Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, my stories wouldn't be here. They would be the actual manga…or not. Who knows?

Author's note: This is the edited version of chapter one, I didn't realize that I left so many mistakes and contradicting facts in it. I also had to fix the line breaks, I didn't realize that the lines wouldn't show up. A few sentences were added here and there, but nothing major, so if you don't feel like re-reading the chapter, you aren't missing anything. Just to let you guys know, it'll be a while before chapter two is posted, going to school and work is a killer. I'll try to get it out in a month or so, but I'm not making any promises.

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead in description of where this story takes place.

This story takes place after the second attempt to bring Sasuke back and Asuma has died in his fight against Akatsuki. The main pairing will be Naruhina, SasuSaku, and I will hold a poll for the other pairings.

'Thoughts'

"Regular Talk"

"Demon/Inner Self Talk"

'Demon Thoughts'

Begin:

Chapter 1: And So It Begins

Sakura sighed. 'That makes the fifth one. The fifth patient that died because I couldn't do anything, just like I couldn't help Naruto bring back Sasuke-kun. Am I cut out to be a kunoichi? It seems like the three years of training that I had with Tsunade-sama didn't do anything at all.'

'Sasuke-kun…why did you become so cold hearted? When we last met, you were nothing like the Sasuke-kun that was on Team Seven. Are you still the same person? Do I still want him to come back?'

'Girl, you gotta let go of him. Look at what's straight in front of you!' 'Ano…Naruto? I'm not really interested in Naruto as a boyfriend.' 'Hello, he's everything a girl could want from a guy. He's caring, strong, and he would do anything for his girlfriend! You want him! He saved you from Orochimaru during the first Chunin exams, and later he saved you from Gaara!'

'You're right, Naruto is an amazing person. Maybe I really do love him? He's always been there for me, and everything seemed to get brighter after he returned from his training trip. I…guess I do love him. I…I need to tell him now! He'll probably jump up and down with joy before dragging me off to go eat at Ichiraku's with him. I'm glad that after all of these years that Naruto is still the same. At least he hasn't changed.'

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Naruto sat at the mouth of the waterfall, utilizing his charka control to keep him afloat. It was something that he had picked up from his three year training trip with Jiraiya.

Whenever he needed to calm down and think, he would find the nearest waterfall and sit down. Waterfalls reminded him of that mysterious angel he had seen dancing all those years ago during that mission he went on with Team 8, and thinking of that angel always calmed him down. For a while, he had been foolish enough to believe that he had a guardian angel.

'Damn it! Damn you Sasuke…why the hell are you staying with Orochimaru?! Why can't I get you to come back? If you truly want to leave us here, then shouldn't I let you face the consequences yourself? Should I give up on you? No…I can't give up! I swore on my nindo to bring you back…besides…if I can't keep that one promise, then everybody would think I'm a liar, and I can't…won't…have her thinking that I'm a liar. She did so much for me and I haven't had any time to make it up to her. I hope she remembers my promise.'

Flashback (One week after Sasuke's depature)

Naruto had just gotten out of the hospital, and was on his way to a training field to work out his kinks. During his walk, Naruto started to remember his stay in the hospital. He had been in the hospital for roughly four days, the longest that he had ever been in a hospital.

'Though I suppose having a Chidori shoved through your chest would do that…I'm lucky that Ero-sennin is going to be training me for three years.'

His stay at the hospital had been memorable. For the first time, he had actual visitors, and they left flowers and get-well-soon cards. All the other times that he had been hospitalized due to villagers being too short-sighted to see past the Kyuubi, he had spent alone with the exception of the few doctors that actually treated him and Ojiisan, the deceased Sandaime Hokage. Even Iruka-sensei didn't know how many times Naruto had been in the hospital.

Shikamaru had been one of his first visitors, and was also the first to lift Naruto's spirits. He had assured Naruto, that it was not his fault that the mission was a failure. Next, Sakura had visited and told Naruto that next time, she would be with him to help bring back Sasuke. The Suna Trio had even dropped by, and Gaara, in an unusual display of emotion, put his hand on Naruto's shoulder before leaving. The rest of the Rookie Nine and Team Gai came to visit and left gifts, but Naruto thought that Hinata's visit was the best.

Hinata had visited Naruto while he was still asleep. When he woke up, he took a deep breathe and realized that the hospital smelled different. 'What's that smell? It doesn't smell like medicine and death…it smells…nice. It's not food…it's…lavender? And why does my left hand feel so warm? Nice and comfortable and warm.'

Naruto opened his eyes and saw a purple mass on his chest. Blinking a few times to wake up properly, Naruto finally realized that the purple mass was Hinata's head. Hinata was asleep on top of Naruto, firmly grasping Naruto's left hand with her left hand, leaving her right hand to rest on Naruto's stomach.

Hinata slowly started to wake up. She was having such a nice dream too; she was with her Naruto-kun, and they were strolling around the park at night. He led her up to the Hokage monument to stare at the moon. Naruto-kun turned to face her, and his face was inches away from hers, before she felt something squeeze her hand, waking her from her dream.

She opened her eyes, and was confused. She didn't recognize her surroundings, all she knew was that she wasn't in her room. And her pillow was unusually hard and warm and…was it moving? Hinata opened her eyes before remembering that she had been sitting by Naruto-kun's bed and she must have fallen asleep, meaning that…her "pillow" was Naruto-kun. With a squeak, she sat straight up in her chair, and her face was as red as a tomatoe.

"Hi Hinata, good to see you're awake. How long have you been here?"

"S-s-since last night, N-Naruto-kun. It's g-good to see y-you awake."

"Ya, but I might have preferred to be asleep. Tsunade-baachan told me that I have to stay in the hospital for another two days. It's going to be so boring. All I did yesterday was sit and stare at the wall. It was boring having no one to talk to."

"U-um, Naruto-kun, I w-wouldn't m-mind talking with y-you."

"Really? You mean it? Awesome!"

And so as the day went on, Naruto and Hinata talked about everything that was on their mind, except for Sasuke's departure. At first, Hinata was a bit tentative to talk, because she was afraid that Naruto would find everything she said to be silly and stupid. However, that wasn't the case; Naruto, proved to be a good listener. He didn't interrupt her, and allowed her time to finish her sentences.

Eventually, the subject came to Sasuke. Naruto, became extremely gloomy at this point. "N-Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san's d-departure was not your fault. P-please, do not blame yourself. I-it hurts me to see y-you in such pain."

"Do…do you really think that I'm not at fault? I mean, I wasn't strong enough to bring him back to Konoha."

"S-Sasuke-san is…was…a s-shinobi of Konoha, meaning that he is an adult. A-as such, he is in charge of h-his own decisions. It is not your fault."

"Hinata…thank you. Thank you so much. You, along with Tsunade-baachan, Ero-sennin, and Shikamaru are the only ones that have told me so. Even though Sakura-chan doesn't say it, I know that she blames me for Sasuke's betrayal. Same with Kakashi-sensei."

Hinata simply blushed at his comment and looked away, before getting up to open the mini-blinds. She always loved watching the sun set. It had always been a hobby with her, and she especially treasured it because watching the sunset reminded her of all the times she had watched it with her mother.

'I hope Naruto-kun doesn't think less of me because I enjoy something as trivial as watching the sun set.'

"Wow, Hinata, I didn't know you watch the sun set too! That's awesome. As soon as I get out of the hospital, we should go watch the sunset together on top of the Hokage monument. The view is amazing up there. What do you say?"

'Kami-sama…is Naruto-kun asking me out on a date? I…I hope that this isn't a dream. Please Kami-sama, don't let this be a dream!'

"H-hai, Naruto-kun, I…would enjoy that." With that said, Hinata immediately looked out the window; she didn't want Naruto to see her blushing. He would probably think she was sick and then call off their date.

Naruto looked over at Hinata, and was awestruck by the scene he saw in front of him. If he didn't know better, he would say that Hinata was an angel. The sun's last rays shined down on her, causing her to have an ethereal look to her. He felt his heart speed up, and suddenly found it hard to breathe.

'What…what's wrong with me? I know I'm not sick, Kyuubi would heal any disease, meaning that it must be from a wound…of course! Sasuke's Chidori did go through my lung, so that explains why it's hard to breathe. But what about my heart? Some electrical spark or something probably hit it, that would make it speed up wouldn't it? Bah, medical stuff is too complicated for me, I'll leave it to Tsunade-baachan.'

However, things didn't go as planned. Instead of having their "date", Naruto had to leave immediately for his training trip.

Flashback (Day of Naruto's departure)

All of Naruto's friends and sensei's had come to see him off. Naruto simply rolled his eyes. 'Sheesh, Ero-sennin and I have been trying to leave for the last half-hour, but no, Tsunade-baachan, Shizune-neechan, and all of the girls have to get all teary-eyed and cry and make sure I got everything packed. It's almost as if they think I'm a little kid or something. But…it's really nice to have people that care about me…'

"Naruto, remember if you come back as a pervert, I'll kill you!" Tsunade shouted before hugging him and whispering in his ear, "I don't want someone I see as a son and future Hokage become a pervert okay? I know how you tend to jump into dangerous situations, but please, please, please, be careful," by this time Tsunade was in tears, "I don't want to lose another precious person in my life."

Naruto, was thoroughly touched. Never before had he seen his Tsunade-baachan so emotional. His body, afraid of such close contact, tensed unintentionally when she hugged him. Feeling him tense up, Tsunade was confused for a second.

'Why did he tense up? Oh…Kami-sama…don't tell me…' A single look into Naruto's fear filled-eyes was all she needed to prove her theory correct. 'He…he was abused before…someone must have hugged him and then tried to kill him…Naruto…I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to help you before…I can only wonder why Sarutobi-sensei never did anything else to help you. No matter…from now on, I swear, I will always be there for you.'

Tsunade decided that she should let go of Naruto before he got even more uncomfortable. She slowly started to remove her arms from around him before she felt him return the hug. Naruto's action took Tsunade by surprise, but she was touched that Naruto felt comfortable enough around her to hug her back, despite his previous experiences with hugs.

After breaking out of the hug, Naruto walked over to Hinata. He gave her a small smile before saying, "Hinata, guess we'll have to wait until I come back to watch the sunset huh?"

"H-hai…Naruto-kun. Please, take t-this. I would f-feel a lot better i-if you took this w-with you." She handed him two jars of medicinal cream, just like the one she had given him during the preliminary matches.

"Wow, thanks a lot Hinata! This stuff works great! Hey Tsunade-baachan, check out Hinata's medicine! It works great, almost as good as your stuff. Hey I know, why don't you train Hinata Baachan?"

"Damn it Naruto, what have I told you about calling me 'Baachan'?" After bopping Naruto on the head lightly (for her anyway), she inspected Hinata's cream.

'Hm…this cream is rather advanced for someone with no prior experience in the medical field. If she was able to create this on her own, then imagine what she could do if Shizune and I taught her! Naruto has a point…maybe I should train her in addition to Sakura. After all, Sakura hasn't shown any real skill in the medical field, despite her great charka control, but anyone can attain great chakra control with enough practice. On the other hand, Hinata has great chakra control and the Byakugan…with some practice, she could become a legend among all the Hidden Villages…no, all the Elemental Countries! '

"Hinata-san, starting from this day, you will be my apprentice, alongside Sakura-san. We can meet at a later date to figure out your training schedule. Is that agreeable to you?"

"H-hai. Arigato Tsunade-sama!"

"Oi, gaki lets go! Times a wasting, and we need to start your training!"

"Hai, hai Ero-sennin. Well, guess I'll see you all in three years!"

End Flashback

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Hinata sighed. Naruto-kun had been back for nearly a month now, and she had only seen him once. It wasn't because of a lack of effort on her part though. No, she had been busy with missions, and then Kurenai-sensei's lover, Asuma-san, had been killed in a fight. Hinata had felt obligated to stay with Kurenai-sensei during her time of grief. After all, she had always been there for her whenever she needed a shoulder to cry on. At least Kurenai-sensei had something to remember Asuma-san by.

'I can't imagine how hard it will be to raise their child by herself. It's hard enough being a single parent, but being a single parent and a kunochi is even tougher. I'm glad that so many people have decided to help her. I know that Shikamaru-san has pledged his help in raising the child when it is born, and so have Ino-san, Chouji-san, Shino-kun, Kiba-kun, and I. I was especially surprised though, when I overheard Naruto-kun talking to Kurenai-sensei.'

Flashback (Sometime after Asuma's funeral)

Hinata was hiding behind a tree while she watched Kurenai-sensei. She was worried for her sensei; she had been standing in front of the memorial stone for quite a while. It would not be good for her to stand out there, in both a physical and emotional sense. Just as she was about to confront her sensei, Hinata saw someone walk up to Kurenai-sensei.

'Is that…Naruto-kun? What's he doing here?' Intrigued, Hinata continued her silent observation.

"Ano…Kurenai-san?"

"Hm? Who is it? Oh…ohayo Naruto-san. How may I help you?"

"Ano…I…just wanted to say…that…well…"

"Yes?" Kurenai prodded. She was starting to get perplexed with Naruto's behavior. Never before has she seen him act so flustered and nervous, and she had observed the child a lot. After all, one of her favorite students/surrogate daughter harbored feelings for him, and she had to make sure that her student didn't pick some pervert.

"I'm really sorry about Asuma-san's death. It's all my fault, and for that, I apologize."

Both Hinata and Kurenai were confused. 'His fault? How…why does Naruto-kun/san think that Asuma-san/kun's death was his fault?'

"What do you mean Naruto-san? You didn't kill him, it was that Akatsuki member."

"Exactly. You know who I am…what I contain, correct?" Seeing Kurenai nod, Naruto continued. "You should know then, that Akatsuki is after me, along with a few others that share my…condition. If I hadn't returned to Konoha, or if I had even been there to help Asuma-san's team fight, then things would have turned out differently."

"Naruto-san, it's not your fa…"

"No, it is my fault. Don't try to tell me differently, because I know it is. If I had been there, I could have distracted them or fought them off using its power. After three years of training with Ero-sennin, I am still far too weak. Perhaps Sasuke was right…maybe I am we…"

Kurenai had enough of Naruto's speech, so she slapped him across the check…hard. "No, you listen to me. What happened was beyond your control. Do you understand? Even if you had been there, wouldn't the consequences have been much worse if they had captured you than they are now?"

"Maybe you're right, but I am still at fault."

"How so?"

"You know that my dream is to become Hokage, correct?" After receiving a nod, Naruto decided to continue. "Then I am sure you know why I want to become Hokage right?"

"Yes, you wish to gain the respect of everybody, ranging from the villagers to the council."

"Let me clarify what I meant. What I should have said was this: 'Then I am sure you know what I said in regards to my dream'. In actuality, I couldn't care more about gaining the respect of the entire village. There will always be people who refuse to 'look underneath the underneath'."

"There are two main reasons why I want to become Hokage. One, is that as a Hokage, I would be able to protect all of my precious people with a greater degree of success than I can currently do now. Second, as Hokage, I would be able to prevent anyone else from living a childhood similar to mine. You know, being beaten, stealing to survive, living in alleys for a few months before I was able to get my own apartment."

"But, even more important than that, I would be like Sandaime-ojiisan. He was like a grandfather to me, you know? Ojiisan always did his best to help me, when he found out that I was living on the streets, he got an apartment for me. True, the apartment was way overpriced and small, but when it rained, I had a roof to sleep under. That's what I want to do for other orphans, to fill that spot as a role model if they have no one else to look up to."

"But now look at me. Because of me, another child is going to grow up without knowing its father. What kind of monster am I?"

"Naruto-san…please, don't blame yourself. It is not your fault that Asuma-kun died, it is the Akatsuki's fault. Now, before you go and say that it was your fault because you're their target, understand this. It is Akatsuki's fault that Asuma-kun died! If that organization wasn't formed, then would he have died? No! So it's not your fault, understand?"

"…A…arigato Kurenai-san. If you ever need help with anything, let me know all right? And when the baby is born, I swear on my nindo that I will help raise the child. It's the least I can do."

"Naruto-san…thank you. You don't know how much your offer means to me."

End Flashback

'I still wonder why Naruto-kun thought that Asuma-san's death was his fault. And…why is Akatsuki after him? Did he offend them during his training trip? Hmm, the sun is about to set. Should I go find Naruto-kun? He did promise that we would go watch the sunset together, but it's been almost three years since he made that promise. Did he forget? No, stop that Hinata, he wouldn't forget. After all, he did make a promise and he always keeps his promises.'

'I'll go look for him at the training fields. He's always there practicing…Kami-sama, I wish I could be just a bit more like Naruto-kun, he's so determined and strong yet still cheerful and kind at the same time. He would make a great Hokage, and an even greater husband and father.'

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Hinata started to walk off towards the training grounds with the waterfall. Naruto had started to train near waterfalls a lot. She noticed that he had never trained near waterfalls before he left for his training trip, so she was quite curious as to what brought about the change.

'I hope he doesn't remember that mission from all those years ago when he unknowingly peeked on me…that would be so embarrassing!'

When Hinata reached Naruto's training ground, she blushed and hid behind a tree. 'Naruto-kun…is shirtless. He…he has…developed very nicely over the few years. Bad Hinata, stop thinking bad thoughts.'

'What is Naruto-kun doing? Wait…is he? He is! Oh, Naruto-kun, I'm so proud of you. You're using your charka to sit on top of a rushing river; I remember when your charka control was so terrible that you couldn't climb a tree! And now look at you, you're doing an exercise that many Chuunin and some Jounin would have trouble doing!'

During Hinata's praise, Sakura walked onto the training field and saw Naruto. Her reaction was somewhat similar to Hinata's.

'Damn, look at him! Naruto is ripped! Hell ya he is! You go girl, grab him and go home! Man, if he falls in the water, my day would be complete!'

"Oi, Naruto!"

Sakura's shout surprised the two other people on the field. Naruto was shocked that Sakura had managed to sneak onto the field without him knowing.

'Hm? What's she doing here? And why does she have to be so loud? It was rather tranquil here before she barged in. Was I so preoccupied with my thoughts that I wasn't able to sense her?'

Hinata was shocked for another reason.

'Oh no…Sakura-san is here. What is she doing here? She never cared about Naruto-kun before, why does she have to start caring now? I…I hope she is here for a mission and not for personal reason. Kami-sama, please don't let her start to return Naruto-kun's feelings…not now, not when I was finally about to confess my love to him. If she does love him…then…I'll have no chance to be with Naruto-kun…'

"Watcha need Sakura-chan?"

"Ano…I just wanted to talk to you…about the last mission we were just on."

"Oh, okay, I'll be right there." That being said, Naruto walked off the river onto dry land, and sat beneath a tree, motioning for Sakura to do the same.

'Kami, I hope she doesn't start crying because we weren't able to bring back Sasuke. I hate it when girls cry, especially since I have no idea what to do.'

"Look, Sakura-chan, let me remind you that no matter what, I will keep my promise and bring Sasuke back. I mean, I swore…"

"No Naruto, that's not what I wanted to talk about," Sakura interrupted Naruto, "I wanted to talk to you about…us. Not Sasuke-kun, us. As in you and me, Naruto."

Hinata swore that her heart stopped beating when she heard Sakura's statement.

'Kami-sama, there's doubt about it, Sakura-san loves Naruto-kun now. Why does Sakura-san always beat me? She is probably more proficient in medical jutsus because of her 'perfect charka control', she has a great figure, and she has Naruto-kun's love. Why can't I do anything right? I tried to come and tell Naruto-kun how I feel, but I fail, and I am allowed to see the man I love get together with another woman.'

Hinata wanted to run away and cry in her room, but she couldn't even move her eyes away from the sight. Tears started to slowly build up in her lavender eyes.

"Um…what?"

Sakura giggled. 'Guess I have to spell it out for him. He's always been a bit dense.'

"Naruto-no-baka, I'm talking about us becoming a couple! Without Sasuke-kun here to distract me, I was finally able to see who I really loved-you. I looked back at all our missions, and I realized that you were the one that was always there for me, not Sasuke-kun. So, I guess what I'm saying, is that…well…yes I will go get some ramen with you Naruto!"

During Sakura's speech, she started to slowly bring her face closer to Naruto's. Naruto was getting very nervous. 'Damn it! I don't want to kiss her! I want to kiss Hinata…wait…where did that come from? Oh crap, how do I get out of this? I don't want to hurt Sakura-chan's feelings, but I don't want to kiss her! What do I…'

Naruto's ramblings were cut off when he felt something warm and slightly moist press against his lips. His eyes became as wide as saucers, and for a moment he was too shocked to do anything.

Hinata had several tears rolling down her face. 'Kami-sama…why does it feel like my heart is breaking in two? I…I wanted Naruto-kun so badly! But…Naruto-kun's happiness is much more important than my own…so…if Naruto-kun wants Sakura-san, then I will let him have her. But…why does it still hurt so much?' With her thoughts finished, Hinata turned around and ran to her favorite training field.

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Sakura felt as though she was in heaven.

'Kami-sama…his lips are so soft and warm. His chest…oh…his muscles are so well developed. I…I don't want this moment to end! I could die now, and I would die happy!'

Naruto, however, was feeling much worse.

'Damn it! I don't want to be kissing her! How…how do I let her know that I don't love her without breaking her heart? She must have just gotten over Sasuke's departure, and if I say anything harsh to her, she may just lose it…I remember how distraught she was the morning after Sasuke left…what do I do?'

Naruto, braced himself and gently pushed Sakura off of him. Sakura stared into those brilliant blue eyes of his, and Naruto seemed to hear her unvoiced question.

"Sakura-chan…we can't do this."

"What? Why…why not? We both want it!"

"No…I moved on a while ago. I realized that you would always love Sasuke, whether he was here or not. You just have to understand that yourself."

"I don't love Sasuke-kun anymore! I love you Naruto!"

"Sakura-chan, listen to yourself. What suffix did you add to Sasuke's name?"

"I added 'kun', I always did and always will. What's that have to do with anything?"

"One last question Sakura-chan. What suffix did you add to my name?"

"Easy! I…I…oh, Kami-sama…what have I done? Why…why do I still love Sasuke-kun?! Why?!"

"The wills of the heart are out of our control. Do we even have a choice in choosing who we love? We can say that we do, but in actuality, we have no choice at all. The heart has a mind of its own, one that we have no control over. Do not blame yourself Sakura-chan."

During Naruto's interrogation, Sakura started to lean against Naruto, resting her head on his shoulder. When Naruto realized that Sakura stopped thinking of him as boyfriend material, he felt comfortable enough to put his arm over her shoulder and offer her as much comfort as he could. Sakura's sobs, slowly stopped as she managed to calm down.

"Wow Naruto that actually sounded intelligent! Where did you hear that?"

"No where, you know that exercise I was doing earlier? When I do that, my mind just thinks on its own, and I come up with some pretty deep stuff. I should probably write it down and place them in fortune cookies to make millions huh?"

Sakura laughed, but she couldn't help but fell a bit down. "So…you don't love me at all huh? I guess I can't blame you, after everything I did to you when we were younger."

"When did I say that I didn't love you?"

"But…you…didn't you just say that you didn't love me?"

"Eh…kinda. What I mean is that I wouldn't want to get into your pants or anything."

"And why not? You think I'm ugly?! Huh?!"

'Uh-oh, Sakura-chan is getting really mad. Gotta get her to understand me quick, otherwise I'll be flying like Ero-sennin!' "No, I'm just not a fan of incest."

"Incest?"

"Yep. I love you like a sister. I don't love you like I would love a girlfriend or a wife. We've been through a lot together, and well…Team 7…we were a family you know? Kakashi-sensei was like the older brother who acted like he as too cool to hang out with the little kids, but whenever we needed him, he would show up and protect us. You, Sakura-neechan, were like the big sister who always provided the voice of reason. Sasuke…he…was like my twin, always arguing with me…but, he was more than that to me. He was also my rival."

"You know I'm an orphan right? I've never knew what it was like to have a family look out for you. Not until Iruka-sensei came into my life. That was one of the main reasons why I played pranks at the Academy; I wanted to have an excuse to spend some more time with Iruka-sensei, because I've always thought of him as my father. I know I could've just asked him to spend time with me, but then my reputation as a tough shinobi would go down the drain."

By this time, Sakura was in tears. It wasn't because she was sad though, well at least not for herself. Rather, she felt so bad for Naruto. She realized that of all the members of Team 7, she was extremely lucky. She still had her parents to take care of her, while none of the other members had any sane family members left to look after them.

Kakashi-sensei was an adult so he could take care of himself, but didn't he say during their bell test that all of his precious people had died? Sasuke-kun's entire family had been massacred by his brother while he was still a child. Naruto…Naruto never went through the pain that Sasuke-kun went through because he never had a family in the first place. She had no idea how Naruto could always be so cheerful despite the fact that he had never received a hug, never felt the joy of being praised for a good job, or even being comforted by a mother after experiencing a nightmare. It was then that Sakura came to decision.

'Naurto…no, Naruto-niisan said that I was like an older sister to him…it's time I start fulfilling my role. I can't believe that after everything I put him through, that he still sees me as his sister. Never again, I will never again leave any of my 'family' members alone.' Sakura broke out of her thoughts in time to hear the rest of Naruto's speech.

"Whenever I was you guys, I always wondered…was this what it was like to have a family? At first, I was scared. More scared than I had ever been. Facing Zabuza didn't even scare me as much as I feared being on a team. I was afraid, I didn't know how to act around you guys. Eventually, I became more comfortable around you guys, and realized that the reason that I always looked forward to our team meetings wasn't to get a new mission or train or learn some new jutsus. I realized that I looked forward to hanging out with my family."

At the end of Naruto's speech, Sakura had silent tears rolling down her face. She had never realized how uncomfortable Naruto must have been. Once again, she silently pledged that she would never leave her newfound brother alone again.

"Naruto-niisan, listen. My door is always open to you, and if you ever need an ear, I'm available alright? It isn't good for you to bottle up all of those emotions."

"Thanks Sakura-neechan, but are you sure? I mean…I don't think your parents like me because of…you know…"

"Don't worry, they used to fear you because of the Kyuubi, but after I told them that you saved me from Gaara, they loosened up. They actually respect you now!"

"Thanks a lot Sakura-neechan."

"Well, I better get back to training; I got a lot more to learn. Oh, before I go, I have one more question for you."

"Ya?"

"How did you know that you love me as a sister and not as something more?" Sakura started to look a bit embarrassed, because she felt she was prying into personal business. But then again, now she was his "older sister", and sisters had the right to pry…didn't they?

"Oh, I read a book that described love, and I wasn't feeling any of the symptoms."

"Symptoms?"

"Ya, you know, getting all hot and stuff like that."

Sakura could feel her face heat up; she couldn't believe what Naruto thought love was. "Ano…niisan? Sorry to burst your bubble, but those 'symptoms' are only felt at later stages of love. Haven't you ever felt your heart beat really fast or find it hard to breathe?"

"Nope…wait. Yes, when I was in the hospital after Sasuke's departure. My heart started beating really fast, and I had trouble breathing. I just thought that it was a side effect of having a couple of Chidoris shoved through my chest. So that's love?"

"Yup…so…who were you thinking of?"

"Not telling you; you would tell Ino, and then between the two of you, the whole village would know!"

"No I wouldn't!"

"Would too!"

'Hm…back at the hospital the only girl that really visited him was Hinata…so that means…Kawaii!! Naruto-niisan is in love with Hinata, and Hinata is in love with niisan! They would make such a great couple!'

------------------------

After Sakura left, Naruto resumed his position on top of the river. He had far too many things going on his life to deal with.

'Hm, the sun is setting. I really should go find Hinata and ask her to go see the sun set with me. So…I love Hinata? Does that mean I should call her Hinata-chan? I guess I really do love her. How could I not have noticed her before? She's always been there for me and she never laughed or ridiculed me at the Academy. In fact, she was there for me before my match against Neji all those years ago!'

'Wait…what am I thinking? I can't get together with her! Hinata's a Hyuuga, the heiress in fact, and here I am, nothing more than a genin. There's no way her family would allow us to be together. Then add the fact that they probably think that I'm the Kyuubi, there's no way that they would let us be together! Oh well…I'll tell Hinata everything then let her decide whether she still wants to be with me.'

Just as Naruto was about to leave and head to the Hokage Monument to watch the sun set, he felt a slight tugging in his mind. Curious, Naruto got up from his spot and walked over to the tree that he had sat under with Sakura. Once he was comfortable, he started to meditate, realizing that the pull on his mind could mean only one thing; Kyuubi wanted to talk to him.

Inside Naruto's Mind

"Oi, otouto! Get your ass over here! We need to talk!"

"Hai, hai, coming, coming. What do you want now?"

No one else besides Jiraiya knew that during Naruto's training trip he had befriended Kyuubi. They didn't even tell Tsunade, because if any member of the council found out, then they would most likely try to kill Naruto.

Naruto had realized that the way Kyuubi acted didn't match the way that he was described in the texts; the texts always said that he was a bloodthirsty beast, ready to skewer or roast any shinobi nearby. When Naruto had to ask Kyuubi for charka, he had always seemed willing to do so. Jiraiya believed that Kyuubi was eager to help in order to save his own skin, because if Naruto died then so did he.

Naruto on the other hand, believed that there was another reason behind Kyuubi's eagerness. Maybe it was the way that Kyuubi talked or offered his charka, but Naruto couldn't sense any selfishness or deception in Kyuubi's voice. Naruto was quite skilled at being able to read people's emotions through their words and motions. When he was growing up, he had to be able to tell who he could trust. Sadly, that number of people that he had trusted could be counted on one hand. When he became a shinobi, the number of his trusted people grew exponentially.

At first, Jiraiya had written off Naruto's assumptions as being incorrect, but when Naruto insisted on his assumptions, he had started to believe him. In order to test his skills in reading people's emotions, he had him go to a casino. There, he had Naruto play poker in order to see if he could truly sense deception in a person's voice and body motion. Much to his surprise, Naruto didn't lose a single match. After that, Jiraiya simply believed Naruto. It was very helpful in their journey to have a lie-detector with him.

Thanks to Naruto's persistence, he finally found out the truth behind Kyuubi's attack. Both he and Jiraiya were surprised by Kyuubi's revelations.

Flashback (One year into Naruto's training trip)

"What do you want now Kit?"

"Well…you see…the thing is Kyuubi…eh…"

"Oi, what's up with you Kit? You never call me 'Kyuubi', you always prefer words such as "Fuzzball" or "Damn Fox". What do you want?"

"Well, Ero-sennin and I were wondering…why did you attack Konoha thirteen years ago?"

"Didn't I say that I didn't want to talk about it?"

"Yes, but…well…if you were innocent like I think you were, then it's up to Ero-sennin and me to clear your name. I mean, it's not fair to have your name tarnished when it wasn't your fault right?"

Of all the reasons that Kyuubi expected Naruto to list in order to hear the reason behind his attack, that reason was never expected that. Not for the first time, Kyuubi was shocked by Naruto's actions.

"Why should you care? After all, I'm the reason that your life has been a living hell. You should hate me! If our roles were reversed, then I know that I would hate you!"

"We've been through this already Kyuubi. I can't give in to hate. If I did, I would have turned out like Gaara did, except the numbers of dead villagers and shinobi would have been on a much larger scale. I mean, how many villagers and shinobi did Gaara kill by only using a fraction of Shukaku's power? Think of what would have happened if I used a fraction of your power."

"Also, how could I hate you when you are innocent of the crimes you're accused of?"

"Kit, I never said I was innocent. What makes you so sure?"

"You know of my childhood better than anyone else Kyuubi. You of all people…er…beings, should know that I can sense when people are lying or are threatening me."

'Amazing…his heart must be truly pure if he is able to see past my mask of being a blood thirsty beast. But then again, if he was able to grow up and still be…mostly sane, I guess that he could see through any mask.'

"Kit, what I am about to say, very few have knowledge of."

"Ya, ya, just get on with the story Fuzzball."

'There's the kit I know, being serious doesn't suit him.'

"First, I'm female."

"Oh, okay…wait what?! The pictures and stories in the text never described your actions as feminine!"

"What does it say happened to me?"

"Touché, touché."

"Secondly, I am the summon boss of kitsunes."

"Really?!"

"You heard me. I am a summon boss."

"Cool, then that means you're innocent!"

"How does being a summon boss make me innocent?"

"A summon doesn't have a choice in what its doing right? Whatever a summoner calls forth, has to do what the summoner tells it to do."

"Not true Kit, not true. Do you remember the first times that you attempted summoning Gamabunta-sama?"

"Hey wait a minute! Why do you show ol' 'Bunta-butt respect?"

'Damn, I wasn't expecting him to pick up on that…'Kyuubi had to think of a response rather quickly in order to keep Naruto from becoming suspicious of her. If he became suspicious of her, then he might not believe her story, and if he didn't believe her story, then she might not obtain the forgiveness she longed for.

"Another story, for another time, now answer the question."

"Bah, I bet you're just sore that Gamabunta beat you with the Yondaime back when you attacked. But to answer your question, ya I do remember. He wanted me to…oh…right."

"Exactly. A summon doesn't have to do what its summoner wants it to do."

"So…are you saying that you wanted to attack Konoha?"

"No. I didn't want to attack Konoha, but I was too weak to resist."

"Resist? What do you mean?"

"Whenever a summon is called forth from the spirit realm, the summon loses a bit of their self-control. This is done in order for the summoner to be able to get their summon to do their biddings. That means that if you summon a low level summon, it is most likely that it will do whatever you want it to do. The higher level of a summon you call forth, the more will power and resistance it will have towards your commands. When a boss is summoned, the boss will retain almost all of its resistance. This was made in order to prevent a summoner from being able to cause enormous amounts of damage…like what happened to Konoha. Basically, what I'm saying is that boss summons do as they want. Do you remember when you summoned Gamabunta the first two times?"

"I said yes, didn't I?"

"The first time you summoned him, you had to stay on the top of his head for the rest of the day before he would make you his subordinate after the two of you shared a drink. When you summoned him to fight Shukaku, at first he refused to fight because you two hadn't shared a drink. However, he did choose to fight with you when Gamakichi told him that you had saved his life. Do you understand now?"

"…Nope! Could you explain it to me?"

If it had not been beneath her, Kyuubi would have sighed. How the Kit managed to survive all these years was beyond her comprehension. Furthermore, it completely baffled her when Naruto was able to create plans that only became more complex when his life or the life of those precious to him were in danger.

"Didn't you ever wonder why Gamabunta always seemed so willing to fight with you after that fight? Don't answer that, I already know that you didn't think about it. He chose to listen to you because you earned his respect. You risked your life when you thought that Gamakichi was in danger; if you had let Gamakichi be hit by Gaara's attack, he would have simply been sent back to the spirit realm. However, you decided to risk your life in order to 'save' him…I bet you didn't even realize that Gamakichi couldn't be hurt huh? In short, you earned Gamabunta's respect, so he decided to listen to you. There are very few things that you could do now to lose his respect."

"So…you said you were a boss summon right?"

"That is correct Kit, you are far smarter than you let on to be."

"I'm not in the mood for your sarcasm. Does that mean…that you wanted to attack Konoha?"

"No…I said I was too weak."

"But…I thought you said that boss summons don't lose much of their will when they are summoned?"

"I did. And when I was summoned thirteen years ago, I didn't lose much of my resistance."

"Then…why?! Why did you attack?!"

"Like I said, I was too weak. My summoner created a seal, a seal strong enough to make me submit my will. The attack was like a dream…no, a nightmare. I was able to see everything I did, feel every life I took, but I was unable to do anything. My greatest fear was that no one would be able to stop me, and that eventually I would destroy Konoha."

"Luckily, someone was able to stop me. Or unluckily in your case."

"You mean the Yondaime."

"Yes, the Yondaime. At first, I thought that he would kill me. To this day, I still do not know why he didn't kill me. I know for a fact that he would have been able to have the Shinigami he summoned kill me."

"Maybe he knew you were innocent, and wanted to give you a second chance? That's what I think anyways."

'How is it that he is able to figure that out? It took me years to come to that conclusion.'

"I believe that you are correct. When our battle started, he stared at me with cold eyes, eyes that promised death if I took another step or another life from one of his precious people."

"When he looked into my eyes, something changed with him. As our fight continued, it seemed as though he wasn't willing to fight me any more. I was completely baffled, until I saw his eyes. This time, his eyes weren't hard. Rather, they were soft, and filled with compassion. Then, he left the battlefield."

"By this time, I was worried. I feared that the Yondaime had abandoned his people to die, while he fled to safety. If he didn't think that he could kill me, then who in Konoha would be able to? However, much to my relief, I was proven wrong."

"After an hour or so, he returned to the battlefield to continue where we left off. Only this time, he had something…or rather, someone else with him. When I saw his eyes for the third time, I saw the same compassionate eyes, but there was another emotion there. Sorrow. Sorrow for what he was about to do to you Kit. Then…well, you can figure out what happened next."

Kyuubi could see that Naruto was saddened by his story. Though he tried his best, Naruto couldn't hide or stop the tears that threatened to overflow from his eyes. Kyuubi, felt ashamed. Even though she didn't show it, she hated to see his container sad. He had truly gotten the short straw when it came to his life.

When Naruto was a child, he had to run from mobs, eat the trash in order to see the next day, sleep in alleys with only a few newspapers to cover him, and for the most part, live in isolation; even the few bums in the alleys didn't want to associate with him. Kyuubi had long ago sworn to herself that she would do whatever she could to help Naruto get what he wanted and do her best to protect him. After all, it was her fault for being weak that Naruto had to suffer.

"Kit…I am so sorry, so very sorry. If I was stronger, then I would have been able to resist my summoner. I understand if you hate me. Should you decide that you don't want to have anything to do with me from now on, I promise that I won't bother you again."

"Shut up. Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!"

Naruto's voice first started out devoid of all emotion, but by the end, it was filled with anger. It seemed as though he was trying to burn a hole through the ground, with his hair covering his eyes making it impossible for her to read his emotions in his eyes. However, she was able to notice the change of emotion in his voice.

For some reason, a reason that even Kyuubi herself couldn't understand, she felt terrible. She didn't want to have the Kit…no, her Kit hate her. It was the one thing left that she would do anything to prevent. However, here she was, unable to do a damn thing about it.

"Kit, please let me say one more thing...Over the years, I've watched you grow. You have grown into a fine shinobi that many strive to become, but few actually become. During this time…I have come to love you as a little brother. Please…don't give in to your hate, don't let it consume you. That is my last request of you. Goodbye."

"You don't understand do you?" Naruto said with his head still facing the ground, "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't hate you; it's not your fault. Your summoner is to blame, after all it was his command and seal that caused you to attack Konoha. By the way, you never said who your summoner was."

"…You…don't hate me?"

"How many times do I have to say it? No, I don't hate you. Besides, if it wasn't for you, I would have died. I can't even count how many times I've survived because you healed me."

"But if it wasn't for me, then you wouldn't have had to be beaten within an inch of your life by the villagers otouto."

"I wasn't referring to the mob attacks. I was talking about the time that you healed me in battle, especially when I fought Orochimaru and Sasuke. Besides…I've come to see you as an aneue."

"Otouto…thank you. You don't know how relieved I am that you don't hate me. Thank you so much. As for who my summoner was…well, he is the causer of many sins… Orochimaru."

"I don't understand, why did you let Orochimaru of all people sign your summoning contract?"

"I didn't. I never had a summoning contract. At first, I allowed him to summon me because I was impressed by his strength. He had the knowledge of ninjutsus like his sensei, the Sandaime, but his skills on the battlefield surpassed those of his sensei and teammates. I witnessed him fight during the Iwa-Konoha war, and I was impressed. I decided then and there that I would make a deal with Orochimaru."

"Before a summoning contract can be made, the boss summon must first prove that their clan is worthy of becoming summons. In order for this to happen, the boss must take part in a battle alongside their temporary summoner. However, the boss summon is given only once chance to prove their worth in a battle, even if a different summoner is chosen. Then, five summon bosses will form a council and decide whether or not the battle was sufficient enough to allow the boss's clan to become summons. If the battle was not enough to please the council, then the summoner or the boss would have to go through several difficult trials before being accepted. Most often, the trials consisted of the summoner fighting against one or more members of the council."

"I was so eager to show the world the power of the Kitsune tribe, that I offered the first strong shinobi that I saw my temporary summoning contract. It was a big mistake to be so hasty. Had I waited before choosing Orochimaru as my summoner, I would probably have chosen the Yondaime or even Tsunade or Jiraiya to become my summoner. But my haste led to my downfall."

"If I had listened to the council's warnings regarding my choice of summoners, I would have taken more time to observe Orochimaru before I gave him the temporary contract. But I was far too eager, far too willing to show the world the might of the Kitsune Clan."

"Orochimaru immediately agreed. I guess that when he realized that I was a Bijuu, he was willing to do anything to earn my power. He summoned me once for a minor fight, just to see how I fought. Needless to say, he was impressed by my power, but he noticed that I never killed in cold blood. It was then that he realized that I would never submit to his wills should he act on his true desires."

"After that fight, I wasn't summoned for quite some time. I was wondering if Orochimaru had forgotten about my temporary summoning contract. Just as I was ready to go look for him and remind him of our deal, he summoned me."

"He told me to attack Konoha, but I refused. I knew that if I did attack, then thousands of people would die, not to say that it would not be a battle so much as a massacre. It was then that he used that controlling seal on me. You already know the story of the attack, but what you don't know is what happened after I was sealed inside of you."

"After the sealing was complete, my…spirit…was summoned to meet with the five bosses who had been overseeing the creation of the Kitsune summoning contract. Because I had not only failed to show them why the Kitsune clan deserved a summoning contract, but also caused major destruction, they forbid me from becoming a boss summon. In addition, the Kitsune clan became leaderless."

"Since I had not died, my clan could not elect a new boss summon to attempt to bring the Kitsune clan to glory. So for sixteen years, the Kitsune clan has been without a true leader within their midst."

Naruto was slowly thinking over everything that he had heard. It was quite a lot to take in.

"Well, that means you're innocent! And, manipulating you into attacking Konoha is just another crime to add to Orochimaru's list, not to mention another reason to beat him up!"

"Otouto…listen, if you run into Orochimaru again, I want you to run away. He is far too powerful for you to face now. Wait a few more years before you fight him again."

"No."

"What?! What do you mean 'No'?! You are no where near his strength, if you fought him you will surely die! What type of sister would I be if I let you die in a battle that you can not win?!"

"I said I'm not going to run away. I swore that I would never run away back on our mission to Wave. I'm not going to back down now."

"Damn it otouto, this isn't about your pride! It's about your life. Your damn LIFE!"

"Look, I just said I'm not going to run away. Listen to my reasons before you go on another rant."

"Right now, Orochimaru has no reason to come after me. So, if I do run into him by chance, he'll probably leave me alone, because he doesn't have time to waste on me. Besides, he knows that if he kills or captures me Akatsuki will attack him for interfering with his plans."

"But, if I do end up engaging him, it won't be because I'm itching for a fight. It'll be to defend Konoha and my precious people."

Kyuubi was amazed at Naruto's words. After all he had been through, he was still willing to die for a village that scorned and hated him. Maybe…maybe he could be the one…no, she shouldn't think of that.

"All right, you win otouto. You win. If you do fight him though, don't be afraid to ask me for my charka all right?"

"Gotcha…thanks for everything aneue."

End Flashback

"Watcha want now aneue? I'm kinda busy."

"Nothing much…just wanted to say that I'm proud of the way that you handled that situation with you new sister. I was surprised that you didn't come ask me for advice!"

"Ya, ya, ya. So, what did you really want?"

'Damn, he's getting really good at reading me…well…better would be more appropriate.'

"Nothing."

"Right…now tell me or else I'll go eat as much ramen as I can!"

Kyuubi hated ramen. Well, she didn't hate ramen itself, she hated how much of it that Naruto ate. It was always a challenge to destroy all of the byproducts that ramen created. In fact, if she hadn't destroyed all of the harmful byproducts, Naruto would probably have died from malnutrition.

It wasn't entirely his fault though. After all, Naruto wasn't a very good cook, and the only thing he could buy at stores besides spoiled milk and rotten fruits and vegetables was instant ramen. Plus, there was the fact that the only restaurant that served Naruto edible food was Ichirakus.

"Fine, fine, you win. I just got lonely okay? When was the last time we had some time to bond?"

At this point, Naruto became very ashamed of himself. He of all people should have known what loneliness was, how painful it was. How many times had he debated whether being stuck by a Chidori in the chest was more painful than being plagued by loneliness during his training trip? The answer always came out the same; loneliness was by far the more painful of the two. Every day that he came back to his apartment, whether it was from training or a mission, he entered an empty and vandalized apartment. There was never anyone there to welcome him home or ask him how his day was. He had never entered his apartment to find a hot meal waiting for him…and worst of all, there was no one to comfort him when he was plagued by his nightmares. Until his training trip that was.

After he had his talk with Kyuubi, she had stepped up to the plate to become a caring older sister, and did a spectacular job. She was always there to talk to him when he was discouraged or sad or just lonely. When he woke up from his nightmares, she was there to comfort him and mentally rock him back to sleep. No matter what happened, she was always there to help him. When he fell, she was there to pick him up.

While she was performing her job as a sister with spectacular success, here he was, failing pitifully in his brotherly duties. He had never done anything for her, and he felt terrible. Weren't brothers the ones that were supposed to take care of their sisters? How could he not have helped the one person who helped him when others could not?

"Eh…sorry about that, I've been kinda busy lately."

"I know, I know. I'm just trying to give you a hard time."

"Oh…that was mean of you! How about a game of shougi?"

The two of them started to play the game. During his training trip, Naruto had realized (with the help of Kyuubi) that shougi was a game of strategy. Every move could be related to a battle. With that in mind, he started to play like mad. After a while, his battle plans started to become even more effective than before.

"Well otouto, you should probably be heading home now. Sleep tight."

"Wait…I got something to ask you."

"Yes?"

"You mentioned that the five summon bosses on the council refused to allow you to become a boss summon correct?"

"Right on otouto."

"How do you contact them?"

"A long and complicated process. But why do you want to know?"

"Aneue…with your permission, I would like to become your temporary summoner."

"What?! No!!!! Proving our worth on the battlefield is much easier than the trials that we will have to go through. There is a high chance that you will die during these trials!"

"I don't care. You deserve to become a boss summon, that way I'll be able to summon you out and let you stretch your legs every so often. Also…in the coming times I will need your power, both yours and the Kitsune clans'."

"You already have the power of the toads."

"True, but if the times ahead are as dark as Ero-sennin and I fear, then we will need all the help we can get. Besides, what if there is a large battle, and Ero-sennin and I were separated and we both need the power of a summon boss?"

"You're talking about the information you managed to gather on Oto aren't you?"

"Yes. If the information is true, then the coming battles will soak the ground with blood."

"Fine, you win. I'll arrange a meeting with the bosses that were in charge of my contract, but there are a few things that you need to know first."

"Okay. What?"

"When you contact the council, only your spirit will go to the spirit realm, leaving you in a comatose state. That means that your physical body will be vulnerable to attack. Should someone cause enough damage to your body that would kill you, then you will die."

"Another thing that I have to tell you is that during your trials, at least one of them will be a fight, that much I can guarantee you. So, before you meet the council, make sure you are fully rested."

"Wait…if I'm in a fight with my spirit body, will my physical body take damage too?"

"I was getting to that. The answer is yes, which is why you are allowed to have a iryo-nin or two by your physical body to heal it. Though your physical body will be healed, the damages will still be felt by your spirit body. For example, if your leg is broken during the fight, a iryo-nin is allowed to heal your broken leg. For the remainder of the fight, your leg will still feel and respond to your commands as if it were broken. When you return to your body though, your leg will function normally."

"Finally, this will be the first time that a summoner and summon boss has ever contacted the council. Before, the council always contacted the pair on the mortal plane. When you enter the spirit realm…" Naruto was suddenly pulled out of his mindscape when he felt a sharp pain on his right arm. Looking down, he saw that a small one tailed red kit was the cause of his pain.

Naruto was used to being interrupted by kitsunes; somehow, they were able to tell that he held Kyuubi inside of him. He wasn't sure what to think of that; kitsunes were able to distinguish between the Kyuubi and himself, while his fellow humans, supposedly the smartest animals around, were not.

During his training trip, kitsunes would often run up to him hoping to play or asking for his help. In return, they acted as his spies for him. It annoyed Jiraiya to no end that Naruto's kitsunes seemed to be able to pick up vital information before his own network was able to; he was also annoyed that Naruto was the only one who could understand the barks and growls of the little animals.

For one to run up to him while he was in Konoha, a place where most kitsunes tended to stay away from due to the overwhelming hatred of all kitsunes, meant that something very important must have happened.

"Kyuubi-samma! Naruto-samma! I bring dire news!"

-------------------------------

Tsunade was not happy. She was currently in her office with Jiraiya discussing the information that Jiraiya had gathered during Naruto's training trip. According to the information, Orochimaru had gathered an army. While the army wasn't big enough to attack Konoha and win, there was still the fact that Orochimaru had contacted other villagers with plans for an alliance was more than enough reason to worry.

"Jiraiya, how long do you think we have until Orochimaru will attack?"

"Based on the information on hand, I would say nine months or so. Orochimaru's plans aren't complete, and we both now that he will never make a move unless his plans are complete, along with a backup plan. Besides, he'll probably want to gather more nuke-nin to join Oto before attacking us."

"So we have nine months to bolster our defenses before a large scale attack, one that will likely be larger and more deadly than the previous one, takes place? Do you think we'll have enough time to prepare?"

"Probably, if we start preparing now, but we have to make sure that we keep knowledge of the attack secret. If Orochimaru finds out that we have knowledge of his plans, he'll put off the invasion and change his plans. A surprise attack would be even worse for us. But trying to keep knowledge of his attack a secret will make preparing Konoha even more difficult. I'm sure he has spies watching our every move, and if he notices that we are increasing our defenses, then he'll know that we know of his attack."

"Damn. That makes things even more difficult. What do you suggest we do?"

"Dunno. Why are you asking me? You're the Hokage, not me."

Tsunade's eye started twitching. She knew that Jiraiya had already thought up of a plan, otherwise he wouldn't be so carefree. Perverted her teammate may be, but she could never accuse him of abandoning his duty as a shinobi to Konoha. Jiraiya was probably just waiting to hear Tsunade beg him for help.

"Jiraiya …if you don't come up with a plan, then I swear, I'll castrate you in the slowest method known to man."

Jiraiya gulped. The hard glint in Tsunade's eyes told him that she wasn't joking. Jiriaya loved to get Tsunade mad; it was like a game to him. You could never tell how far you would be able to push her, until she retaliated. Then, it got painful. Unknown to anyone, even to his favorite…well only student, Jiraiya had a special place in his heart for his teammate.

Truth be told, he was devastated when Tsunade started going out with Dan. The only reason that Jiraiya had been such a pervert was because Sarutobi-sensei was a…closet pervert to use Naruto's description of him, and he realized that by writing Icha Icha, he was being praised for something that Orochimaru could never, ever do. While Jiraiya had loved the attention and praise it earned him from Sarutobi-sensei, he hated the fact that it got Tsunade angry with him. Essentially, it was a double-edged sword. He got the respect from his sensei, but got nothing but anger from his teammate.

When Jiraiya had realized that Tsunade was getting serious with Dan, he started using his novels to escape from reality; he wanted a way to run from the fact that Tsunade, a women that he had admired and loved from their genin days, was out of his hands.

Then, Nawaki and Dan had died. After their deaths, Tsunade was never the same. It pained Jiraiya that Tsunade wouldn't let him hug her when she so desperately needed affection. She just thought that Jiraiya was trying to grope her. That was one of the first times that he had cursed his novels, because if he had never wrote them, then Tsunade would have let him hug her.

After Tsunade left, Jiraiya left too. Everyone was under the impression that Jiraiya left because Yondaime had died. That was a lie though, and only Jiraiya and Sarutobi-sensei knew the real reason that he had left. He left in order to watch over Tsunade and make sure that she didn't do anything she would regret.

Jiraiya hated the fact that Tsunade became such a heavy drinker and that she loved to gamble despite the fact that she lost almost every game. Originally, he had planned on ending his series in order to keep his full attention on her, but he realized that he needed a source of income to support both himself and Tsunade. He couldn't count the number of times that he had sneaked into whatever hotel Tsunade was at and leave her a wad of money in her wallet.

Over time, Jiraiya managed to push his feelings for Tsunade away…or at least that's what he told himself. He knew that as long as he kept up his pervert mask, he wouldn't stand a chance of getting together with Tsunade. As time went on, Jiraiya stayed hidden behind his mask while Tsunade kept on trying to run away from her past. Now that he thought of it, Orochimaru was the only one who managed to live for the future. Tsunade tried to drink her problems away, the Sandaime always lived in the past, wondering what would have happened if he had killed Orochimaru, and he had hid behind a mask. It was pitiful that only the nuke-nin of their team managed to go on with his life.

Eventaully, Jiraiya had to give up on his dreams of ever entering into a relationship with Tsunade. After all, they were both far too old to be dating. Jiraiya told himself that he had to be satisfied as Tsunade's unknown and unacknowledged guardian angel. He should have realized that he was lying to himself.

When Jiraiya had returned to Konoha to talk to his sensei, he was distraught that he was somehow tricked into training Naruto for a month before the end of the Chunin exams. He had never before spent so much time away from Tsunade, and honestly, he was worried about her. He had to focus on Naruto's training in order to keep his mind off of Tsunade. It took all of his willpower not to check on Tsunade while he was training Naruto. He told himself that Tsunade would be fine, she was traveling with Shizune, a Jounin, and she would be more than capable of taking care of Tsunade.

After his sensei's death, Jiraiya only had one thing to be thankful for; he was going to go "look" for Tsunade and ask her to become Hokage. Though he was well aware of Tsunade's feelings regarding Konoha, he had a sliver of hope that she would come back. After all, after spending one month with Naruto, he had realized that the boy had a power that very few had. He was able to change the hearts of all those around him, as long as they were smart enough to see past the Kyuubi.

When he saw Tsunade give Naruto a kiss on the forehead, he was instantly filled with jealousy. Next, he was amused with himself. Here he was, an accomplished shinobi, a legend among all Hidden Villages, and he was jealous of a relatively unknown genin.

Jiraiya had wanted to thank Naruto for being able to change Tsunade's heart, but he didn't know how. He had already taught him the strongest jutsu he knew, the Rasengan, and given him a summoning contract. However, he still felt that he should give him something else. After all, Naruto had united the two things that Jiraiya would give his life for-Konoha and Tsunade.

When Jiraiya was told that he had to take Naruto on a three year training trip, he was devastated. He was happy that he would be able to teach Naruto everything he knew and keep his newest precious person alive, but he would be unable to be with his most precious person. Jiraiya realized that she would be safe in Konoha. After all, she was the Hokage, meaning that she would be getting a rather large pay check and she would be protected by ANBU all the time.

He also realized that he would be able to use his toad summons to keep in constant contact. When Naruto asked him why he was contacting Konoha so often, he simply told him that Tsunade was worried about his safety due to being a jinchuuruki. As proof to Naruto's increasing knowledge, he then asked if it would be safer if they didn't send out so many messages. Jiraiya responded by telling him that while Tsunade called him a brat and hit him around, that she actually saw him as her little brother, or even her son. That had shut up the brat pretty quick.

During their training trip, Jiraiya had finally found out how to repay Naruto. At first, he had decided to tell Naruto that the Rasengan was an incomplete jutsu, and that he could still add in his element to it. However, before he had told him, Naruto created the Odama Rasengan, something that Jiraiya wasn't sure that he could do.

Jiraiya was cut out of his musings when he felt Tsunade directing her killing intent at him.

"Okay, okay, I think I got a plan."

"Well out with it!"

"Send a few shinobi teams out of Konoha on 'training missions' every month. That way, while we have fewer shinobi in the village, we have a valid reason to be increasing our security."

"Brilliant…and while the teams are out, they can be gathering information or actually training. Good idea Jiraiya!"

"One more thing. The teams that Naruto graduated, along with Gai's team are considered to have the most potential that Konoha has seen in years, right?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"Well, if we have roughly nine months before an attack, I suggest that you assign each of the teams out for a two-month intense training trip. Then for one month, have all four teams get together and work on teamwork. If we can get them to be able to function as well as they do in their three-man teams, then who knows how well they can work as a twelve-man team?"

"Good idea. Shizune, get in here!"

Shizune came into the office, holding Ton-ton between her arms.

"Yes Tsunade-sama? Please don't tell me you want some more sake, you just had some an hour ago…"

"No sake this time. I need you to get Kakashi, Kurenai, Gai, and Yamato and have them meet me in my office in an hour. And tell Kakashi if he doesn't show up on time, then Jiraiya will be in no condition to write Icha Icha Paradise anymore."

"Yes Tsunade-sama, I'll go get them now."

----------------------------------------

An hour later all four senseis (well, temporary in Yamato's case, seeing as he was only taking charge of Team 8 until Kurenai had her baby) were outside Tsunade's office.

Gai, never one for silence, was the first to speak.

"Rival Kakashi, what has happened to you?"

"Eh…what do you mean Gai?"

"You are on time! The flames of youth must have finally been rekindled in your body!"

"Sure Gai, sure."

Kurenai decided to stop their conversation before Gai could go on another one of his rants about "The Flames of Youth".

"Any of you know why we were gathered here?"

"Nope, do you have any idea Kakashi-senpai?"

"No idea Yamato. I don't think any of us here have any idea."

Before their conversation could continue, Shizune walked out of Tsunade's office.

"You may now come in."

"I am sorry to have had to call you all in on such short notice, but there is a grave issue that I must address here," Tsunade said, facing the four jounin, while Jiraiya stood next to the window.

As Shizune turned to leave, she was stopped by Tsunade's voice.

"Shizune, you may stay here. And please close the door."

After closing the door, Jiraiya ran through several hand seals, which the gathered jounin recognized as a privacy jutsu, one that would create an invisible barrier around the office that wouldn't allow anyone outside the barrier to hear what was being said. What they didn't recognize, was a seal that Jiraiya drew on the floor.

After completing his drawing, Jiraiya slammed his right hand down in the center of the seal, and pushed some of his chakra through his hand. The seal reacted immediately, and started to glow a light blue color.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow after examining the seal.

"New seal Jiraiya?"

"Yup, it reinforces the privacy jutsu. This way, if someone does manage to pierce the privacy jutsu, there's a secondary seal to block our conversation."

"When did you create it?"

"During Naruto's training trip…and um…well, I didn't really create it."

"You stole it?! What the hell were you thinking?! I thought I told you to keep a low profile!"

"No damn it! I'm not a thief! Naruto created it all right? Jeez…"

Tsunade had to stifle a laugh.

"Naruto created something that you use? Hahaha, you're pitiful Jiraiya."

"Hey, have you seen his Odama Rasengan or even his Rasenshuriken? I didn't make those either, and those two jutsus alone are probably some of the strongest in Konoha."

"As much as I'm enjoying your lovers' quarrel," Kakashi interrupted before Tsunade could retort, "I would like to know why we were summoned."

After both Jiraiya and Tsunade stared at Kakashi, Tsunade cleared her throat.

"Jiraiya has come across some rather…disturbing information. In approximately nine months, Orochimaru will attack Konoha."

After hearing her words, all the jounin in the room stiffened. The last time Orochimaru had attacked, the results had been devastating. None of them wanted to lose another Hokage.

"Why are you telling us? Shouldn't you be telling the council?"

"I will Kakashi, I will. But first, I have something I need to tell you guys. Since all of your teams are widely recognized as some of the finest shinobi that Konoha has seen in years, each of your teams will be going on a two-month training trip. Yamato, I want you to take Team 8 first. Kakashi, I want you to go with Team 10 after that, then Gai's team. When Gai's team is done, Kakashi, you will go back out with Sai, Sakura, and Naruto as Team 7. For the ninth month, I want all of your teams to meet up and work on teamwork as one group."

"Hokage-sama, with all due respect, I would like to know why I am not heading out with my team."

"Kurenai, you're pregnant. If I sent you out, the unnecessary and excessive motion may harm your child. That is not a risk that I am willing to see. However…since you have been their sensei for three years, I will allow you to accompany them for half of their two-month training trip."

"Thank you Hokage-sama, I'll take you up on that offer."

"Hokage-sama, where will we be training?"

"Gai, that is entirely up to you, as long as you are outside Konoha."

"May I ask why?"

"In addition to improving the skills of some of our most talented shinobi, it is a ruse Kakashi."

"A ruse Hokage-sama?"

"Yes Yamato. Your teams will be the only teams going on two month training trips, but I will be sending out other teams on shorter training trips. If we have more shinobi out of the village, then we will have an excuse to strengthen our defenses. This way, if Orochimaru has any spies within our midst, he will not know that we know of his plans."

"By the way, I don't want Naruto to know that there will be an invasion."

"Why not Hokage-sama?"

"Well Kakashi, you know how he is. If he realizes that Orochimaru is attacking then he will focus all of his energy on trying to get Sasuke to return to Konoha. Right now, Naruto is one of, if not the, strongest of the rookies. He would use his training time to learn how to beat the sharingan instead of how to beat Oto shinobi in general. If we allowed him to focus on only Sasuke, then it would be a waste of his skill."

Tsunade noticed that all of the jounin present in her office seemed to agree with her because she saw them nod their heads. However, one person in the room did not nod his head. In fact, that person seemed to be a bit nervous and rather…uncomfortable.

"Jiraiya, mind telling me why you're so nervous all of a sudden?"

"Not really, no."

"Oh, but I insist. After all, even you have enough common sense not to tell Naruto about the upcoming invasion…right?"

"Look…the thing is…"

"Out with it pervert!"

"Okay, okay, don't lose your temper, it's not good for you to be that angry at your…our age. But…back to the point, ya, Naruto knows about the invasion."

"Why would you tell him that?! You and I both know what'll happen!"

"Hey, I didn't tell him."

"You expect me to believe you?"

"I didn't tell him about the invasion, he told me."

Everybody in the room went silent upon hearing Jiraiya's confession.

"Come on Jiraiya, you're telling me that Naruto, your student a simple genin, had to tell you, the sensei one of the Sannin, information?"

"Damn it Tsunade, you don't even know how complex his spy network is! He has contacts in every village and at every location that would be useful to any enemies if they were to stage an attack on Konoha."

"So you're telling me, that after three years, his spy network is more complex and much more effective than your spy network which has been in existence for almost five times as long?"

"Basically yes. But he also goes in to gather information on his own."

"How does he do that? I know for certain that he's in the Bingo Book for most of the Hidden Villages. His face is kinda hard to forget, especially because he has those whisker marks. I doubt that many shinobi would forget his face."

"You've never seen his Orokie no Jutsu, have you?"

"You mean to say…that Naruto uses his Orokie no Jutsu to gather information?"

"Right on Kurenai, that's exactly what he does. And since his…feminine form is extremely…detailed, most shinobi's jaws loosen…a lot."

"Well, at least that jutsu of his is giving him good results for once."

"What do you mean Tsunade?"

Jiraiya was trying to figure out why she said that Naruto's jutsu was giving him good results for once. After all, his jutsu was the reason (or so Naruto thought) that he had decided to train him.

"You never bothered to ask him why he invented that jutsu did you, Jiraiya? Did any of you ask him why he made it?" After seeing everybody shake their heads in denial, Tsunade continued.

"Despite what Naruto claims, he always has a good reason for everything he does. He just doesn't like to tell people the real reason behind his actions. In order to get a full answer, not only does he have to trust you, but you have to care enough to ask him."

"Naruto created a…predecessor…to what is now known as Orokie no Jutsu. Basically, it was just an extremely detailed henge; in all reality, it was his Orokie no Jutsu, but with clothes."

"He used the invention in order to buy food. Naruto told me that he noticed that girls got treated better than boys, so for a while he thought that people hated him because he was a boy. So he decided to walk around as a girl."

"Eventually, sensei realized what was going on. He managed to convince Naruto that walking around as a girl wasn't the best idea. Could you imagine what some of the villagers or shinobi would do to Naruto if they realized that he was walking around henged as a girl?"

"So from then on, Naruto just used his jutsu to buy food that is actually edible and at regular prices instead of what he is normally charged. Later, he upgraded it to Orokie no Jutsu. Why he decided to do it, I still don't know."

Kakashi felt terrible. He had never bothered to see why Naruto had felt the need to create that jutsu. At first, he had just believed him when he said that he just invented the jutsu for laughs. Not for the first time, Kakashi asked himself what type of sensei he was. After all, wasn't he the one who taught them to 'look underneath the underneath?'

And here he was, not even bothering to get to know the real Naruto, the Naruto that so very few knew.

Before anyone could ask anymore questions, the seal on the floor started to glow brighter.

"Jiraiya, what's going on?"

"Someone is attempting to enter this room. The seal glows brighter to warn us that someone is going to enter this room. However, it still glows blue."

"So? What does that mean?"

"This intruder intends no harm to any of us…if there was even an ounce of killing intent in the intruder, then the seal would glow red. Don't ask me how Naruto made it do that, but it does."

All the shinobi in the room readied themselves for action. They formed a circle around Tsunade, willing to protect her at all costs, even at the cost of their lives. The shinobi could feel a strong chakra presence approaching, and rather quickly too. Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Yamato suddenly relaxed. The other shinobi just stared at them.

"Well? False alarm pervert?"

"No. The 'intruder' is just a friend. I don't know why he's here now though. Normally, he likes to watch the sunset."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Just wait and see Tsunade, wait and see."

Before Tsunade had time to order Jiraiya to tell her who was coming, she heard the sound of glass shattering. Turning towards her window, or what was left of her window, she saw Naruto kneeling on the ground, panting heavily with glass shards all around him.

"Gaki, what the hell do you think you're doing?! You're paying for that window you know!"

Before Naruto could respond, Jiraiya decided to get his two cents in.

"Good job Gaki! You finally realized to smash through the window with your feet first and not your shoulder. Remember what happened last time? That was funny stuff!"

"Shut…huff up…Jiraiya-sensei," Jiraiya immediately stiffened up, "this…huff is serious…"

"You just barged into a private meeting, so I hope it is important!"

"It is...huff Hokage-sama…it is."

"Well? Out with it!"

Before she could continue on with her rant, Jiraiya covered her mouth with his hand.

"Easy there Tsunade, calm down. Naruto has something very important to tell us. Let him catch his breathe first."

"Oh, and how do you know what he has to say is important?! You two develop a thought sharing jutsu too?" Tsunade was a bit more than peeved that Naruto had broken her window.

"Easy, first he used respectful titles with our names, when was the last time he called you 'Hokage-sama'? The last time he called me Jiraiya-sensei…well, he…uh…saved my life."

After Jiraiya's explanation, all of the shinobi in the room waited for Naruto to catch his breathe. Kakashi simply couldn't believe his ears. This was the first time that he had ever heard Naruto use honorifics for the two loyal sannin.

"Thanks sensei. Well anyways, I got some really bad news."

"Well? What is it Naruto?"

"Hokage-sama…Iwa and Kumo have entered into an alliance with Oto."

"What?! How do you know?!"

"Hokage-sama, I trained for three years with Jiraiya-sensei, did you think that I wouldn't set up my own spy network? Or did he leave out that part because he's jealous of how successful it is?"

"Very well…thank you for the information Naruto-kun. I'll give you a bonus the next time you complete a mission and pick up your pay."

"That's not all Hokage-sama…Akatsuki has also decided to help Orochimaru."

"What?!"

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iryo-nin: medical shinobi

This is my first story, so please review! Let me know what you think!