Chapter 3

An Unexpected Homecoming

I own Nothing

"I'm impressed," the masked assailant muttered, his single revealed eye scanning his opponents with mild amusement. "You three have done quite well for yourselves, however, well isn't well enough. I'm afraid I must end this battle here, I'm needed elsewhere." He spoke somberly, lowering his guard with no regard of his surroundings, he was almost daring them to stop him.

"Like hell I'd let you leave!" Sakura shouted, taking charge against their opponent with reckless abandon. "Ōkashō (Cherry Blossom Clash)!" However, her attack just missed the masked mercenary as he fazed through the floor, sending the force now crashing against the boulder, destroying it in the process. "Damn it! Where'd he go! I'm not through with hi-"

"Sakura," Kakashi spoke sternly, pulling her from her fury and back to her senses. "right now we need to focus on the task at hand, we need to move!"

"H-Hai, sensei!" Sakura answered, almost ashamed that she let her temper get the best of her. The group took off towards the cave, sliding in just as the final piece of Shukaku slipped from Gaara's lifeless corpse, the Gedo Statue's mouth slowly closing tightly down. They slide to a stop before the altar Gaara laid, the shadow's of the remaining Akatsuki members now fading away one by one, their deed now done.

"N-No! No, we were too late!" Hinata muttered her mouth agape at the sight before her, the corpse of the Kazekage now laid lifeless on the altar - his life taken for what lived within him.

Kakashi, saddened by such a sight, remained silent - unable to think of the proper words to say about the young Kazekage's death. However, before either Kakashi or Hinata could speak, Sakura pushed through them and carefully pulled Gaara's still warm corpse to the floor, her hand igniting with green chakra as she did her best to prolong his life. "Come on, come on." She muttered, sending pulse after pulse of her chakra through his heart, receiving a single beat before it began to fade once more. "Damnit, no! We promised we'd bring you back to your village, they need you!"

"...Sakura-san, I don't believe it'll work," her sensei spoke, placing a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "When a Bijuu is taken from its host it's impossible for them to live past it, we can't do anything more for hi-"

"No, I won't believe that! I've been taught by Tsunade Senju, one of the three legendary Sannin, if I can't save Gaara then all of my training was for nothing!" Sakura gritted her teeth, pushing more chakra into her palms in hope of prolonging his life for what is to come. "I need a better place to work, we need to get back to Sunagakure. Let's move!"

"...I-I'm with Sakura-chan, there's still a chance," Hinata spoke. "H-His heart, I can still see it beating. Barely, but still beating."

"Thank you, Hinata." Sakura smiled somberly before turning her attention back to her patient. "Come on, grab his feet - Kakashi, his head. You're going to have to keep him stab-"

"Hinata, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei!" A voice yelled from the entrance of the cave, catching the three manned team's attention. Bolting into the cave was none other than the blonde supposed specter himself being accompanied by a familiar cloak clad individual which Naruto seemed oblivious too. "What's going on?"

"Naruto, look out!" Yelled Kakashi and with a quick flick of his wrist, he flung an electrically charged kunai directly towards Itachi's head who seemed undeterred by the sparking projectile racing towards him. Once the kunai hit its mark, Itachi's form exploded into a flurry of crows, flapping their black as tar wings past Naruto and right towards Kakashi. As the crows converged onto one point they quickly reformed, giving way to Itachi who now stood behind the masked shinobi, his thrown kunai now in Itachi's hands.

"I believe this is yours," Itachi muttered, the kunai in his palm as he reached out towards the Cyclops, his one eye portraying his confusion.

"Kakashi-sensei, don't. He's on our side," Naruto uttered, sliding to a halt right next to his sensei.

"What?" Kakashi questioned, his eyes still locked on his target with a hardened sneer. "Naruto, you can't be serious. You know who this man is and what he's done, how could he possibly be on our side?"

"If I wasn't you'd already be dead, Kakashi," Itachi stated with a numbed expression,

"Itachi, this is not the time to joke, alright?" However, Naruto's desire to defuse the situation was halted when he noticed the unmoving corpse of one of his long time friends lying inches from him. His eyes widened and his body grew stiff as he was only able to utter a single word, "...G-Gaara,"

"...We were too late, Naruto-kun. But we might be able to save him, I just need to get to a sterile environment and get a few extra hands." Sakura remarked

"Alright, let's move," he nodded before walking forward and placing a hand on Gaara's chest. Perplexed, Sakura was about to question his action only for him to speak once more, an authoritative tone dripping from his words. "Everyone, grab hold, I'll get us back." With little else to go on, the group conceded, placing a hand either on top of Gaara's prone corpse or on Naruto's person except for one. Looking to his right, Naruto noticed that Itachi's hand was nowhere to be found on him, "Itachi," Naruto asked only to get a look from one of the final Uchihas.

"I'd be no help to you if I showed up at Sunagakure. Go,"

"...Hai," once everyone except for Itachi had a point of connection, Naruto's chakra flared, giving Kakashi a mere second to realize what Naruto was about to do before it was done. "Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Jutsu)!" With a blinding flash of yellow light, the group had vanished into thin air, leaving the cave without a trace of their existence.

"...See you in Konohagakure, Naruto." Itachi said, allowing a simple smirk break through his numbed facade as he faded away into a flurry of crows.

-Sunagakure-

"Any and all available Medical-nin's need to come to the lobby, the Konohagakure team has retrieved our Kazekage, I repeat, they've retrieved our Kazekage." As the order is given, said team burst through one of the hospital's doors, carrying the lifeless body of Suna's leader. Quickly, several Medical teams came in with a stretcher, giving the team a place to lay their dying friend, "What the hell happened out there? What's happened to our Kazekage?!"

"The Akatsuki extracted the One-tail from him, we need to act fast." Sakura ordered as the slow realization began to creep across this young nurse's face.

"Extracted….isn't that fatal?" She muttered as the beginning stages of mourning began to fade across her features.

Grasping the nurse by the shoulder, Sakura looked her deep in her eyes before exclaiming, "if we keep standing around it will be!" Which seemed to work as the nurse shook herself from her self-inflicted haze and began to follow the group down the hallway. "Now, we need to get a medical room and start working on a way to stabilize him. Keep a constant stream of chakra going over his heart, without it it will stop beating." She ordered followed by a "Hai" from her self-appointed nurse. However, before the stretcher continued any further towards their destination it stopped, "Kakashi, Naruto, Hinata - I'm going to have to ask you guys to stay out here, medical personnel only….I'm sorry,"

"We understand, just make sure you bring Gaara back, alright?" With a nod, Sakura was off along with the remaining staff of Sunagakure hospital, leaving Naruto and the others to their thoughts. Naruto let out a sigh, releasing the muscles he had no idea were clenched this whole time, "well, I guess all we can do is ho-oof!" As Naruto began to speak, a mass collided with his body, said mass's arms now encompassing his frame with a tight squeeze. Turning his head ever slightly he saw the lovely dark blue hair that he associates with only one individual.

With all the stress of battle now gone, the realization of Naruto's living state came crashing into the lavender-haired young woman and she couldn't help herself but to do what came natural to her. "N-Naruto-kun….y-you're alive, y-y-you're actually alive!" She cried, tightening her fingers together as if, when she releases them, he'd disappear like sand in the wind. "T-The moment I saw you while you were fighting Deidara I-I wasn't sure if you weren't my i-imagination, I-I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me….b-but now, now that I can t-touch you, I know you're real. I know you're really….h-here!"

"H-Hinata-chan," Naruto muttered, his heart breaking as the Hyuuga's cries filled him with such sadness and pain. This is what he's done to the people he cared most about with his absence, he ripped their hearts out - he's surprised that Hinata didn't beat him into a bloody pulp then hug him. Turning to face Hinata, Naruto placed his arm around her neck, pulling her in closer to his body. "I'm sorry," before Naruto could continue onward, a hand was placed on his shoulder, alerting him to another's presence, a seldom looking Kakashi.

"I-I….I can't believe this, I never thought I'd ever get to see you again. You were….dead,"

"When he return home I'll explain everything, I swear. Right now I'm just happy to see you two again, it's been a long time and you've all changed so much, I barely recognized you guys." He pulled away, looking Hinata from top to bottom, unaware of the blush that formed on Hinata's face from his actions. "Especially you, Hinata,"

"S-Six years will change someone, Naruto-kun."

"We could say the same about you, Naruto. I never expected you to have short hair, it looks good. You remind me of the fourth," Kakashi commented with a tender smile, his hand resting on his student's shoulder in comfort.

"Well, of course I would. Like father like son, right?" Silence greeted Naruto's little quip, as his cheeky smile was met with shocked faces and gaping mouths from his two partners. However, before any of them could continue on this path of discussion, the tired visage of Baki burst into the hospital lobby, looking around frantically for the Konoha team.

"There you are!" Baki called, making his way towards the group with purpose - there was something important on his mind.

"Baki-san, I was wondering where you went." Kakashi uttered before paying respect to the one eyed sand shinobi with a curt bow. "Our apologies but you missed Gaara, I believe he's being prepped for surgery as we spea-"

Before Kakashi could finish his apology Baki cut him short, "come with me, we have little time to waste."

"What's the rush, Baki? Has something happened?" Naruto asked

"No, but if we don't hurry, Gaara-san will die regardless of what these medics do." He stated firmly, sending a shiver down the blonde shinobi's spine. "I know someone who could save Gaara, but we need to move now."

-Outskirts of Sunagakure-

"Her name is Chiyo, she was once a decorated member of the Sunagakure Council and started Suna's Puppet Brigade long ago but she's most well known for her breakthroughs in Medical - Ninjutsu, even going so far as to create a technique that might help our fallen Kazekage." Baki yelled through the bellowing sandstorm, his voice muffled by the howling winds that came from such a devilish storm.

"Fascinating, but is there a reason she lives this far out from the borders of her village?" Naruto yelled back, kicking off a sand dune to hopefully make up some ground only to be kept in place by a hefty gust of wind.

"After the recent passing of her brother, Ebizo, she wished to leave the house they shared behind. She decided on living beyond our borders in a sequestered cabin Gaara had made on her request." He answered, "we haven't had much contact with her for the past year or so, we were beginning to fear the worst had happened to her."

"Why hasn't anyone checked up on her?" Hinata enquired, blocking her precious eyes from the coming wind.

"Because, in the past few months she's rigged a few...surprises to keep out trespassers," he stated with a bit of concern. "When we asked what trespassers she yelled that her enemies from the past have come back to haunt her."

"Surprises? I don't like the sound of that," Naruto remarked with a bit of a scowl - surprises never end will for anyone involved.

"She has grown rather…..senile since the passing of her brother, she's been allowed to be more forgetful and possibly even more dangerous as the months continue. No one has been able to pass her front lawn so far, that's why I've brought you three." With that, the three touched down a yard away from Lady Chiyo's retirement home, each taking their time to scan the area for possible threats.

"So, do you have a place to start? I'd prefer not going in blind." Asked Naruto, staring across the sandy field through squinted eyes, the hellish storm wasn't helping matters at all but they didn't have time for it to die down.

"The north side has been the most tested, maybe that that area will be less populated with traps."

"Or the most populated," Naruto pondered as he clicked his teeth in frustration. "Have any of you made it inside?"

"No," Baki said curtly, "Lady Chiyo's mind may be wavering but she's still sharp as ever when it comes to surprises."

"Well, I suppose we should start somewhere." Without sparing a moment to ask the others, Naruto pulled out a kunai from one of his leg pouches before tossing it into the heart of the lawn, hoping to spur on a chain reaction of traps but was surprised to see nothing happen. "...That wasn't really helpful."

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata spoke up, catching his attention.

"Yeah?"

"H-How about we try a different, less dangerous approach." She suggested before taking a stance. "Byakugan!" With the words uttered, Hinata's family bloodline sprung to life as she scanned the area vividly before taking off in a direction at the shock of both Kakashi and Naruto. Jumping into the middle of the field, landing inches from Naruto's thrown kunai, Hinata balances herself on one foot, keeping her other placed against the side of her leg. Swiftly, Hinata began to move from one spot to another,

"How the hell did I forget she had that?" Naruto wondered, dumbfounded by his own inept brain forgetting that he was standing next to one of the possible successor of the Hyuga clan. I suppose it goes to show that being away for so long has left him a bit forgetful when it comes to his old friends, a problem he will make sure to fix.

As Hinata continued to weave through the sand-covered field of traps Naruto couldn't help but notice her elegance and grace in her movements, no step unnecessary, no limb placement out of line - truly, she was very good at what she did. However, her style wasn't the only thing Naruto noticed. With a blush, Naruto turned his head slightly, averting his gaze at her body as if he had done something unforgivable, eyeing up one of his childhood friends! The years have been most kind to Hinata, stepping out from behind her jacket has revealed to the world her natural, feminine curves and Naruto would be lying if he didn't say he really, really liked what he saw. "This isn't the time to think like that, Naruto! Keep your focus!" he thought to himself, shaking himself out of his animalistic feelings so he could focus on the task at hand. As the Byakugan princess made her way towards the door of this humble little sand house, she took a breath before taking a peek into the house with her special eyes.

"How's it looking?" Naruto asked from the other side,

"E-Everything seems clear, I only see one chakra signature." Hinata answered

"It must be Lady Chiyo," Baki said. "We need to hurry, the more time we waste the less of a chance Lord Kazekage has," taking what Baki said into consideration, Hinata continued forward with her search. Testing the door with a push she was surprised to see that it slid open with ease, causing a bit of concern for all involved. Giving her team a hesitant nod, she pushed through, bringing the door fully open to reveal the darkened interior of Lady Chiyo's house and, unbenounced to Hinata, the setting of a hidden trap for those foolish enough to step into the cynical old woman's house without permission.

"Lady Chiyo?" Hinata called out as she stepped through the threshold of Chiyo's home, a costly mistake on her part. Just as Hinata makes her way a bit deeper into the home, the open door slammed shut behind her, locking her away from her only support.

"You've entered my home without permission," activating her Byakugan once more, Hinata scanned the room in search for Chiyo but was shocked by a disfigured puppet, it's joints snapped back to reveal several poison dipped blades where it's hands would belong. "Prepare to face the consequences of your actions!"

-outside-

"Oh shit, that's not good," Naruto remarked with a hiss of panic.

Baki seemed to agree, "quick, we need to hurry! If we leave Hinata-san in their for too long, Lady Chiyo might-"

"Baki, grab my shoulder." Naruto ordered as a faint golden glow appeared on his palm.

"Wha-" Baki began but Naruto wasn't in the mood to argue.

"Times ticking, Baki. We've gotta move," he stated firmly

"Alright, but I don't see wh-AHHH!"

-Inside Chiyo's House-

"M-Madam Chiyo, I'm not an intruder!" Hinata said before sidestepping an arid blade shot from one of Lady Chiyo's many hanging dolls. The house was deemed, lite only by a few flickering candles that gave very little in terms of visibility - which would be a problem if not for Hinata's gift, allowing her to see Chiyo's odd defense. In composing Hinata in a makeshift dome were dismantled pieces of multiple different puppets -limbs, chests, legs, heads - they all circled the young girl, their strings being pulled by their puppet master that dwelled in the shadows.

"You broke into my house without my permission, what else would I call you but an intruder!?" Lady Chiyo retorted followed by a string of hefty coughs, her lungs sounding full of fluid.

Hinata tried once more to speak with her senile attacker, hoping that maybe something she says could snap her out of this blind assault. "I-I've come to speak with you, I'm a Kunoichi from Konohagakure and I-I'm on a mission to-"

"Konoha, huh? A foreigner too?! Now, what would a Konoha girl be doing all the way out here?!"

"I-I'm trying to tell you-" She began only to be silenced by the shrill shriek of Chiyo's senile aggression.

"No matter, an intruder is an intruder!" As another puppet limb came shooting towards Hinata a bright flash of yellow light illuminated the room giving way to two individuals, one of which plucked the puppet's limb from the air before crushing it in his palm. "What?! More intruders?! How on earth did you get through my defenses?!"

"Naruto-kun, Baki - but how-" She asked before seeing several yellow symbols glowing on her back, the same symbols that matched up on Naruto's palm.

"I placed one of my markers on you back at the hospital just in case." He muttered with a smile, if he'd learned anything from his years of absence is that when in doubt, mark his allies.

Baki, seeing an opportunity to try and reason with Chiyo, stood before the floating limbs of her disembodied puppets, his arms extended outwards in a defensive yet submissive stance, hoping to show her that he and the people he brought meant no harm. "Lady Chiyo, please! Stop this, we don't have much time. It's me, Baki, they're not intruders - they are leaf ninja here to help me save our Kazekage. We've come to you for help, Gaara is in serious danger and he needs your expertise."

Silence greeted Baki's plea as the group stood at the ready to ward off this assault only to see as one by one Chiyo's defense fell to the floor one by one. Shortly after the final piece dropped to the hardened sand below the trio heard the sound of a wooden cane meeting the ground as what they believed to be Lady Chiyo rounded the corner - a small candle gripped in her shivering right hand. "...G-Gaara? I-Is he….alright?" She questioned, the flicker of the candle illuminating her wrinkled face that held concern for the young Kazekage.

"No, Lady Chiyo. He's in grave danger, someone extracted his Bijuu and he's hanging on by a thread. We need you and your expertise to help him, you are the only one I know who's dealt with something like this." Baki answered quickly, taking a few steps forward only to see her turn from him and head towards an old armchair that rested in the corner of her home.

She lowered herself slowly into her chair, hissing at the pops and cracks of her aging joints. "..I-I can't help you, Baki….I'm not a-a...as young as I used to be a-and my hands, they….t-they don't work like they used to." She muttered somberly, staring at her shivering hands that could barely hold a candle let alone help in a such an important medical procedure. "I-I'm just a….decrepit old f-fossil, I a-am of no use t-to you anymore."

Naruto grabbed Baki by the shoulder, "this is our last hope to save Gaara?" he whispered.

Baki simply responded by shaking his hand from his shoulder rather curtly before answering. "Show some respect, Lady Chiyo has accomplished feats that shape the medical-nin field for generations, if anyone could help Gaara, it's her."

"You're too kind, B-Baki, flattering an o-old woman like me….but the young man is right. Y-You three are wasting your time," she stated, catching both Naruto and Baki off guard. "M-My feats, my skill...i-it's not there anymore….b-barely anything is there anymore." She sighed as she placed her little candle and it's holder down on an adjacent table. "I-I'm more than willing to give you my scrolls of medical ninjutsu and techniques but….you'd do better w-without me," She pointed towards the wall directly next to her where a shelf that reached to her ceiling sat, filled to the brim with scrolls upon scrolls that Lady Chiyo has filled with her medical and puppetry knowledge.

"Lady Chiyo, we're honored that you would hand over your research but we don't have time for someone to have to learn all of these techniques, we're desperate here. You're our only choice,"

She paused, her delicate fingers tracing the lines and wrinkles that riddled them. "...I-I haven't been i-in a medical r-r-room f-f-for 12 years now, m-my techniques would be best in the hands of a younger medical-nin than in m-mine,"

"Baki," Naruto spoke up once more, pulling the sand ninja aside in hopes of keeping Lady Chiyo from hearing their conversation. "Look, I know this isn't what you want to hear but she doesn't seem to want to do this, we're wasting time here that could be used for taking those scrolls to the medical professionals working on Gaara as we speak."

"H-He's not wrong, Baki. Lady Chiyo isn't willing to do this and we don't have the time," Hinata said with a heavy heart.

"You two may not understand but Lady Chiyo's techniques are not something you can learn so easily. We need someone who already knows them and she's the only one," He spoke firmly, looking to the two with hard yet pleading eyes. "please, believe in me, I can't convince her alone,"

Hearing the desperation in Baki's voice, Naruto knew his brashness wouldn't help him at this moment. Regardless of what he thought would be best at the moment, Baki has had much more experience with not only this woman but her techniques and if he states that they needed her, he needed to give his all to convince her. "Lady Chiyo, I don't really know you or what you've done in the past, but Baki-san really believes that right now you're the only one that has a chance of helping Gaara. I know this is a lot to ask but, please, we all need your help."

"W-What's your name, child?" She wondered, gazing into his deep blue orbs with thought.

"Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki." He answered

"Naruto?...Ah, y-yes, I've heard of you. The b-boy who cracked t-t-through our Kazekage's protected heart, h-his only friend." She let out a weak chuckle, "he spoke s-so highly of you,"

"I bet he did and I want to do whatever it takes to make sure he stays alive and I can't do that without you, Lady Chiyo." He stated firmly, "I know that the loss of your brother must have been devastating, I've been in a similar boat as you are right now but, just like I had to, I knew that there were others depending on me to keep moving forward. We need you, Lady Chiyo and if there's anything I can do to help you at this moment, please, feel free to ask."

Naruto's words seemed to strike a nerve with Chiyo as her numb expression compressed into a scowl as she shifted in her seat. "Sonnie, I know you speak from the heart but trust me, you know nothing of loss." She hissed, slapping her cane against Naruto's thigh in a vain attempt to show this young boy some manners. "I…...I c-c-came from a time w-when living…...was a luxury and d-d-death w-was commonplace, I watched….m-my f-family and friends f-f-fall before me….a-again and a-again like the s-sun...setting in the distance. My brother, he was the only person I had left in this world and when he p-p-passed I felt my drive and w-w-will to continue leave with him….so don't you dare lecture me on moving forward!"

The room feel deathly quiet for but a moment, each occupant taking in what was said and the aura of pain and anger that Chiyo rightfully produced. Naruto, now a bit ashamed for his failed attempt at bringing Chiyo to his side, continued but this time a bit more humbled. "...You're right, my apologize. I spoke with my heart, not with my mind." He said softly, lowering his head in a slight bow of respect. "You have every right to turn us down, all we've done is barge into your house and demand for your help without even once asking you what you would like and for that, I am deeply sorry."

Hearing this, Chiyo's scowl softened slightly, "...you are desperate, I understand." She sighed before raising herself from her chair, Naruto goes to help only for her to bat him away with her cane once more. "Y-You know, y-y-you remind me….a-a lot of my brother." She murmured, pushing past her audience in order to take hold of an old picture caked in dust...or rather sand particles.

"Really?" Naruto asked as Chiyo brought her thumb across the caked picture frame to reveal her favorite captured moment, it was of her and her squad of puppeteers back in their prime, her brother standing behind them with a proud and confident smile on his face for what his sister did and what their village was becoming.

"Y-Yeah, he was a headstrong f-fool who ran into a problem with no regard when he was in his prime. Though, he didn't have the wild blonde hair that you do," she remarked with a chuckle, placing the picture back down where it was with care.

A sneaker was heard from behind Naruto, much to his annoyance/enjoyment. "I-I'll take that as a complement,"

"It wasn't supposed to be one but take it however you wish, sonnie." She remarked, once more bringing a chuckle to Naruto's companions. "B=-But….you also r-remind me of how….k-kind he could be and h-h-how selfless he once w-was….before his age t-turned him into a embittered and fearridden old man….kinda like me, huh?"

"Lady Chiyo-" Naruto began only for Chiyo to continue, her eyes beginning to tear up at the very thought of her fallen brother and how much she's changed in the course of a few years.

"I guess once you passed away I inherited your outlook on life, Ebizo. It's encomboused my sane moments so thoroughly that I wouldn't even lind my resources to protect our own Kazekage." She mumbled, smearing the tears from her face with a shaking hand - a moment of true clarity to what Lady Chiyo has allowed herself to become now in full view of herself. Even after the death of countless of friends and family, Chiyo still allowed herself to have some ounce of hope for the future and for those around her, willing to do what little she could do to help her village overcome its problems but now….now she's prepared to let herself rot away in her sandy prison while her village suffers. She can't believe this is what she's truly become.

"Lady Chiyo," Naruto spoke again

"Yes?" She replied

"Is everything….alright?"

"H-Hai, just….in my own head, I suppose." She remarked, clearing away one final tear.

"Is there anything we can help you with?" Naruto asked, taking a spot next to Lady Chiyo in hopes of consoling her however he could.

"...There is, child." Chiyo said before she placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, turning to greet his eyes with hers. "Can you help me find my medical bag, we have somewhere we need to be."

With a small yet heartwarming smile, Naruto answered as simply as he could, "...hai,"

Later on:

"God damn it! Clear!" Sakura yelled, her palm glowing a pale green light as she sends another hefty pulse of chakra through the Kazekage's fading body, jolting his faulty heart back to a couple of beats per minute and fading fast. "Nothing we've done seems to be working," she murmured, looking to one of the other nurse that stood in the room. "I need some more hands in here! Do we have any other doctors on staff today?! Any at all?"

"N-No ma'am, the few that we were able to provide were the only one's without major patients to deal with. Each passing hour more and more victims of the Akatsuki attack are found. We're stretched enough as it is."

"D-Damn, m-my chakra is….getting low. I don't know how much I can hold out!" Sakura snarled, her arms shivering from the strain. "I-I gotta keep this up, if I don't then...then-" before Sakura could finish her train of thought, a young Suna nurse slide open the hospital room's door, her face racked with concern.

"Lady Sakura," the nurse spoke, catching Sakura's attention. "There's a Naruto Uzumaki to see you, he says it's urgent,"

"Tell him I'm busy, I can't-" She began once more only for her to be interrupted again by this nurse, her tone urgent.

"He says that it may be able to save Gaara's life." She stated.

"..." Sakura paused, her thoughts racing on what this nurse has told her before letting out a sigh. "Send him in," she ordered as she watched the front office nurse on call rush out towards the lobby and within seconds she returned with Naruto, Hinata, Baki and another face that was unfamiliar to her, a decrepit old woman with a stern look on her wrinkled features. "Naruto, this better be good." Sakura stated, turning her attention back to the slowly fading Kazekage she sat upon, her palm's green glow slowly fading in exhaustion.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't," he stated, her tone indicating how serious he was at this very moment as he places a hand on the elderly woman's shoulder with a somber smile. "Alright, Lady Chiyo, show us what you can do."

She gave the blonde a hesitant nod before making her way to Gaara's surgical bed. As Lady Chiyo and Sakura made eye contact, the pink haired maiden shot another look towards Naruto, her scepticism written across her face like a road map. "Excuse me, I hate to sound rude but what can Lady Chiyo do that I am not currently doing right now?"

"Baki said that she's created a technique for just such an occasion." Naruto said, Baki nodding in agreement.

Seeing as such a vague statement didn't put Sakura's worried mind at ease, Chiyo raised a hand to Sakura's, catching the young lady's attention. "Rest young one, I'll take it from here." It might have been the exhaustion that was slowly eating away at Sakura's anxiety or maybe it was the look of somber determination in the old woman's eyes, but Sakura did as she was told, slowly dismounting from her perch on top of Gaara's body and allowing Chiyo to take control. "It's been quite some time since I've been in such a dire situation so, please, bare with me - this technique takes time." With a nod, she began by placing her hands against the ex-Jinchuuriki's chest, releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Alright….begin, Kishō Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu)!" Once the words left her lips Chiyo braced herself as her hands began to glow a pale blue and the room began to shiver from the immense power given off by such a medical ninjutsu - surprising all that were unaware of Chiyo's true potential.

Sakura stared, mesmerized by the utter power and chakra output this ability released in it's activation - it nearly dwarves every single jutsu given to her by Tsunade during their years of training. "T-This technique, I've never seen such a medical ninjutsu."

"Like Naruto said, this was a jutsu Lady Chiyo and the Sunagakure's Puppet Brigade created long ago. It's quite a powerful jutsu in that the user harnesses their own life force to save another from a fatal injury or even from death." Baki stated somberly, watching this spectacle unfold with an air of dread that went unnoticed by the group.

"Incredible," Sakura remarked once more.

"Yes, but such a power comes at a terrible cost," Baki muttered, barely catching the attention of the pink haired medical-nin. "If used on someone with a fatal injury in time, it merely takes a large amount of the user's stamina but….when used on something who is dead or near death….then…."

"N-No," Lady Chiyo muttered, her body now shivering from the mere seconds of using such a hefty jutsu. "I-I can't believe I-I've let myself go this much that I can't even use my own jutsu for more than 10 seconds without shivering."

"Lady Chiyo, what's wrong?" Sakura asked, coming to her aid.

"My chakra reserves are already nearly depleted, I need someone to help me finish this jutsu. Please, any amount will do," she begged only to see the group of medical nin's that took refugee in the room lower their heads.

"I-I can't, Lady Chiyo. I've already used up a lot of my chakra, I'm spent!" Sakura spoke softly, disappointed that should couldn't be of use at the moment - a feeling she hated more than anything else.

She looked around the room to the nurses, ushering them over in hopes of their help. "One of you, come here. I-I cannot do this on my own,"

"W-We're sorry, ma'am, but we're in the same boat as Sakura-san. We've been using our chakra all day to do what we can with our village's survivors, we can barely manage to stand." One stated somberly as the remaining nurses nodded in agreement. Unfortunately, Lady Chiyo was running out of time.

"D-Damn, I-I need someone, anyone! P-Please, go and find someone who could spare even a dro-" As she began to fear the worse, she felt a presence come behind her. As she looked back she was greeted with the blonde locks of the young man her brought her here.

"Lady Chiyo, I think I can help." Naruto said, "take as much as you need, I have plenty." Placing his hand on her back, Naruto started to flow his plentiful amount of chakra through Chiyo, giving her the power she needed. As the chakra entered Chiyo released a gasp, surprised by how much the boy could give her all at once, as her glowing hands began to glow ever brighter.

"Y-You're chakra, it's so….warm," she muttered with a tender smile - the chakra clearing her clouded mind for the first time in years, a since of bliss filling her during her final moments. "Thank you, you've given me just enough…." She muttered, releasing one final heavy pulse of chakra before her releasing her final breath, her body slowly slumping back into Naruto's arms.

"Lady Chiyo, hey - Lady Chiyo!" Naruto barked, lowering her and himself to the ground so he could have a better hold of her unconcious form. "Baki, is she alright?" He turned to greet Baki's gaze only to see a saddened scowl replacing his usual stoic features.

"Naruto-san, I….Lady Chiyo and I never told you what would happen once she used this jutsu on our Kazekage." He muttered, closing his one visible eye in both mourning and shame.

"What are talking about, Baki?" He asked as he could feel Lady Chiyo's breath grow ragged and sparse.

"B-Baki-san?" Hinata muttered,

Through gritted teeth, Baki spoke "...Chiyo knew what this jutsu would do to her once she said yes to our proposition. She sacrificed her life to protect our Kage's, she did what any Suna kunoichi would do."

"...Wait...you mean she…." As the words of Baki began to swim in his mind Naruto looked to the body he held in his arms and slowly rose his hand to her jugular, feeling for a pulse and was disturbed when he felt a quickly fading one. "No...No, this can't be." He muttered, lowering her body to the ground before looking in the direction of Baki. "Baki, why? Why would you-!"

"Because I knew if I told you the truth you would have wasted time we didn't have trying to find another way." He said harshly yet with purpose. What he said was true, even if Naruto wouldn't admit it - his large heart wouldn't allow for any form of sacrifice even if it was the only way to save the village leader and his best friend. Baki made a judgement call, weather it was good or bad it was his choice alone and he was prepared to take the consequences for it.

"You….you bastard," Naruto hissed, storming Baki's position before grabbing him by his Jounin vest, pulling him within spitting distance of the Uzumaki's perturbed face. "You asked me to beg a woman to sacrifice her life!"

"For the sake of our village and our leader, yes." Baki stated numbly as he tried to keep his composure - something Naruto refused to do at this moment.

"She didn't deserve to die!" He argued, his eyes gaining a ting of red, something that raised a bit of an alarm in Baki's mind.

"Neither did Gaara or the countless Suna born people that were taken by those Akatsuki dogs!...I do not take Lady Chiyo's sacrifice lightly, Naruto. I will remember this day until the day I die and when I meet Lady Chiyo in the afterlife I will beg for her forgiveness but until then, I have much to do in the land of the living."

Naruto gritted his teeth, "you son of a bitch! How dare you make light of-"

"N-N-Naruto, t-that's enough….." a weak, shivering voice spoke up - pulling Naruto from his enraged trance and back to the person who needed him at the moment. Naruto turned only to be greeted with Lady Chiyo's weakened state, "come...I need t-to tell you something,"

"C-Chiyo, you're alive." He spoke, a light smile gracing his lips before he recalled that Lady Chiyo wasn't long for this world if they don't act now. "Sakura-chan, come over here, hur-"

Before Naruto could wave his friend over he was stopped by Chiyo's risen hand, silencing him for the time being. "T-There's no...need, c-c-child. No j-jutsu could s-s-save me now, besides, i-it's my time to go," she murmured, a cryptic yet...strangely peaceful smile creeped its way onto her features.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, confused as to what she could mean.

"A-As Baki said, I-I-I knew the p-price of my….jutsu….I-I knew what it would take and I accepted my fate the moment you three asked for my help. I-I've lived a long, long l-life, f-filled with hardships y-yet also filled with….j-joy - I-I wish for our Kazekage to have the same chance at a long life as I did." She answered, a single tear rolling down her cheek as her life, the good, the bad and the ugly, flashed before her in a painful yet satisfying moment for the fading old woman.

"But-" Naruto to object but was silenced by Chiyo's final words.

"E-Enough child, there is nothing to discuss nor is there anything you can do to change this." She muttered, her lips growing heavy, making it harder to form her final goodbyes. "O-Oh, and Baki…." She spoke, glancing in the direction of the cyclops in question. "A-A-Apology….a-accepted,"

"...T-Thank you, Lady Chiyo," He said, bowing his head in respect for her sacrifice.

Smile at Baki's action, Lady Chiyo returned her gaze to the ceiling as she felt her heart begin to slow beyond repair - her body grew cold as her vision blurred. "Ibuko….I-I finally get t-to see you one more time," she gasped one final time before her eyelids shut, signifying her passing to all who were in the room. Out of respect, the room grew silent for her passing, each member lowering their head either out of respect, sadness or even to pray for her safe passage to the afterlife - the only one who couldn't contain his emotions was none other than Naruto, who gripped her body as a few stray tears rolled down his cheek and pelted her corpse.

"...D-Damn it!" Naruto screamed, slamming his fist against the hospital floor as he felt the warmth draine from Lady Chiyo's body little by little until there was only a husk remaining. He wanted to scream more, he felt responsible for her death seeing as he talked her into practically throwing away her own life for this cause yet…..his grief was put on hold when he saw the surgical table or, rather, the body that rested on the surgical table begin to move. He rose to his feet and peered towards the bed in nervous anticipation as he comes face to face with the Fifth Kazekage and one of his closest companions. "G-Gaara,"

Said Kazekage's eyes began, slowly rising to allow them to adjust to the bright lights of the hospital room. As his eyes began to adjust he notice a visage slowly move into his line of sight, blocking the large light above him to reveal a mess of nappy blonde hair, deep blue eyes and rather defined whisker marks that decorated each cheek. "N-Naruto? I-Is that you?"

"I should be asking you that same question," he said with a growing smile.

"So….I must be dead then," Gaara commented gruffly as he closed his eyes, possibly in preparation for what might come next in the after life.

"Not for lack of trying. But no, you're with the land of the living, my friend." Naruto chuckled before noticing Gaara's move to set up only to place a hand to his chest, halting his movement. "Easy now, easy. You're still not there yet," he said somberly, there was no need for Gaara to rush himself out of bed - he needed rest first and foremost. "Baki, can you go get Temari and Kankuro. I think they'd like to see that their brother is alive and well,"

-6 Hours Later-

"Are you sure you can't wait just stay a little longer until Gaara-san awakens?" Temari quipped, greeting the four Konoha born shinobis as they prepared to depart. As expected, Gaara was rather exhausted from coming back from the brink of death, leading the young Kazekage to rest for most of the day - leaving Naruto and his fellow teammates to help in anyway they could with Sunagakure before heading off. Sakura, after taking a much needed break, helped specifically in the medical tents, trying to heal and repair as many people as she could while Hinata, Naruto, Baki and Kakashi headed out towards the ruins of Sunagakure to help in the search for more survivors.

Their help was commended, even rewarded as many of those they saved tried to offer them compensation for their services but all were declined. They didn't see themselves as heroes that needed to be paid for their work - they were only doing what was needed to be done and hoped that if Konoha was ever in this situation, Suna would be more than willing to do the same.

"I would love to but...there's much I need to discuss with Tsunade that can't be put on hold." Naruto answered with a sigh. If he could, he'd want to stay as long as he could until Gaara awakened from his much needed rest - there was so much he wanted to discuss, so many things to catch up on...but, his job came first. "But, the second he wake and up for some company, give him this." He said, digging deep within his shinobi pouch before slipping out a three pronged kunai. "All he has to do is plant this in the ground and I'll be back in a flash."

"...A kunai?" She remarked, her brow cocked as she examined the trinket.

"Trust me, it's no ordinary kunai."

"...Alright, I'll let him know." She stated, pocketing the Kunai. "Oh, and before you four head out - I have something for you. Baki wished for you specifically to have it, Sakura." Temari stated, producing a dusted scroll with an unfamiliar seal on it's opening.

Breaking the seal with her thumb she unfurled it, revealing in rather large letters what this scroll contained. "...K-Kishō Tensei (Reanimation Jutsu), but...I can't take this - Lady Chiyo would want it to be kept in her village. To be used by the next genera-"

"Trust me Sakura, Baki has already made another copy of this scroll for our own medical team. We gave you the original because...Baki wished to reward you all for what you did for our village." Temari stated with a smile, thankful for everything they've done for not only her village but her brother as well.

"Thank you...sincerely." Sakura said, bowing her head in appreciation for such a gift. This technique was nothing to sneeze at, it was one of the most powerful medical ninjutsu's known to man, a technique that most village would keep as an S-ranked secret, locked away in a vault for no one to see except those named worthy by the village leader and yet they were willing to hand it over to her of all people. It was nothing more than an honor and she couldn't be more thankful for it.

"Hmph, try not to get too sentimental on me, it doesn't suit you in the slightest," she remarked. "Anyway, I have business to attend to. I'll see you four around, I suppose." Temari stated before spinning on her heels and departing the Konoha team, leaving them to their own devices once more.

Turning to his allies, Naruto extends his hand - revealing a glowing yellow symbol that, once examined, was actually kanji which spelled out "Flying Thunder God". "Well," Naruto began, smiling at the group with his trademarked grin. "I think it's time to go home," and with that, each member placed a hand on the blonde before, in a flashing of blind yellow light, they vanished from sight only to appear seconds before the Konoha gates.

Once there the group branched off from Naruto, each finding a nice place to catch their balance or, in Sakura's case, vomit from that ungodly technique. "Yeah, it takes a bet to get used to, trust me." Naruto remarked with a chuckle, recalling how long it took him before he could even jump three feet with losing what he had for breakfast and lunch that day. Seeing as Sakura was the only one of the group to be worse for ware, he made his way to her side to comfort her, patting her back soothingly as a father would do for his daughter - skills he's gained over the last few years of being a surrogate father. However, his comforting was cut short when Sakura's fist swung wildly at Naruto and not just a simple punch but a chakra infused one, prepared to take the boy's head clean off if he wasn't quick enough which, thankfully, he was. Backflipping out of harm's way Naruto took up a defensive stand, his eyes wide with fear and confusion. "OI! S-S-SAKURA-CHAN, WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU!" He screamed only to see a deadly expression on the young girl's face, she was out for blood and he couldn't understand why.

"Don't you dare give me that, you….YOU SON OF A BITCH!" She screamed, turning to face her supposed friend with eyes that would bring a grown man to his knees. "I've kept my tongue held for hours, literal hours on this mission because our mission came before our emotions but now that we're save you have the gall to pretend like nothing happened?!" Howled Sakura, taking her first steps towards her target. "Do you know how much I moroned for you? How many tears I shed for you? And yet, here you stand - alive and well, completely oblivious to how pissed off I am about this!"

Seeing the growing threat Kakashi took matters in his own hands and jumped forward, blocking off Sakura's path to the shell shocked Naruto, "S-Sakura-chan, that's enoug-"

"Step. Aside. Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura growled, her hands glowing with chakra and murderous intent. "It appears we have a walking corpse roaming around Konoha's gate. I suppose I should put him back into his coffin!"

"Sakura-chan, please - D-Don't you think this is a bit too much?" Naruto asked, slowly backing himself towards the gate in preparation for his strategic retreat. He had no desire to fight his friend, especially after just arriving home - so if push came to shove he'll make his way inland in hopes that even Sakura wouldn't start throwing fists in her own village...right?

"I'm gonna pound 6 years of pain and wasted moroning out of your scrawny little ass!" She yelled, slipping past Kakashi and taking off towards Naruto with breakneck speeds, startling the poor boy into retreating.

"Scrawny?" Naruto fired back as he made his way past the gate and into the heart of his village. "Now you're just trying to be hurtful!"

As the two disappeared into the village Kakashi and Hinata just stood agast at this….tense yet strangly childish inturaction, leaving them both confused of what to do next. "Unbelievable," Kakashi sighed, "those two have been separated for 6 years and yet the second they're out of danger, the act like a bunch of cats and dogs." Kakashi looked to Hinata for comformation only to see a tear stream down her cheek. "Hmm? Hinata, are you-"

"I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei." She spoke, wiping it away as a cute little smile greeted her lips. "It's just….I'm so happy," she remarked as she caught a glimpse of the fleeing Naruto, causing a giggle to escape her lips. "Naru-kun, you're alive. You're alive and just the same Naruto I fell in love with,"

"Hai, me too." Kakashi chuckled as he made his way forward, his hand deeply rooted into his pant pockets. "Well, it looks like they're heading towards the Hokage tower. I suppose we should follow suit,"

"Hai," Hinata commented, following suit.

- Hokage Tower -

"OOOOH! Don't you think Lady Tsunade will save you!"

"Shit, shit, shit! When I imagined what it would be like to see my friends again after 6 years this is not what I had in mind!" Jumping up towards the tippy top of the Hokage Tower, Naruto's feet made contact with the hardened concrete of the highest spire of the tower as the soles of his feet began to glow a low blue. However, he didn't gain much distance from his presure seeing as Sakura launched herself after him, her eyes burning with dangerous intent. Jumping past the lip that set right under the Hokage's window, he landed on the lip with cat like balance before slapping his palm against the glass, "Baa-chan! Open up, open up - for god's sake please open up!"

"Coward!" Sakura screeched, kicking off against the tower (leaving a sizeable crack mind you) towards her target, her fist cocked back for a hellish right hook only for her target to disappear into the now opened Hokage's window. "Get back here!" She yelled, following her momentum back down to earth before charging through the front door of the Hokage Tower.

Stumbling headlong into the Hokage's office, Naruto made it to his feet before quickly shutting the window behind him. Once he notices Sakura decend back to earth he let's out a sigh, thankful for his godmother's quick thinking. "B-Baa-chan, I can't thank you enough! Sakura's lost it, she wants my head."

"Oh, we couldn't have that." She said rather cryptically before he felt her hand grip the scruff of his neck - pulling him off his feet and face to face with an outraged Tsunade. "Your head's mine!" She hissed as she shifted her grip from his scruff to his shirt collar, giving her more control over his frame.

"W-What?!" Naruto screamed, trying to break free of her grasp only to find her grip unwaveringly strong, giving him nothing but a wrinkled collar for his troubles. "I just got back, what could I have possibly done to piss you off too?!"

"Naru-kun~," a rather familiar voice called out to him, causing him to look behind Tsunade's head and towards her office couch where a figure sat, a sly grin plastered on her features. "You know, I'd be lying if I said this was the first time I've seen you inches away from getting your head cracked open by a pissed of blonde." She quipped as she rose to her feet, growing ever closer to this rather humours scene, giving Naruto a much better look at her.

The female in question had a petite frame yet carried said frame with confednece and perpose, indicated by the sway in her hips and her hand placed on her hips as if this situation was hers to control. Her skin was rather tan, darker than most that lived in Konoha, making her seem rather unique in this sea of pale skintones. Her orange eyes matched her short, layered mint green hair - giving her one more attrabute that caused her to stand out far above the crowd. Her attire consisted of a short sleeveless white shirt that exposed her midriff, a little bit of fishnet armour covering up the remaining flesh. Her arms were covered by long white armlets while her legs held more fishnet like shorts with a short white apron like skirt covering her supposed shame, if she even had such a thing as shame.

"F-F-F-F-Fuu?!" Naruto all but screamed as the now named Fuu stood a foot behind his supposed "attacker" her grin ever present.

"Hello, darling~" She cooed with a giggle, waving at him in an almost playful sort of way, as if this was nothing more than a game to her.

"So, Naruto, mind telling me why I found this young woman standing at Konoha's border, demanding to see her 'fiance', Naruto Uzumaki, at once?!" Tsunade demanded, dropping Naruto on his ass like a sack of patatos.

"F-F-Fiance?!" Naruto screamed once more, seemingly suprised as Tsunade was by this revelation before turning his gaze towards his supposed "Fiance". "Fuu, what on earth did you tell them?!"

She merely shrugged, "well, I told them the truth. I am your future wife, after all."

"F-F-FUTURE WIFE?!" The sound drained from the room as Hinata, Kakashi and Sakura came through the door (two more calmly than the other, mind you) only for their entrance to be haulted by this suprising revelation, each sporting a different reaction. Kakashi, a man of many faces, had his eyebrow cocked as if confused by such a delceration. Sakura, someone who already barged into the room with a enraged expression traded it in for one of shock and disbelif, an expression parroted by Hinata who covered her gapping mouth with both of her hands.

Seeing all of these eyes now on him, Naruto merely rose to his feet and said the only thing he could think of, "...I-I swear, I can explain."

And that's a wrap! So it took me so freaking long to post anything, guys and girls, life is a bitch and that's all I'll bore you with. If you have any questions or just want to leave a nice or constructive comment please feel free to leave a review or PM me whenver you'd like, I'll try to get back to you if you have any questions for me. Thank you all for reading and I hope you all have a lovely day!