AN: Ya this is another Shippuden fic, I just got this idea randomly at the gym after finishing most of the ultimate ninja generations game. I'm still uncertain if there will be any romance or whatnot in this… But for sure is that this will be a 'future' fic, in other words post-plot/storyline.

WARNING: Since this fic starts 7 years AFTER the 4th Shinobi World War ends; a lot of the characters might be a bit OOC but hopefully not too much, especially Naruto but still a lot can happen in 7 years so yeah… Also I began writing this during the time of the emergence of the Shinju in the manga; so if there are discrepancies within the info in this fic compared to what actually happened in canon, please no flaming. Though grammatical or other editorial reviews/messages are quite welcomed, since I don't plan having a beta or editor aside from myself.

Disclaimer: Obviously, if I owned anything, would I actually be writing this on fanfiction rather than making cash off of my ideas? Though all non-canon characters, scenes, and etcetera that are evidently not part of either the manga or anime are from my head.

Deep in the forests of fire country there lies a village supposedly hidden from the world, and it's name is Konoha (AN: I'm too lazy to say konohagakure no sato all the time). A village of Shinobi.

Like any village, they have a leader. The sole person responsible in managing the inner workings of that keeps the village running. That person is the Hokage.

And currently we find the current godaime Hokage unusually sober, while she seethes over a particular mission request on her desk.

"Shizune!" Tsunade calls out, and said person enters her office a split second later. Only to be ordered to leave.

"Get me Sakura, Neji, and Shino!"

Sakura watched the ever incomplete Team Kakashi, despite the current overflow of members, it seemed that they would forever be doomed to have one member short of completion. The only difference was that this time they weren't chasing after the wayward Uchiha; instead Kakashi, Yamato, Sasuke, Sai, and herself were looking for their orange wonder, Namikaze – formerly known as Uzumaki before his disappearance – Naruto.

All those touched by the vibrant jinchuuriki have been on the look out for clues of his whereabouts for the last 7 years, since the 4th Shinobi war ended. But unlike other members of the rookie 9 and Gai's team, due to the Uchiha's acts against the nations the missions they could take outside the village are few and far between. The cherry blossom could still remember the day when the roles between the two boys switched, when the Uchiha came home but the lovable blonde never did.

The battle was finally over; all the Zetsu clones and resurrected Shinobi gone, the masterminds completely annihilated, the injured were being treated, and the captured tailed beasts freed from their imprisonment were now entering rebirth. However, the mood among the allied Shinobi was solemn despite their relief at the war being over. The death toll was staggering, not including those who have not yet been found; such as a single Shinobi that practically turned the war in their favor through charisma alone, Uzumaki Naruto.

It was Team Kakashi and Team Kurenai that received the mission to search for the boy, starting from the area he was last seen engaged in battle. There they found what could only be called a wasteland, hectares upon hectares of land were scorched, excavated, and/or deforested. Waking from their daze, the group immediately sprung into action, fueled by the fear of what state they would find their blonde comrade. Hours upon hours of combing through the rubble and surrounding forestry had passed before they regrouped at the spot where a flare was set off.

"My kikaichu have found a faint chakra source at the center of this battlefield" it was Shino who found anything in the rubble. As one they immediately dashed off behind the Aburame heir, only to come to an immediate halt at what – or rather who – they found.

"No, this doesn't make sense" Sakura was the first to find her voice, slowly aprouching the prone form of one Uchiha Sasuke, covered by the familiar orange eyesore of a jacket.

"He was last spotted battling Kabuto alongside the reanimated Itachi, he shouldn't be anywhere near this area" Kakashi said as he began to unseal a stretcher he carried in his first aid scroll.

Neji used his Byakugan to scan Sasuke for any traps and to take account of his internal injuries, giving a nod to Sakura as an ok he then explained the Uchiha's condition to the others.

"It seems that he has received some first aid, leaving him with only a few fractured and broken bones, and other non-fatal injuries. He has also received a direct chakra transfusion, with a chakra pattern identical to Naruto's."

"But now that leaves us with the question – where is Naruto?" Yamato said as Kakashi and Shino lifted the stretcher they strapped the Uchiha on.

No one answered as they, with grim expressions, made haste to report their findings.

To say that the four remaining Kages were displeased would be an understatement, especially in the case of the Hokage and Kazekage.

In the cacophony of the four leader's expression of anger, they failed to realize that a small had popped ino existence on one of the tables. Well that was until said toad got fed up with being ignored.

From the toad the Hokage received a scroll and two hitai-ate. With a slight tremor in her voice she read the scroll aloud:

Tsunade-baachan,

If you got this, then by now you should have the teme with you guys, please give him some medical treatment would you? And baachan he should be given a chance to redeem himself, no execution or life imprisonment. Can you also apologize to Sakura-chan for fulfilling my promise this way?

Speaking of promises, for the first time since I found my nindo, I will have to break a promise I made to all my precious people.

For so long I have kept my dream of becoming the Hokage with me, and in the time I spent as a Shinobi of Konoha have I made the promise to achieve my dream. However, in pursuit of such, I have grown to understand that having the title and actually being the hokage are two separate things. A hokage is a protector and a leader, while a Shinobi is the kunai that both protects and fights under the hokage's rule. Both have a common point, that is they both carry with them the expected maturity of a rational adult.

It is with thoughts of these ideals that I write this letter, and so with a heavy heart but a clear mind do I write what must be said.

I, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, son born of Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, from this day forward do hereby resign from active duty as a Shinobi and revoke my rite as a citizen of Konoha for my grievous act. But in spite of this, I swear upon a blood seal that I shall not make any acts of betrayal towards Konoha and her allies.

Tsunade-baachan I know that this letter doesn't sound at all like me, heck I feel all stuffy for writing so formal and stuff, but for the short time I've had in my career as a Shinobi and for my life as a Jinchūriki, I found that along the way I had been doing some growing up. With this my views on many things no longer remain as black and white over many things, also I've come to understand that no matter how determined your are there are times when dreams are meant to be let go, not because you can't achieve it but because there are times that for someone else's sake do you have to step away from the path you want to take and instead take on the responsibility of what the right thing to do is.

I know that this letter is not going to be read by you alone, so I will tell you all now that this decision was not made for me. I have someone who, just after the war had ended, would have been lost to me if I had not taken immediate – if not extreme – action. Their worth outweighs my dream of being hokage, and it is for whom that I will dedicate my future to see to it that they live their days with a smile. Don't for a second think that this was only for them, this only came about because of my selfishness. They were ready to die for my sake and future but I refuse for the two of us to be parted by anything let alone death.

I will do my best to keep regular contact but it will take a year before any of you will receive such, much preparation and concentration is needed to save my friend. I will tell you now that until the time that I deem it safe for them, my whereabouts will remain secret. Baachan and everyone else reading this, I warn you: don't squander anyone's time and resources in trying to find us, I have taken action to see that none of you will.

P.S. Tsunade-baachan, don't worry about the paperwork all of this stuff is gonna need. In my jacket that I left with the teme, theres gonna be a scroll with all the documents all ready and just needs your signature in a few places. So don't stress out Shizune-neechan too much by skipping ok? :)

P.P.S. Make sure the teme is going to be ok, and tell him that I'm sorry for not being able to have our rematch. And sorry too to everyone else for not saying goodbye.

Sincerely, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto

When Tsunade looked up from the letter, she saw most of the present kunoichi were in tears but no one was as broken as the sole female member of Team Kakashi. A morose air seemed to hang around them, and remained that way even when the suddenly the sandaime's grandson burst in with his team.

"Did you find Naruto-niichan?!" he gasp-yelled in question, only to get the increase in gloom as his answer.

Despite seeming the most distraught, it was Sakura who picked herself up and lead the genins away to explain what had transpired. After their leave the remaining kages sent out the orders to have a wide-scale public announcement regarding what was on everyone's minds, one Uzumaki Naruto.

The four kages and Mifune stood regally, their bandages not subtracting to their impressiveness, on top of a doton-made platform, standing side by side with straight faces they gazed upon their Shinobi standing at attention.

"Fellow shinobi and honoured samurai and civilians listening through communication towers, I the kazekage have been asked to speak on behalf of my fellow leaders regarding recent information gained about the welfare our comrade Uzumaki Naruto.

We have heard many inquiries about him and many words of gratitude for his deeds after the end of this devastating war. But this announcement will mostly be for those of you who have personally interacted with him and for those of Konoha."

Gaara paused to briefly scan the crowd's reaction, and mostly saw concern and even fear over what could have happened to Naruto to call for such a grand assembly. Satisfied with what he saw, he continued.

"A search and retrieval team was formed then sent out to the last known location of Uzumaki Naruto. They have recently returned and we have received more information from another source after their return. Those of you who were close to Naruto know of a promise he made nearly four years ago regarding one Uchiha Sasuke. True to his title of being one of the most unpredictable ninja, he enabled us to acquire said Uchiha by leaving him where he knew we would first search for him." At this it looked like many of the Shinobi wished to say one thing or another but they held their tongue, for now.

"Along with the Uchiha we have gained an explanation of sorts about his disappearance from Naruto's summon. So fear not friends of Naruto, he is alive and well." Many smiled at this news only to have them turn into worried frowns with Gaara's next words.

"However, once again Naruto's kindness has led him to sacrifice, this time it is his own dreams for someone else's wellbeing. For further inquiries over that, a smaller meeting will be held for close friends of Naruto at a later time. This assembly is also to bring to light an S-class secret of Konoha that the godaime Hokage feels should no longer be held from the public. On behalf of the Hokage, I reveal to you Uzumaki Naruto's true lineage. Is in fact the son of Uzumaki Kushina, the previous host for the Kyūbi who hailed from the former Uzushiogakure, while Naruto's father is none other than her husband Namikaze Minato, the late Yondaime Hokage-" the rest of the speech was put on hold as discord erupted from the assembled Shinobi and samurai. And though they didn't know the loudest were the Konoha civilians at their safety bunkers.

Tsunade along with the others standing next to her watched the chaos unfold, she could only sigh as she had the same thought as the young Kazekage. Despite not even being present Naruto really was, in the words of one Nara Shikamaru, troublesome.