Sorry for the long long break. The next 5 chapters are already written and have been for some time. I still plan on finishing the story. Expect a weekly release until I run out of chapters.

Good lord it's finally done. Restarted the chapter 3.5 times to get to this point. Still not happy with it, but that's the nature of writing as you go I suppose. On to part 2, sheeesh.

—-

It's an undeniable fact that goodbye's are hard. It doesn't matter if they are forever, for an undetermined amount of time, or for three years. The last time Naruto left the village, his goodbyes were few. He could count the number of people with his fingers, and have plenty to spare. Now, the number was truly too high to count. Of course, he hadn't actually said goodbye to anyone yet. Instead, he'd sunk every waking second (and many sleeping ones) into training.

If he was completely honest with himself, he wasn't even sure how much time had passed. Between his harsher shadow clone training and his experience in the Tsukuyomi, his perception of time had been warped.

Seconds felt like hours.

Days felt like minutes.

Weeks… Well, he wasn't even sure it had been weeks at this point. Or maybe it had been months?

The lack of sleep certainly hasn't helped. His brain was already pushed to its limits from using shadow clones. It was a consequence of having them do so many separate tasks, rather than all focus on a few. When multiple clones trained on one subject, it was almost like a deja vu feeling. His brain would naturally sift the most important and unique memories, and the rest would intertwine with his own. Separate training meant there wasn't anything to sift. He had hundreds of separate memories in a day, and it was wearing on him. Continuous sleep was impossible.

Every time he got to the part of the sleep cycle that produces memories (REM sleep, a memory says. He can't know if it's his own, or a clone's), he heard them. The screams of his loved ones as they were run through with swords and kunai. He is haunted by them. They tear him from sleep. They keep him from being at peace.

"Naruto!" Naruto flinched at the voice. He'd been lost in his thoughts again. He scanned his surroundings, more trying to figure out where he was than who had called for him. He knew that voice anywhere. Lately it had been plaguing his nightmares.

He saw Hinata jogging up to him. He hadn't seen much of her since… well, he'd been trying not to think about it. He was just grateful she had fully recovered. It's not that he had been avoiding her, it's just that after what happened… He could barely look her in the eyes. The guilt was crushing.

"Oh, hey Hinata," Naruto said. The Hyuga frowned ever so slightly at his lack of excitement.

"Are you excited for your party tonight?" She asked, trying to improve his mood.

Naruto wiped at the bags under his eyes. Was his going away party tonight? Already? Four months had gone by that fast? He did recall someone reminding him– or a shadow clone. Maybe that was yesterday, maybe it was last week. There was so much information filtering into him throughout the day though. It was hard to recognize anything a clone experienced until something triggered the memory.

"Naruto?" Hinata interrupted. He shook his head to get rid of the daze.

"I'm sorry. Of course I'm excited," he said. He still wouldn't look her in the eyes though. He flinched as another shadow clone popped. This one from the Hokage's private library. Flashes of information flooded his mind. This clone's job was very specific. It's experience reading through those scrolls could be the final piece that he needed.

"Hey," Hinata said, trying to get his full attention. Naruto was thinking again though. He'd made great progress in his sealing ability, and he was closing in on his goals, one step at a time. What if he just tried–

"Naruto!" She raised her voice at him in a way that he had only ever heard a few times. His eyes snapped to attention, finally focusing completely on Hinata. She tried not to blush, intent on speaking to him.

"I'm worried about you. You leave tomorrow but you've hardly seen any of us. You're clearly not sleeping. You're not eating enough. You spend all your time training, and… and you won't even look at me!"

Naruto was silent. He didn't know how to respond. She was right in every way, and he was ashamed.

"Hinata… I…" He looked down, disappointed. "I don't know what to say… It's my fault."

"It's not, Naruto-kun," Hinata said with a strength in her voice. "It was his decision. Not yours. Trying to rescue him was my decision! As it was Kiba's and Neji's and Ino's and Choji's and everybody else's!"

She took a deep breath, calming down. She was not wearing the emotional mask that the Hyuga were known for, though. "It was our choice. Ninja get hurt. We're all here though. We all fully recovered. But you won't even talk to us half the time."

"Because I have to get stronger, Hinata. I won't be able to bring him back if I don't! I won't be able to protect you or anybody else!" Naruto said.

"Listen to yourself! You sound just like him!" She shouted.

She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper, realizing they were causing somewhat of a disturbance. "Power isn't the only thing that matters. I know you know that, because you're the one who taught me."

Naruto flinched again, though this time there was no shadow clone. He realized, once again, that she was correct. He sounded just like him. Almost word for word, in fact. Only caring for strength and power, thinking it was the answer to all his problems. He couldn't afford to go down that hole. He wouldn't put his friends through that.

He let go of a deep breath that he'd been holding since he'd first found out about his wayward teammate. Tension and stress melted off his body. He gave her a simple, soft smile. It was perhaps the most sincere one she'd seen, even compared to the best of times.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

She smiled back at him, recognizing the Naruto that she was used to. He was still run down and overworked, but he was Naruto. There was a core aura to him that resonated out and permeated into everything around him. It wasn't something she could see with her Byakugan. It was something that could only be sensed and felt in the heart.

"Apology accepted. Now go take a nap. Everybody is going to be at the party tonight and you are going to need your usual energy to keep up."

Naruto rolled his eyes, but didn't argue with her.

—-

Shinobi parties were odd things. They were generally smaller than civilian parties. In the shinobi world, trusting friends, by nature, were hard to come by. Friends and family were prone to expiring early.

Shinobi died fast and often. A side effect of that was that they knew how to live. And how to celebrate.

They drank, they sang, they arm wrestled, they gambled, and they fought. It was truly a sight to behold. There was also the small matter that the assembled shinobi could, without a doubt, topple an entire nation if so directed. It was probably reckless to have that many powerful shinobi in one building, all under the influence of alcohol. Naruto was pretty sure that he even saw Hinata take a few sips when nobody was watching.

Luckily, the Hokage was one of the drunk shinobi gathered. Tsunade turned a half lidded, and probably blurry, eye to it all. Who was running the village while she let off some steam, Naruto had no clue.

To be fair, she had certainly earned it. Things were only just starting to stabilize for the first time since the invasion. She had been cast into a difficult position that she hadn't been prepared for. There was no doubt that the other villages were watching them to gauge their strength after fending off a joint invasion. The shinobi of the village were overworked, taking every possible mission to show their strength.

At the helm, Tsunade had to organize the logistics of it all. She had to make the hard calls on who to send on what missions. There had been deaths and injuries that she felt on her conscience. The fact that the village was stabilizing so quickly afterward was a testament to her intellect and firm hand. A night of celebration was deserved.

She was also an alcoholic, and Shizune couldn't hide the alcohol here without ruining the party.

By the end of the night, every ninja Naruto could call a friend, or even an acquaintance, had come by. The fact that they were all off duty on the same night was another blind eye turned by Tsunade. A going away gift of sorts. One of many actually.

His genin class gave him a new weapons pouch, filled with standard gear plus a few extra goodies. Hinata gave him a lovely calligraphy set. The Hyuga family, surprisingly enough, gave him a very nice yugata. Gai gifted him a green spandex suit that he would likely wear one day a year to appease the man and his clone.

Kakashi gave him an Icha Icha novel, as if Jiraiya hadn't tried to shove them down his throat for the last year. Anko offered, jokingly (at least he hoped) to reenact the scenes from said book, only with more blood. It was kind of worrisome that they were trying so hard to corrupt his young mind. That kind of stuff just didn't interest him though, so he put it to the back of his mind. There was so much fuinjutsu packed in there at the moment that he doubted he would even remember it.

Asuma and Konohamaru gave him a pair of chakra blades, not unlike Asuma's. One blade was inscribed with "There are no shortcuts", the other with "Protect the King". He didn't recognize the second quote, and they weren't really his style, but a wonderful gift nonetheless. Kurenai gave him a book on genjutsu. He wasn't entirely sure if that was a joke given his lack of prowess, but he thanked her sincerely anyway.

The most surprising gift was from Shikaku Nara. Naruto didn't have too many interactions with him, even amongst the parents of his classmates. He found the man logical and lazy, like Shikamaru. Much like his son, his eyes were sharp in a hidden way though, and Naruto got the feeling from both of them that every time they spoke it was like a shogi move. A tactic being played out in a much larger game. It was fitting then, that the gift was a book on the very game.

"Tactics, Shogi, and the Clouds" was a book written by Shikaku's grandfather. Or more likely, written by somebody who pestered him until he'd spewed enough knowledge for it to be completed. Nara typically weren't motivated enough for something as difficult as a book.

Shikamaru said that he'd already read it. It was a book about shogi and tactics, obviously, but also how they translated to the broader world. That mostly seemed obvious to Naruto. Shikaku had a small twinkle in his eye as he elaborated.

"We Nara are thinkers," the scarred jonin explained. "My grandfather preferred to think more abstractly than most. He considered himself a philosopher. As he stared at the clouds, he would contemplate not just the tactics of being a commander in war. He thought deeper, about what those decisions meant. Being a leader is hard. Deciding who goes where on a battlefield is a lot of weight on a man's shoulders. I think you'll find this… enlightening." His smile might have been wicked if his eyes weren't clouded by alcohol.

There were some heavy implications to what he had said. Everybody chose to ignore them for the time being, in favor of enjoying the party. They would be words that would stick with Naruto in the following days though, even if they washed over his head in the moment.

After the impromptu gift giving, everybody went back to drinking and singing. Thankfully, Jiraiya had managed to commandeer(steal) some of the heavy duty Sake from Gamabunta's stash. As Naruto was finding out, it was the only alcohol that could get an Uzumaki-Jinchuuriki hybrid even remotely drunk.

By the end of the night, it had been one of the most fulfilling nights of his life. He had taken Hinata's words to heart, and appreciated everybody that was there for him. He'd said his goodbyes to everybody he cared about. He tucked the list of sealing ideas that TenTen had given him ("the best gift" she'd said), and headed for the exit. He caught a glimpse of his black eye in the reflection of the window and smiled. Whoever snuck Rock Lee some alcohol had played the prank of the year on them, something Naruto could truly appreciate.

He went to bed that night with a full heart, and a content smile. It was the first time he'd felt joy since Sasuke left. Certainly there had been moments of happiness in that time. He hadn't felt it deep in his soul like he did now though. Tomorrow would be the beginning of a new age for him. He knew it would be difficult, but now, he knew he could take it. If he couldn't there were plenty of people who would be there to pick up the pieces so he could get back out there to try again.

—-

Naruto arrived at the main gates of Konoha late in the morning. He did not have a black eye, nor the scratches left on his body from Anko trying to play 'pin the kunai on the genin'. He did not have a hangover. He still had bags under his eyes, though he had finally slept without nightmares.

He had regressed in outfit, electing to go with the style he wore before his first C-rank mission. Jiraiya hollered in delight when he saw him. He had on the olive green base layer that covered most of his mesh body armor. The blue kabuki jacket with Uzumaki swirls on the shoulders was the main difference between his and the Sannin's outfits. The blue geta he wore were just for show, as soon as he was out of Jiraiya's line of sight he would switch to modern sandals.

His longer hair flopped over his horned 'Oil' headband. The spiky ponytail he had down out was much thinner than Jiraiya's, but still reached his mid back. Hanging below it comfortably on his lower back was a very large scroll. It was one he hadn't been seen with before, so its purpose was a mystery. It could be guessed though, that at least a portion of it was for storage, as the boy had no other luggage with him. The black headband with the shining Leaf symbol wrapped around his waist to round out the look.

"Looking sharp, Kid," Jiraiya said.

Naruto beamed at him. It was the kind of smile that could light up an already bright room.

"Thanks, Pervy Sage. Pretty sure I wear it better than you," he said cheekily.

Hiruzen chose that time to make his subtle appearance. "I think you may be correct, Naruto. Those pasty yellow stars on his shoulders always were tacky."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes at his elderly sensei. The man looked good, all things considered. He'd gotten a mild tan in his four months. He'd spent a large portion of time inside of the Sarutobi clan compound, doing things he hadn't been able to in years. Teaching clansmen, visiting with the children, updating the library. The more enjoyable side of being a clan head, that he had forfeited as Hokage.

The twice former Hokage settled easily into his new robes. They were simple, as he preferred. Black with cream colored lining, just as he'd been wearing the night Naruto left the hospital. They were loose fitting with seemingly endless folds. No doubt layered with scrolls and weapons, as any shinobi worth their scars wouldn't be caught without. The biggest change were the sleeves. They were long enough to go past his hand, and extremely wide. They did an impressive job hiding the missing arm. The left one even held form when bringing his 'hands' together in front or behind, as he often was fond of doing. It gave him a peaceful, almost monk-like appearance. A shinobi through and through, his missing arm would remain a secret until he himself revealed it.

"Jiji!" Naruto greeted him. He'd seen little of the elderly man in the recent months, both of them being so occupied with their own personal business.

"Hello, Naruto. I trust you're ready for our excursion?" Hiruzen said.

"Almost!" Naruto brought his hands together, crossing the index and middle fingers on both hands. He closed his eyes, and breathed evenly, focusing. More than a dozen shadow clones seemed to peel off of him, rather than coming to existence a ways away. He was trying to emulate the clone technique of Team 7's sensei, though without the wood style. The effect wasn't complete, and it probably wouldn't be useful. It was mostly a chakra control exercise at this point, but it showed his improvement.

The original Naruto handed the clones a scroll, and turned back to his family figures. Behind him, the clones unsealed the scroll, finding more scrolls inside. That seemed to be all they needed, as they each took one and ran off.

"Parting gifts?" Sarutobi asked.

Naruto nodded his head, a devious smile on his face. Certainly the gifts were good, but the surprise before them was even better.

"Well then, shall we be off?"

"Waittt!" A childish voice yelled. Its cadence matched the bouncing of the boy's steps. Embarrassing for a shinobi. Not overly worrying for a nine year old. Konohamaru came to a stop, huffing and puffing. He was bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"Grandpa! You cheated!" He said when he finally caught his wind. Hiruzen only grinned in the way that a grandparent does when they've pulled one over on a grandchild.

"Oh Saru," Naruto said. "What have we said about cheating?"

Konohamaru sighed grandly. "Shinobi don't cheat, they win sneakily."

Naruto chuckled, ruffling his hair. "That's right. But remember, there's no shortcuts to becoming Hokage, so no winning sneakily while training, okay? I'm gonna send 'Kichi to check on you. He'll know if you're lying."

Konohamaru nodded with a seriousness that was almost comical on his young face.

"Good. Now give me a hug. It might be the last chance you get if your Grandpa torches me to dust for pranking him." Konohamaru giggled and listened accordingly, squeezing him tight.

"I wouldn't be a very good shinobi if I allowed you to prank me, Naruto," Hiruzen said.

"And yet," Naruto looked at him mischievously. "You haven't even checked your pack since you got here."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at the boy. He wasn't wearing a pack. It was in a scroll attached to his hip. He knew for certain that Naruto wasn't skilled enough to lift it off him and manipulate it before replacing it. However, if he didn't check and something was amiss, it would be even more embarrassing.

With grace, he responded smoothly, "Ah, if you were in my pack then you saw what I have in store for you. I'm surprised you're not quivering at the thought. Don't worry though, I'm told Tsunade has some promising new treatment for amputees."

Naruto paled at that. He had a ways to go if he wanted to play mind games with the Professor.

Jiraiya broke the light tension with a hearty laugh, smacking Naruto on the back in a friendly manner. "I can't wait for you to suffer the way I had to. This is gonna be great!" Then it became Jiraiya's turn to pale, as Hiruzen leveled an icy glare at him.

"One-armed and 70 years old, and yet I could still take on the both of you. It would be wise not to forget that with age comes experience and knowledge," Hiruzen said lightly. Jiraiya rolled his eyes, but didn't push it any further.

With that, Naruto had said his final goodbyes to everybody. Everybody but Jiraiya. He stood in front of the man who had filled the position of his father. To Jiraiya it was almost like looking in a mirror. They were nearly the same clothes, nearly the same headband, Naruto even had the same hairstyle as him, though his wasn't nearly as thick. As much as he saw Naruto though, he also saw Minato in the hair and the aire of confidence. He saw Kushina in the grin and the face. Despite the resemblances to his parents and Jiraiya, there was still something distinctly… Naruto about him. The boy had grown so much, and not just in height.

He'd been knocked down, but always he stood back up. Every single time, and taller than ever. Despite being told he didn't need to, or even that he couldn't. Beyond his advanced skills as a ninja, and his role in keeping the village safe from the Nine Tails, Jiraiya was proud of him. Proud of the man he was becoming. Jiraiya's eyes began to water.

"Don't cry Pervy Sage, I'll be back before ya know it!" Naruto said.

"I'm not crying because of that, these are tears of joy, don't you see?" Jiraiya tried to keep the tone light and joking, but he wasn't fooling anyone. "I'm just so happy I'll be able to return to my research!"

Naruto ignored his words, and stepped forward to hug Jiraiya. A soft whisper in his ear surprised him.

"I'm proud of you, Kid," Jiraiya said. "Work hard and listen to the old man. And don't lose sight of why you're doing this."

Naruto hugged him twice as hard, a subconscious use of chakra aiding his muscles. If Jiraiya wasn't as tough as he was, the air actually might have been squeezed out of him.

The two broke apart, Naruto wiping at his eyes. It took him only a moment to regain his composure. He plastered a big smile on his face.

"Alright, Jiji, let's do this!" He turned to walk away from the gate with an excited energy about him.

"Well alright then," Hiruzen said. He turned to walk side by side with his new charge. "First, Naruto, I want you to remove several kunai and hide them amongst your clothing."

"But I have them hidden in seals, isn't that better?" Naruto said.

"Normally, yes. However, every jutsu has a weakness, including seals. What if…"

The voice trailed off, Jiraiya no longer able to hear the lesson. He didn't need to though, he knew it by heart. It was the first lesson Hiruzen had taught his own team, way back in the day. Naruto was in good hands. Still, he was sad to see him go.

He stood at the gate, watching the pair walk off until he could no longer see them. The next time Naruto came back here, he would be a different man in a different world. Jiraiya could only hope that he would be ready.

We did it! This chapter truly sucked to write, that combined with moving and a new job kept me from finishing it. Sorry that its not my best writing, I did the best I could though. I've been plotting the rest of the story though, so the time hasn't gone to total waste. I will try and get into a rhythm and schedule of releasing the chapters more consistently.

Shikaku is a jonin. I think I recall that technically he's a tokujo in canon but I simply do not care for that.

If you caught the little hint that the retrieval mission was different, aside from Hinata replacing Naruto, just know it wasn't a mistake. Also hinting at Naruto and Konohamaru having spent time together outside of the written story, because it's hard to balance everything without slowing the pacing down. I don't remember exactly how old the boy is in canon but here it's been shifted slightly. He will have a slightly bigger role in shippuden/beyond that if we get there, one that he deserves. I'm calling him nine for now.

I'm going to try and do a better job of writing several chapters at once (I've got the next 6 done though they need heavy reviewing and posting weekly so it's at least somewhat consistent or at least I'll be able to tell you guys how many are coming down the line before there might be a break.