Naruto was very antsy. Sure, he knew that it would take time for Pakkun to find Gaara, and even more for him to secure a reply and return, but he was worried sick. He hadn't heard anything for days now, and couldn't help it—his mind kept reminding him of all the things that had gone wrong in the past. What could have happened that was so bad that he had heard NOTHING? Even when Gaara had been kidnapped by Akatsuki, he had at least had news, had been able to do SOMETHING! What if Gaara was hurt, or trapped, needed his help? He couldn't help pacing back and forth in his office. He knew that the council was probably furious with him—even on the best of days he had difficulty concentrating, and this wasn't the best of days. It would be a beautiful day out, if he noticed—as worried as he was, the day was as if it were overcast and stormy. He hadn't been able to do any of his paperwork for days now. The last time he had tried, and had been quite proud of himself for working as long as he did, he found that all he had really accomplished that day was to sign a few requisition forms, accept a few missions, and scribble on the rest of the forms things like "10 reasons why Gaara is probably okay" and "Reasons why, being ok, Gaara hasn't written" to "OMG Gaara's probably dead! And now I'll have to write his eulogy!" He would have to remember to do something VERY nice for Sakura and the rest of the Rookie 9; he was sure that without them absolutely nothing would be getting done in Konoha. His temper was fraying and he had become increasingly snappish over the slightest of things, causing people to avoid him.

Just when he was about to break down, create a clone army, and set out to see for himself what was going on, a small brown mass hurtled into his office via the window. As it lay panting on the floor, exhausted and out of breath, his mind disjointedly realized that it was Pakkun. He brightened immediately. Finally! At last!

"Pakkun, what's the news? What took so long?"

Pakkun waved a paw wearily toward his neck, where a bundle of papers had been tied. Naruto retrieved it while simultaneously giving Pakkun a bowl of water and his uneaten lunch. Pakkun gave him a wolfish grin in thanks, but Naruto barely noticed, engrossed in Gaara's letter. He didn't even notice when Pakkun got up and made his way out of the office, muttering about the how the brat was in serious trouble this time, and There-Would-Be-Words, and Oh-No-He-Would-NOT-accept-A-Bribe-This-Time, Oh No.

Hokage-sama,

I was glad to receive your letter. I apologize for failing to meet you at the ramen bar. I hope that you were exaggerating in your message and did not wait overly long for my appearance. Know that I did not change my mind. In fact, you will never know how much I wish my day had ended in such an enjoyable and entertaining manner as dinner always is with you. I would have left a note for you if time had allowed. Unfortunately, your concern is as accurately placed as it is appreciated.

I write to you now not only in response, but as the Kazekage of Suna. My village has been hit by a sandstorm the likes of which have not been seen since the time of the Nidaime Kazekage. My home is in ruins. I returned shortly after the winds had settled, two and one-half days after the storm hit. It came in the night, giving my people only minutes to get to the shelters. Over one-quarter of the population is unaccounted and I fear that our efforts to find survivors among the rubble may be fruitless. My shinobi are trained for search and rescue in the desert, not in destroyed buildings. The number of collapsed buildings to search requires more time than we have to find those still alive. A storehouse has collapsed and our hospital has been damaged beyond use. Our food stores are already running low.

I, Sabaku no Gaara, in my capacity as the Fifth Kazekage of Suna, am formally requesting assistance from the Hidden Village of Konoha. While aware of the security risks relevant to rebuilding, the welfare of my people concerns me more. Any aid that could be given will be greatly appreciated and repaid in time. Though we are ultimately rivals, we are also allies, and so, if assistance is rendered, I will personally resolve any fears the council may have in allowing foreign shinobi to assist in rebuilding.

Please inform me of your decision as soon as possible. I cannot express the urgency of this matter. Thank you for your time taken in reading my request.

Sabaku no Gaara
Fifth Kazekage of Suna

P.S. There is nothing wrong with my tastebuds. You merely lack a sense of culinary adventure. Next you visit, you'll have to step out of that shell and try something that doesn't taste like ramen.

P.P.S. One would think that you would want to be called by the title that you worked so hard to gain, but you will never cease to surprise us all. I will do as you wish and from here call you 'Naruto' in my letters as surely and as easily as I call you 'friend.'

P.P.P.S. Do not expect me to call you by your first name in public.

Naruto felt his jaw drop and his heart sink as he read Gaara's letter. It was a Kage's worst fear come true—a cataclysmic event decimating their village, worse that it had happened while he was away and unable to deal with it personally, only able to see the aftermath. He wondered how Gaara was handling it. He knew he wouldn't have been handling it very well had it happened to him and his village. Of course he would send aid to Suna! He only wished he could go himself, but as Hokage his people needed him where he was. He quite carefully put the letter down on his desk, and gathered his thoughts. He had quite a bit of work to do, and not a lot of time to do it in—Gaara mentioned that at least a quarter of his population was missing. To increase their chances of survival, the Inuzuka Ninken search teams would have to leave almost immediately, as would the hospital teams. First of all, he needed to make a great many shadow clones. Twenty should do, enough to cross the village spreading the news, create missions for the nin who would be going to Suna, inform the council of his actions (their opinions be damned), fill out the necessary paperwork, and who knew what all else that would come up.

"SAKURA! KIBA!" Naruto bellowed upon leaving the office, sending out the vast majority of his clones. "GET OVER HERE!"

"WHAT?" Sakura didn't seem too pleased with him. Neither did Kiba, for that matter.

"I need your help and advice. More importantly, Suna needs your help. They were hit by a massive sandstorm a few days ago. It's all but decimated. Konoha has officially been asked to render aid. We're going to need to send search and rescue teams; Gaara mentioned that over a quarter of his population is missing. That's where you come in Kiba. I need your best teams to head immediately to Suna to begin looking for survivors. Pack light, speed is more important now, and I plan on sending more people within a few days. Oh, and grab Shino and Aburame-san on your way out."

Kiba nodded grimly and set out at once. Naruto hadn't seen that level of speed from him since the Chuunin exams. It was good that he was taking this seriously though. Naruto didn't want any more deaths on Gaara's hands. He didn't think his friend could take the guilt of letting down his people; he took his duties so very seriously. It must be killing him that he had been away when the sandstorm hit, especially since he most likely could have prevented it from occurring in the first place or at least blunted the worst of it with his sand shield.

"Sakura, you are perhaps the best healer we've got, the best healer anyone's got. I need you to work with one of my clones to come up with detailed nutritional plans. I need to know what will be the most beneficial foods to send to Suna. Kami know I can't just send them ramen, yet most foods will probably spoil during the journey. I also need you to come up with First-Aid courses—we're going to be stretching the capacity of our hospital. I'm going to send the majority to Suna, headed by you, but it wouldn't hurt to have some villagers know rudimentary first aid. Heh, perhaps while you're there you could start training up a Suna hospital. They've been suffering in the medical field since Chiyo-sama died. Make up a list of everything—and I mean everything—you're gonna need. We're not gonna half-ass this. I'm just about to go to the council and let them—"

Just then Naruto was interrupted by a hesitant knock on the wall, and a head peering around the corner. He didn't immediately recognize the face, but it seemed that recognition wouldn't be necessary.

"Hokage-sama, you're going to want to see this."

The man, who, on reflection, worked as an aide for one of the council members, gestured toward the big set of windows facing the village square. It was packed, wall to wall, with chanting civilians. Some were even waving signs. One, in big, block letters read "LET US HELP!"

"Change of plans, I'm now going to go address the villagers, then I'll go inform the council," Naruto calmly stated, disappearing down to a roof overlooking the village square in a puff of smoke.

Naruto paced across the rooftop, surveying his gathered people. He was so proud, it took awhile before he could find the words he needed to express his approval, and awhile longer before he could actually say them. Finally, he stopped near the center of the roof and looked out, took a deep breath, and, raising his hands for silence, began to speak.

Hundreds of years ago, our village would have cheered to learn of such tidings of ill fortune that befell Suna a few days ago.

Hundreds of years ago, none would have considered what we do today; our motives would have been incomprehensible to our ancestors.

Naruto quiets with this, his head bowed, sad in his countenance. Almost without thinking, he moves slightly so that Hokage Mountain can be seen, the faces of his predecessors looking down on him.

Even today, the majority of the other Hidden Villages are skeptical of forming alliances, declaring them a sign weakness.

And yet, when I look across this crowd, a mass of people willing to go above the call of brotherhood in aid for a sister city, I can see no weakness.

Naruto makes a dismissive gesture with his hand; weak is the word furthest from the truth, furthest from what he would call his people and their relationship with Suna.

Hundreds of years ago, when a cataclysmic event struck a hidden village, that village would have had no hope, for the future or themselves.

They would most likely have disappeared from the world without a trace.

In this new age, there can be no pride greater than mine. There can be no people greater than ours.

Naruto placed his hand over his heart. He means every word, and it shows—his eyes are moist, and his voice, long since settled, nearly cracks. It was truly an honor to be the Hokage to a people as incredible as this—moments like this made all the boring meetings worthwhile, and made him truly believe that his reality far exceeded his boyhood dream.

There can be NO VILLAGE GREATER THAN THIS!

At this, Naruto pumped his fist into the air, all but shouting as his people began to cheer. After a moment, he reluctantly motioned for quiet—he was not yet finished.

Our willingness to lend aid and form alliances is one of our greatest strengths.

Never have I been more proud to be Hokage, looking across this village of people begging to be allowed to help another village instead of cheering her demise.

He could no longer stand mostly still, and began to move from one side of the roof to the other, looking people in the eye.

He hoped his nods and smiles conveyed even a tenth of his fierce pride for his people and for his home.

This is a good day for our villages, and a great day for our world.

Under our example, we shall constantly be countering our scornful neighbors, constantly disproving the claims that alliances weaken shinobi and village alike.

Let us show the world the strength of our Will of Fire!

At this, Naruto can no longer contain his joy, his head is thrown back and his fist pumps once more in the air as a joyous outcry emerges from his lips to be echoed thunderously from every person in Konoha in the square.

DATTE-BAYO!

With his closing remarks still echoing through the plaza, carried along by the enthusiastic, resounding cheers of his people, Naruto disappeared from the rooftop to reappear at Shikamaru's side. He clapped his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder, making the other nin twitch slightly. Point to me, thought Naruto. Shikamaru was notoriously difficult to startle.

"Shikamaru, I'm putting you in charge of this lot. Organize them into teams, start donation drives, and anything else you deem necessary. Those that are going to Suna need to be ready to head out in three days' time. Keep me updated on all developments, actually~" Naruto paused, performed a well-practiced jutsu, and a clone appeared. The Narutos exchanged a look, and then one headed off.

"How troublesome," muttered Shikamaru. Nonetheless, he was already creating lists and plans; and besides, this would give him an excuse to see Temari. She'd been complaining again about how they never saw each other and he wanted to make sure she was okay. A small smile graced his lips-she'd probably hit him when she found out he'd been worried. He could almost hear her berating him for thinking she couldn't take care of herself.

"Get Lee and Gai-sensei to help, then!" Naruto called over his shoulder, already heading off to the council chambers.

"Damn. Should have just kept my frickin' mouth shut. What are the odds that he forgets to tell them—too late." Shikamaru let out a sigh; dealing with those two was the furthest thing from helpful he could think of. Further cementing his growing headache, Lee popped out of nowhere.

"Shikamaru, I hear you are in need of some youthful assistance!"

"What the hell does 'youthful assistance' even mean, anyway? So troublesome…"

A short time later, after dealing with the council, Naruto sat down at his desk to write his reply to Gaara. Even though it had only been a couple of hours since he received Gaara's letter, he was now exhausted. Still, he was glad that his friend was alright, and that he had something to do to keep himself from going crazy. His friend needed him, and now he could help, even if he couldn't in person. He hoped that his letter would help relieve some of Gaara's worries, and give him something to smile about. Sure he had his siblings, but they were most likely as busy as he was; and Naruto didn't think anyone else would think of Gaara aside from his Kage self. Pen to paper, he began his reply.

Gaara

If you could be in my village at this moment I've no doubt you'd be just as proud of my villagers as I am. Pretty silly of me, huh. If you could be here now, there would be no need to be proud. Once they found out about the sandstorm, Hokage tower was swarmed with people wanting to help. No one wanted to be left out, not even the Academy students. Therefore, Konoha is sending more than a few civilian volunteers. I hope this will help appease the Suna council—with so many volunteers, there will be a lot fewer nin sent to Suna than originally anticipated. I have sent the Inuzuka's best nin and ninken…actually, it's probably more accurate to say that I sent them all. Shino and his father are with them as well. They should be arriving any moment now, if I timed this right. If anyone can find your missing people, and quickly, it will be them. Still, I wish I could be among the teams coming to Suna. All I can do from here is hope and pray for the best, but this long after the fact the odds aren't good. Or so Sakura tells me, anyway. If anyone could push luck in their favor, though, it would be us, ne? The rest of the nin presence will be genin and chuunin teams, with c and d rank missions to help with the search and rescue, general cleanup, and assisting your people. The volunteers will be doing the majority of the rebuilding work, as well as transporting the majority of the supplies. The Academy children wanted to come too, and perhaps they will later, but for now they have sent toys, clothing, schoolbooks, and little care kits. They have been surprisingly thoughtful. I suspect Iruka-sensei has a great deal to do with the more practical selections…and a higher suspicion that they hoped that by sending their textbooks they could get out of studying. Sounds like something I would have thought of when I was in the Academy, anyway.

Naruto

P.S. I LACK A SENSE OF CULINARY ADVENTURE? Why you…just because I recognize thinly veiled threats on my life when I see them, and properly categorize vegetables as poisons in disguise and therefore refuse to eat them, doesn't mean I lack culinary adventure. You've been talking to Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei too much.

P.P.S. I worked hard to become Hokage to benefit my village, not to lord the title over my friends. You'll do it and you'll like it. I think we're beyond you calling me Hokage-sama, and calling me that in private is like something from one of Ero-sennin's dirty books. I didn't know you had a kinky side, Gaara.

P.P.P.S. Attached is a more formal and concise letter that is council-appropriate. I can be formal when the situation calls for it. Heh, you should have seen my council members in the meeting I had earlier, though, when I told them we were helping Suna out, and if they had a problem they could take it up with my friend, Mr. Hard Right Fist. Surprisingly, there were no objections.

P.P.P.P.S. I'm hurt that you could think, even for a moment, that I would refuse to send help to ANYONE much less an ally, especially you and your people. I thought you knew me better than that. I didn't think you thought that badly of me. Furthermore, why didn't you send word immediately? I want to rail at you, but I know you too well. Your people's welfare always comes first, and that means something happened. You might as well tell me yourself. I will find out, and if it turns out you've hurt yourself, I'll beat your ass the next time I see you.

Naruto looked up from his letter, blotted it, put it in a message tube and attached it to a messenger-hawk's leg. Moving to the window, he sent it on its way to Suna. When he was done, he turned and addressed the men that had just entered his office.

"Ah, Kakashi-sensei. Neji. It is good to see that my clone finally found you two. We have much to discuss."

A/N My baby's all grown up and having cliffhangers! *dramatically wipes a tear from my eye*

I just wanted to have a chance somewhere to explain to all the lovely people who read this, why they even bother since it has been for freaking long since I've updated (I'm sooooo sorry!). I didn't mean for it to be this long…damn illnesses, then finals, then a summer job, topped off with a hefty dose of writers block. I swear it took at least a month before I (with some help from bunny) even figured out what was wrong (first draft didn't have any movement in Naruto's speech, and that's so OOC it's not funny). Now that the unplanned hiatus is over, I hope to all things holy that it never happens again. Won't promise anything, cuz y'know, life and all, but I will do my best.

My co-author thinks we should write bonus chapters as an apology. Currently, one idea for a bonus chapter is Pakkun berating Kakashi. Another is somewhat crack-a story from the point of one of the village residents upon seeing the village suddenly overrun with Naruto. Any ideas?

Edit: While I am ecstatic to be able to post this, I want to apologize to everyone who story alerted Offical Correspondence. No, there aren't 50 ka-bajillion new chapters, chapter 3 was just being a butt about the formatting. I hope I fixed everything, but if you noticed something off, please let me know. I'd rather ffnet send you all another erroneous "official correspondence has been updated!" message than have there be an error in the story.

~theyaoisquirrel