvious she worked there although she was a little too young to be running the establishment all by her own.

She watched as Naruto's own face broke out into a grin and he gave his own greeting in return. "Hey Ayame! Sorry I haven't been around lately but Hinata-chan has been making me lunch recently! I'm here now though and I've brought some friends too!"

Upon hearing that Hinata had been cooking for him, Ayame gained a smirk and her saying "Oh, really now?" Embarrassed from the attention, Hinata turned a bright red and tried to hide her face in her coat.

Giggling at the girl's reaction, Ayame continued with a slight edge to her tone "Well, it might be less interesting without you around so often but I have been telling you that you need to fix your diet. So as long as you're eating better and you still come around to see me and Dad every so often, I'll be satisfied."

Ayame watched as Naruto nodded rapidly to her probing, probably part determined not to fully give up ramen and another part not wanting to be reintroduced to her ladle. Happy that he understood, Ayame turned her focus to her other guests that came with Naruto and Hinata.

Her smile fell upon seeing their hiates but she quickly put it back on. After a moment, she addressed them with a bow, saying "Welcome to our humble establishment. Any friend of Naruto's is always welcome here."

Turning to Naruto, she said "Why don't all of you go ahead and get seated. I'm going to talk to Dad real quick and then I'll come and take your orders." She waited until Naruto nodded with a grin and then excused herself to the back.

Naruto led them over to a table and took a seat. Hinata shyly seated herself beside him with everyone else taking the seats across from him. For a minute, there was an awkward silence as no one knew what to say.

Deciding she would be the one to break the silence, Temari looked to Hinata and asked "Sooo, I heard that you know how to cook. I figured that you wouldn't do that since you're the heiress of the Hyuga clan and all."

Surprised at being addressed by Temari, Hinata stuttered out a reply "Y-Y-Yes, I learned t-the basics from my m-mother before she p-passed and I've continued to t-try and improve. I-I could just g-get another clan m-member to cook for me b-but I enjoy it and it h-helps me feel close to my mother."

Temari's gaze softened at hearing Hinata's reasoning. Before she could reply, Naruto spoke up in admiration of her skills, saying "Yeah! Hinata-chan's cooking is the best! I've only had it a few times so far but each one was amazing!"

Hinata was embarrassed at having her cooking praised in front of other people like that. Letting out a squeak, she ducked her head and averted her eyes. Temari just giggled at her behavior and said "Is that so? Well maybe I'll have to try it sometime as well. Just to make sure it lives up to such high praise."

Attempting to calm herself, Hinata took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Looking back at Temari, she answered her in a small voice "I-I would be honored to c-cook for you, Lady T-Temari." Turning her attention to Gaara and Kankuro, she said "T-The same goes f-for both of you a-as well."

Gaara nodded while Kankuro grew excited, saying "Yes please! I can only take so much of Temari's cooking!" Remembering something, he slouched down and muttered solemnly "Man, why do all the cute babes have to be taken."

The rest of the people at the table heard it though. While Gaara merely ignored him, Naruto felt a sudden urge to punch Kankuro, which confused him since he didn't usually feel like that outside of a fight.

Hinata had the most expressive reaction however. Her eyes grew wide and she turned a deep shade of red, stuttering out "B-B-Babe!?" Before she could inquire further, Temari smacked Kankuro upside the head.

When he clutched his head in pain, Temari turned to Hinata and told her "Don't pay this idiot any mind. His mouth works more often than his brain does." Hinata merely nodded, not trusting her voice to obey her.

Seeing that Hinata was still a little embarrassed, Temari tried to divert her attention elsewhere by asking her a question.

"So I've heard a little bit about Naruto's interest from when he was showing us around but I don't know much about you. Why don't you tell me some stuff about yourself, Lady Hinata? What do you like to do on your free time or what are your favorite foods? Things like that."

A little shy about talking about herself, Hinata chose to answer not wanting to disappoint Temari or appear unfriendly.

"P-Please, just Hinata is f-fine. I like t-to take care of o-our garden and I-I press the f-flowers from it sometimes. I-I also try to s-spend time with my l-little sister, Hanabi, w-whenever possible. Y-You already know about how I e-enjoy cooking, b-but my favorite food is a-actually cinnamon rolls."

Feeling emboldened, Hinata asked "W-What about you, Lady Temari?"

Temari smiled at seeing Hinata take initiative, and said "Well, if I'm going to be calling you Hinata then just Temari is fine for me. Anyway, I spend a lot of my time training, but when I'm not I usually enjoy reading a good book. I also like shopping although usually its more so for shinobi gear than regular girly things. As for food, I'm not a particularly picky eater but I am somewhat partial to pancakes."

Slightly more at ease from how approachable Temari was, Hinata nodded eagerly. "O-Oh! I enjoy r-reading as well! I like t-to imagine myself in the w-world of whatever book I'm reading and f-feel like it's my own adventure!"

Chuckling at Hinata's enthusiasm, Temari glanced over to see her brothers and Naruto in their own lively conversation. It felt nice seeing the easy smiles that the three of them had and hearing the loud laughter of Kankuro and Naruto, or even the quiet chuckles of Gaara.

Turning her attention back to Hinata, she began conversing with her once more, eager to learn more about her and the village she found herself in. Meanwhile, she was thinking 'This might not be so bad after all.'

A.N. Alright, finally got this one done! I was hoping to have both part 2 and part 3 finished before the end of the year, but sadly that's not going to happen. I was a lot busier over the holidays than I expected myself to be and then I also ended up getting sick for a few days. So I didn't have much time to write. At least I got this part out and the next one will come out sometime in the new year.

Also, I wanted to try something. I'm going to put up a poll on my profile when I publish this chapter. Its going to be about some common tropes in Naruto fanfiction and which one might be your favorite. Obviously, I won't be able to include them all, but I'll leave an other option if yours isn't listed, so feel free to comment what it is if you would like to. One thing to note, is that arranged marriage won't be one of the options since I feel like it might easily win because almost anyone reading this fic probably at least tolerates it.

For recommendations this time, basically anything by Midnight Rain19. They have several stories that are all Naruhina and cover a few different tropes. Time travel is the most common ones but they have a few others like soulmates and Emperor Naruto. They're fairly consistent about updating and has finished a good chunk of stories already so definitely give them a shot.

Before I finish, I would just like to thank everyone that's reading this story. After posting the last chapter, we've passed 500 follows and the favorites aren't too far behind either. It's pretty insane for me to think about since I never expected too many people to read but it's great that so many look forward to updates! Hopefully it can continue to grow into the new year and everyone keeps enjoying the story. Til next time! Later!