Naruto wasn't doing anything important when the Kunai hit. He was actually sitting on the edge of some cliff not too far from the Marine Laboratory he just thoroughly ransacked and blew up. This was why it took him no time at all to react to the feeling of the Hiraishin Kunai being thrown to the ground. Quick as lightning, Konoha's most unpredictable shinobi jumped up and went to the marker. He didn't know why they'd used it, but his family was the only one he'd given a Hiraishin kunai to and told how to summon him with it. He hoped it wasn't anything too serious.

The scene he arrived to was confusing, considering he was facing a bunch of Whitebeards, all in battle-stances. The whiskered ninja slowly straightened from his crouch and scratched his head.

"What's up?" he asked, knowing there was something wrong, but not sensing anything dangerous.

It was Marco that broke the silence, gesturing at him as he said "Naruto, get over here, yoi."

Before said blond could even open his mouth, a voice from behind cut him off "Hn."

The change in posture was so abrupt it's a wonder he didn't suffer from whiplash. This was the thought going through everyone else's minds as Naruto turned to face the only person that grunt could possibly have come from.

And lo and behold, in front of Naruto stood the broody bastard himself, alive and well. A sunny grin split his face in two as he stepped towards his team member "Sasuke!"

Sasuke's lips twitched, making Naruto beam even more, even though he knew the bastard would never admit it, he knew the Uchiha was happy to see him. Before he could pull him into a hug though, the ravenette's hand shot out, hitting Naruto in the face with a paper.

"Hn, Dobe, what the hell is this?"

Taking a step back to look at a familiar wanted poster, Naruto pondered how he was supposed to answer "It's, uh, a long story?" he ended up saying sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

He was actually proud of the fact that instead of being able to come up with a retort, Sasuke instead brought his other hand up to his face and sighed.

Holy crap, he just made Uchiha Sasuke speechless.

Naruto laughed sheepishly as he continued "I, uh, may have demolished one of the Marines' most important landmarks? I didn't even go into full Bijuu-mode!" he hastened to explain when a single black eye stared at him from between Sasuke's fingers.

Removing his hand, the Uchiha sighed "Honestly, can you go somewhere without causing panic and mayhem? Have you ever heard of stealth?"

Naruto became affronted at that "Excuse me? You're one to talk Mister-Suddenly-Appears-On-A-Battlefield-To-Announce-Changing-Sides."

Sasuke huffed, mock-annoyed "I was not noticed until I was already there, besides, I can be stealthy because I am not wearing Kill-Me-Orange."

Naruto took a faux threatening step forwards "Don't diss the orange! I painted almost the entire Hokage Monument before I was caught! At the age of 12!"

Instead of a comeback, Sasuke became silent, before softly murmuring "Ah, the Hokage monument..." his eyes glazing over for a moment before he sighed "'I will become Hokage', huh?"

Naruto blinked and straightened at the change in tone, not understanding.

Sasuke continued, looking out to sea "What happened to that dream? Becoming Hokage, being acknowledged by everyone... I never thought you'd leave the village, Naruto."

That was the first time during this entire exchange that the ravenette had spoken his name, heck, it was the first time since he'd stepped onto the ship that he'd spoken his name.

"So, why did you?" he continued, looking the blond straight in the eyes.

The Jinchuuriki met his gaze head on and said nothing for a moment, before smirking lightly "I think you know why, you were always the smart one."

Sasuke's lips twitched to mirror his smirk and he shook his head ruefully, eyes closed "Usuratonkachi." he chuckled, unfolding his arms, having stashed the poster away sometime after the face-palm "So, which one is it? If I didn't know better I'd say it was Portgas, but if the two of you were related you would have rescued him on your own instead of just sitting back and playing around."

The Whitebeards shuddered in perfect unison if Marineford was Naruto just 'playing around', then what would he be like when he was serious?

Naruto shrugged one shoulder and grinned "Can't deny that. C'mon, where's that Uchiha genius?"

The raven tsked with a grin that matched the blond "With your track-record? It's Whitebeard, isn't it?"

The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki clapped almost sarcastically "Theeeere it is!"

Another exasperated sigh.

Sabo decided to pipe up "I take it you two know each other?"

Naruto turned to the one person he didn't recognize at all "Yeah. Everyone, this is Uchiha Sasuke. We're best friends."

"You make it sound like I had a choice in the matter." the Uchiha deadpanned.

Naruto laughed, then realized something "Oh yeah, why were you looking so hostile when I Hiraishined here?"

There was an awkward silence at that. The blond Uzumaki slowly turned to his brother in all but blood with pursed lips, an eyebrow rising at the sight of the Uchiha not meeting his eyes.

"Sasuke... what did you do?"

Instead of answering, the Konoha Shinobi vanished.

Naruto stomped his foot on the deck and practically breathed flames "Teme! Come back here and face me like a man!" before disappearing too.

What followed was a bunch of waves and many gusts of wind coming from a spot on the water where, apparently, the two shinobi were fighting.

Izo suddenly spoke up "You know, I can't tell if they're married, they're rivals, siblings, they owe each other money or if they want each other's head mounted on the wall..."

There was a brief silence before Ace said "I kinda don't wanna know what's going on... but I don't think this guy is actually dangerous to Naruto."

Marco had hopped up on the railing and was looking through a telescope at the two fighters "Well, they're smiling, so there's that, at least. Wow, it's like watching Ace and Luffy fight together at Marineford, except that they're fighting against eachother, yoi."

There was another moment of semi-silence, before Sabo thought of something "How powerful are their attacks if we can feel them from all the way over here?"

At this point, Whitebeard also showed up "What is going on?"

Marco absently answered "Naruto's sparring with his... whoever. Also, Ace has another brother, yoi."

Newgate nodded "I see."

A pause.

"Please tell the brat to introduce me to his friend as soon as they're done."

"Roger that, yoi."

Eventually, the duo returned to the ship, sweating and breathing heavily, but grinning like idiots. Well, Sasuke was smirking, but it was his equivalent of a silly grin. Once they'd cought their breath a little, Naruto extended his right hand, two fingers outstretched. No one in the audience understood what he was doing until Sasuke did the same. The two of them hooked the fingers as if shaking hands and even though none recognized the gesture, they understood it was significant.

Naruto grinned "It's great to see you again, Sasuke."

The raven smirked as he replied "Stop getting in so much trouble, Uzuratonkachi."

"No promises!"

"Hn."

"C'mon, I need to introduce you to the old man."

"Hn."

"Hey, I'm not that bad!"

"Hn."

"Teme!"

"Hn..."

Sabo stared after the duo as they disappeared in the same direction as Whitebeard "What the heck just happened?"

Ace laid down on the deck, his hat over his eyes "Dunno, but if I ignore it, it will go away."

Sabo turned to stare exasperatedly at his brother "I take it back, you haven't changed a bit."
"Hey!"

As the two bickered, the rest of the Whitebeards smiled. It seemed things were looking up after all.

Almost two years later, they pinned a new Wanted Poster to the wall. Their little nephew and his friend were doing just fine it seemed.

Uchiha "Hellspawn" Sasuke

Wanted: Dead or Alive

650,000,000 Beri

And,

Newgate "Thousand Flash" Naruto

Wanted: Dead or Alive

700,000,000 Beri

The kids were alright. And they couldn't be prouder. Now, if only the Straw Hat Pirates would resurface, then Ace would stop driving them all up the wall.