Esdeath stared down at her father, the man having just passed away beneath her. The cold ground was a stark contrast to the burning huts around her. The girl had just returned from a hunting trip to find her village, her home, burning to the ground. Only her father had been alive for her to talk to, and the man had just died beneath her. Esdeath just stared at the man, her eyes emotionless.

"Hey! Hello! Is anyone alive!" A voice echoed lowly from behind Esdeath, but the girl ignored it as she continued to stare down at her father. "Anyone!? Hello!" The shout got louder and louder. "Hello! Any surviv-Hey!" The voice stopped mid shout, before Esdeath could hear running behind her. A shadow fell over her father's face, before she looked slowly to her left, a boy crouching on the ground next to her.

"Was this guy your father?" The boy questioned softly, looking up into Esdeath's eyes. Esdeath merely nodded, looking down once more. Her hair fell over her face and shadowed it. "Hrmp… I'm sorry for your loss. But, we've gotta get you out of here!" The boy's voice gained energy after its saddened tone, his hand gripping Esdeath's shoulder. The girl refused to move.

"Come on! Would your father want you to stay here and die!?" The boy questioned, shaking the girl slightly. Again, Esdeath refused to move from her spot, rooted to the ground.

"Err… Please! You've gotta stay strong! Come on!" The boy cried for her once more, and Esdeath's eyes widened slightly. That word. Strong. It resonated within her, reminding her of the philosophy of the North. The Strong Live, and The Weak, Die. Esdeath twisted her head to meet the boy's eyes, observing him for who he was. His hair was blonde, shaggy as it fell down to his jaw. His eyes, a shining sapphire, twinkled with worry for her. His tan skin glowed with the background of fire behind him. He gripped both of her shoulders, twisting her around until she met him, face to face head on.

"Come on! We've gotta get out of here!" The boy's calls echoed within her mind, before she slowly nodded her head. The boy's eyes lit up, and a smile broke his face. He got up quickly, turning around and jogging forward slightly, only to turn around and notice that Esdeath wasn't with him. Esdeath didn't think she could walk, her mind was just suffering too much to work right now. The boy came jogging back, extending an arm to Esdeath. She looked up, and her mind would never forget what she saw.

The boy's eyes, squinted from the face-splitting grin he had put on, shone with so much care that Esdeath's eyes would not believe what she saw. He opened his eyes, his grin lessening. "Come on, I'll help you." His voice was soft, the boy crouching down and grabbing one of her wrists, slinking her right arm around his shoulders before he hoisted her up, pulling Esdeath onto his back and gripping her legs. He was carrying her.

"Hey, what's your name? Mine's Naruto!" The boy's voice drowned out the ravenous noise of the fire burning down her home. Esdeath's mind focused on the boy rather than her home's destruction. "M-My name is E-Esdeath. Esdeath Partas." Esdeath's small voice rang over Naruto's shoulder, causing the boy to smile cheekily. "Ah Esdeath-chan! Hehe, pretty name you got there!" Esdeath smiled, placing her chin on the boy's shoulder as he walked them both further away from the burning village. She would live on, and become strong. Just like her father, just like the boy holding her.

Boot Camp, First Day.

"From this day forward, you will all be put to a test of strength, of willpower, of sheer determination! From this day forward, you take your first steps as a soldier for the Empire! From this day forward, may you bring glory!" A man's voice rang out over a group of over 100 recruits for the Imperial Army, his voice bringing determination and being returned with shouts from the students in agreement, fists raised and eyes lit alive with a fire of determination.

"You will be given today to get settled in. Meet your fellow recruits, and get settled into your dorms. That is all! Dismissed!" The large man on stage yelled with finality, before turning around sharply and walking off stage. In the middle of the gathered recruits stood Esdeath, whose eyes were lit with a fiery determination to become strong. She was already strong, but she wanted to be the strongest. To her left stood a tall blonde, who smiled softly and rubbed the back of his head. They were both in standard silver recruit uniforms, the only difference being that Esdeath's had the skirt for females, whereas Naruto merely had silver pants.

"Ne, Esdeath-chan, I guess this means we're students now, huh?" Naruto questioned, smiling at his blue-haired friend. The 16 year old girl looked at him, before tapping her index finger to her bottom lip with a pondering look. "Hrm… I guess it does mean that. Whatever, I shall do what I must to become the strongest." Esdeath stated with sigh, though Naruto merely slapped his face and let his hand fall slowly down his cheek. "Esdeath-chan, I thought we talked about this. You are plenty strong, you don't have to be the strongest! I'll be there to patch you up anyway." Naruto reminded, cheekily smiling at her.

Esdeath shook her head, staring at the blonde in defiance. "If I am not the strongest, then you must become the best medic! And, If you are not the best Medic, then I must be the strongest! Besides, a medic is not combat-oriented, so you will need someone who can defend you." Esdeath reasoned, nodding her head once she was done in a confirmation to herself that she was right.

Naruto looked up in a thoughtful manner, holding his chin. "I suppose you are right… Well then! Let's both strive to become the best!" Naruto yelled, the problem settled in his mind as he pointed to the heavens with determination. Esdeath shook her head, smiling as she stared at Naruto. They had been close friends ever since he found her in her burning home. Ever since then, it had always been the two of them, fending for their lives in the empire. And here they were now, recruits for the Imperial Army. And one day, Esdeath would be a general, and Naruto would be her trusty Medic. She still couldn't understand why Naruto would ever want to be a medic. But then, he would say, in what Esdeath called 'The Naruto Way', with a serene smile on his face. I just want to help people. And Esdeath would feel her face warm up, and butterflies swirl around in her stomach as she looked at his peaceful face.

Esdeath's thoughts were interrupted as a silver-haired girl walked up to them, waving with a small smile. "Hello! My name's Najenda, what's your's?" The girl questioned, offering her hand towards the pair. Esdeath went to order her to leave them alone, until Naruto stepped forward and clasped hands with the girl, shaking it excitedly and with bright eyes. "My name's Naruto! Nice to meet cha!" Naruto called out with a loud voice, before drawing back and snaking his arm around Esdeath, who was currently glaring at the newcomer.

"This here's Esdeath! Don't worry about her glare, she's pretty mean until you get to know her! I'm sure you two will be great friends!" Naruto exclaimed, closing his eyes as a large smile broke his face. Najenda smiled, deciding that she liked the boy's energy. She was as tall as Esdeath, meaning she was shorter than Naruto, with silver hair and a single, long braid that fell to the lower part of her back. She was also wearing the standard uniform for recruits. Her purple eyes gazed into Esdeath's eyes, a spark flashing between the two, before Najenda merely smiled at her. "Nice to meet you two." Najenda stated, smirking as Esdeath's glare worsened while Naruto dashed over and snaked his arm around Najenda's shoulders instead, smiling happily as he began to properly introduce himself.

"-ike Ramen! Though, I really, really hate Sushi. Ulgh. Disgusting food." Naruto's face twisted in agony as he thought about the food, his whole body shivering as his skin became green. Najenda laughed slightly, turning to Esdeath. "And you?" Najenda questioned, calmly smiling as Esdeath walked up and stood next to the pair. "I like grilled Salmon, and I also share a hatred of Sushi." Esdeath coldly stated, still semi-glaring at Najenda. "Ah, well I enjoy-" Esdeath toned out whatever the girl was saying.

2 months Later in Boot Camp.

Esdeath, Najenda, and Naruto were all seated calmly in the cafeteria, chomping down on whatever slop the cooks had made for the recruits. Esdeath sat next to Naruto, and Najenda across from them. "Najenda-chan, what was due for Tactics today?" Naruto questioned, looking up from his food to look at Najenda, who did the same. "Oh, uh…" Najenda tried to think of what was due for the tactics class, but was stopped when Esdeath cleared her throat. "We have the assignment about the best ways to siege an enemy camp, and why we chose what we did. If you don't have it done, you may copy off of mine Naruto." Esdeath offered, and was satisfied when Naruto's eyes lit up. "Aha! You are the best Esdeath-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, raising his hands into the air before dropping them around Esdeath, hugging her closely.

Najenda glared at Esdeath, but said nothing as she continued to eat her food. Naruto unwrapped his arms from around Esdeath, before finishing his food. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go hand in my tray." Naruto told the girls, before standing up and leaving the pair alone at the table. Najenda leaned forward and openly glared at Esdeath, said blue-haired girl doing the same.

The two girls merely glared at each other, both trying to win the unsung battle of wills. Sparks began to fly between the two girl's eyes, Their glares continued to worsen, the very aura around the two darkening, until Naruto calmly sat down next to Esdeath once more, the glares instantly ending as the two smiled at Naruto. Naruto sighed, reaching under the table to reach into his backpack, and retrieving a large book that was labeled, Introduction to Field Medication and First Aid. Najenda's eyes widened slightly upon seeing the title.

"Naruto… Why are you reading a first aid book?" Najenda asked, in a very confused manner. Naruto looked up from his page, looking at Najenda. "Oh yea, I forgot you don't know. Well, you see Najenda-chan, I want to become a medic. I've never been much of a fighter." Naruto explained, making Najenda nod slightly. "Well, that makes sense, but why join the army anyway?" Najenda's second question, made Naruto smile softly. "Well, I just want to help people. I can help wounded soldiers, I can help refugees. With knowledge on healing, there's no limit to people I can help." Naruto's smile made both Esdeath and Najenda's faces heat up as he looked off slightly, a serene smile on his face. "The world we are in is filled with pain and suffering. While the Empire has removed much of this, being Human means we can never truly be detached from suffering. But, if I have the opportunity to help the afflicted, isn't it my duty as a fellow human, to do so?" Naruto questioned Najenda, the look in his eyes making her swoon. "I, I suppose it is." Najenda softly stated, smiling at Naruto.

The calm moment was interrupted as a boy slammed his hand on the table, making the seated look up at him. He was a rather large boy, standing a forehead taller than Naruto with a cut body. His hair was black, pulled back into a small ponytail. His eyes were emerald green, and he had a vicious smirk on his face. "Haheh. A little boy who thinks he can help the world by becoming a medic. Hmpf. I'm a real man, girls. Why don't you come sit next to me?" The boy offered, trying to charismatically smile at Esdeath and Najenda, who both promptly glared at him. Naruto stood up, holding his hand up to stop the girls from getting up as well.

"What's your name? Mine's Naruto." Naruto calmly stated, holding his hand out to the other boy. The raven-haired boy slapped his hand away with a smirk. "Name's Kishka." The now-named Kishka responded, causing Naruto to nod slightly. "Ah, Kishka it is then. Well, would you like to tell me what's so bad about becoming a medic?" Naruto questioned, crossing his arms and sternly staring into Kishka's black eyes. "Ha, that's what you wanted? Well, that's simple. The army doesn't have any need for people like you. Why have medics when you can simply crush your enemies? Plus, you're a man, are you not? You're supposed to be a strong soldier, not a pussy medic." Kishka answered, smiling that ever-so annoying smile.

"Hmm. I must disagree. You see, medics will always be needed. You will not hate on my choice of occupation when you are bleeding on the ground, like the weakling you are." Naruto responded coldly, going to sit back down until a fist suddenly slammed into his face, causing the blonde to fly backwards onto the ground of the cafeteria. Naruto rubbed his cheek, staring up at Kishka with a glare. "You, YOU are calling ME a weakling!? That's funny coming from a little bitch that wants to be a medic!" Kishka yelled out angrily, stomping over to Naruto who was slowly getting up.

"Yea, you're right. I did call you a weakling. Because you are one." Naruto responded as he rubbed a bit of blood off of his lip, standing defiantly as Kishka approached. "Why you little bit-" Kishka was cut off as Naruto's fist embedded itself in his gut, causing the boy to crunch forward and fall to his knees. Naruto crouched down, lifting the boy's head using his index finger on his chin. "Kishka. Not only did you insult my dream, but you attacked a comrade. The Empire doesn't need people like you in it's army." Naruto calmly stated, before dropping the boy's head and standing up once more. He made his way back to the table, where he calmly sat down.

"Well Naruto, I must say. For a medic, you sure can throw a punch." Najenda said with an almost surprised tone, until Naruto suddenly held his cheek as anime tears rolled down his face. "That really hurt!"

Graduation.

"Hold your heads high! Your shoulders straight! Your Sword, pointed in the air! Hold your hearts firmly to your cause! And finally, never stop striving for greatness! From this day onward, you are all, SOLDIERS OF THE IMPERIAL ARMY!" The Headmasters cry rang out for miles, his voice sturdy and strong, inspiring. The Graduates all shouted in unison, raising their fists in triumph over their graduation. They had survived boot camp.

"Yatta!" Naruto shouted, jumping up and raising his fist in the air, once more after everyone was done. Naruto landed softly, promptly straightening his back and resting his hands on his hips, smiling victoriously. Najenda and Esdeath stood proudly in front of him, now 20 after the 4 year long boot camp. "We've finally done it, haven't we?" Najenda questioned, and Esdeath smiled. "Yes, Yes we have." Over the years, the animosity between the two had vanished, a strong friendship forming. Naruto's arms snaked around the both of them, pulling them in tightly for a hug as he smiled. "Hahah! It's finally over! No more homework, no more books, no more essays! Now I can go out and help people!" Naruto shouted excitedly, tears falling down his eyes as he thought about all the paperwork. Both Najenda and Esdeath smirked at the boy's attitude towards homework.

"I heard we were to be sent on our first mission within a week, I wonder what it'll be." Najenda off-handedly mentioned, walking beside the pair. Naruto looked at her for a moment, before lifting his hand to his chin and rubbing it in thought. "Hmm, it wouldn't be anything too big, considering we are fresh recruits… It'll probably be some sort of peace-keeping mission." Naruto reasoned, still rubbing his chin in thought as the trio walked towards the dorms to gather their stuff.

"I hope we will be sent on an invasion, so that I may dominate the enemies of the empire and crush them under my boot." Esdeath remarked casually with a flip of her hair, causing Naruto to sigh and Najenda to laugh. "Esdeath…" Naruto groaned, causing Esdeath to turn and look at him. "What? The strong live and the weak die, it's simple." Esdeath stated calmly, looking at Naruto with curiosity. "That's not true. If the weak died, I'd be dead already." Naruto replied softly, staring at Esdeath. Najenda and Esdeath both reeled back slightly at his words.

"It's true! Think about it, my combat grade has been falling since second year. I haven't put any effort into becoming any more combat-proficient. In our 1st year here, I could hold my own against anyone. But when 2nd year rolled around, I had to start using my knowledge as a medic to patch myself up. When 3rd year rolled around, they took me out of spars all together to heal the losers! That's means I'm pretty weak, ne?" Naruto questioned, turning to gaze calmly into Esdeath's eyes. The two looked at each other, before Esdeath smiled and hit Naruto on the head.

"You are the one exception. Even if you are weak, I will be here to defend you." Esdeath stated, looking down and walking a little faster than Naruto and Najenda. Najenda smirked, before snaking her arm around Naruto's neck and pulling him down, rubbing her knuckle harshly on his head with a cheeky smile. "Hehe, don't worry blondie! I'll be here too!" Najenda shouted happily, despite the struggles of the blonde in her arms.

Present.

Najenda inhaled slowly, the cigar in her mouth glowing at its burning end slightly, before suddenly she exhaled, opening her eyes as a cloud of smoke was blown out of her mouth. Using her right arm, the large robotic one, she withdrew the cigar from her mouth and stared at the assembled group in front of her. They were in a large office room, Najenda seated at the main desk.

Akame, the Murasame Wielder. Bulat, the Incursio Wielder. Sheele, the Extase Wielder. Mine, the Pumpkin Wielder. Leone, the Lionel Wielder. Lubbock, the Cross Tail Wielder. And Tatsumi… The Country Boy. This was Night Raid, the group of Assassins lead by Najenda. They worked for a brighter future for the Empire, working for the Revolutionary Army to take down the corrupted greed within the Capital. "The Mission I am assigning you all today will perhaps be the most dangerous mission of your lives. At any point in time, you may withdraw." Najenda began, shocking the members of Night Raid and making them focus, eyes steeled over as they waited for Najenda.

"It is a Capture mission, the target must be captured alive and well, and they are to be taken back here." Najenda continued, staring at the people assembled as she again inhaled some smoke from her cigar. Exhaling another gray cloud, Najenda continued. "The Target will be traveling to the outskirts of the Capital, alone. For 2 days. This is our only window of opportunity. Failure to capture the target could mean the secured failure of the Revolution." Najenda's words caused the gathered group to have a collective gasp. Tatsumi stepped forward, eyes widened and shaky. "Who is the target!? Who could case the entire failure of the Revolution?" Tatsumi's near-shout caused the group to stare intently at Najenda, who closed her eyes and sighed, removing her cigar from her mouth and placing it in the ashtray to her right.

Reaching behind her, Najenda grabbed and picture frame and looked down at it. The members noticed how her eyes softened and a small smile made its way onto her face. "The Target is a pacifist to the core. A Medic who's healing prowess is challenged by none. It is who this person is close to that could end the Revolution." Najenda stated, placing the photo down so that the members of Night Raid could see.

In the photo, stood a tall blonde man smiling happily in a standard recruit uniform, eyes closed as he snaked his arm around a smiling Najenda, the two raising a thumbs up to the camera. Lubbock suddenly gasped and pointed at the photo. "I remember him! Gah he was so infuriating! Every time I tried to get close to you, he'd suddenly show up and you'd forget all about me! GAH!" Lubbock shouted angrily, grabbing his head and pulling at his hair.

Najenda smiled softly, staring at the group. "Who is he?" Questioned Leone, still observing the photo. She did not believe her boss could ever smile like that, and it was strange to see her with both of her arms intact. "The man's name is Naruto. He was my friend from the first day of boot camp, all the way to losing my arm. Naruto is the only reason I am alive today." Najenda's words struck a cord within the assembled group, many staring at the man in the photo in a new light.

"Why's he so dangerous if he's a medic?" Mine questioned with a snort, until she noticed Najenda's darkened gaze. "It's not Naruto who's dangerous. It is Esdeath." Her words caused another collective gasp between the members, excluding Tatsumi who looked confused. "Who's Esdeath?" Tatsumi questioned, looking at the group for answers. Najenda answered quickly. "Esdeath is a general for the Imperial Army, and is widely considered to be the strongest person on the planet. She is Sadistic, cruel, mean. Downright evil. Her philosophy is that the strong live and the weak die. In her mind, there is only one exception to that rule. And that is Naruto. He is the only person who can calm her down. Hell, he's even gotten her to be merciful." Najenda snorted, and Leone merely stared at the man in the photo.

"So this Naruto fella, if we get him, what does that mean with Esdeath?" Leone questioned, looking up from the photo to look at Najenda. She smiled, closing her eyes. "Well, it is my belief that Naruto will be able to sway Esdeath to cut her ties from the Empire." Najenda watched as the members all stared at her as if she had gained a second head. Scratch that, third head. Bulat even began laughing. "Come on Boss, really?" Bulat questioned, stretching out his arms and staring at her as if she was insane. "Yes, really. If Naruto can't, then the only other option is to kill Esdeath. But, it would be much simpler if Esdeath were on our side. The war would almost be laughable at that point." Najenda muttered, before she stood up.

"Your mission begins now. Naruto will be in the outskirts tomorrow. Each of you must be on your top performance. I don't think Esdeath would allow Naruto to go alone." Najenda said off-handedly, watching as the entirety of Night Raid left her office. Najenda slumped down into her seat, sighing as she closed her eyes. Opening them slowly, Najenda reached out and grabbed the photo on her desk. Twisting it around to look at the man in the photo, Najenda smiled softly. Naruto… I can't wait to see you again.

Outskirts of the Capital.

A tall blonde man's head bobbed as he walked, a happy spring to his step as he walked through the crowd. His smile never faded, as it glinted in the sun. The man's outfit was clearly military. He was wearing a long silver coat that opened at his waist, spreading out past his legs and flowing behind him, ending at his knees. His pants were of the same silver color, and he was wearing black boots that went to the middle of his calf, his pants tucked into them. On his left sleeve was a white band with a red cross, marking him as a medic. He was wearing white gloves that were stainless, a clean cloth that was soft to the touch. This man was Naruto, Esdeath's trusty medic who was usually never far from her side.

However, today was different. Naruto was requested some time off, and naturally, Esdeath had complied. Though, she was angered when he had mentioned he wanted to go alone. She couldn't wrap her head around why, and even tried to send some of her troops to protect. Naruto merely waved her off with a smile, telling her he would be fine. With some pleading, she allowed Naruto to go. The blonde was happy.

Naruto looked down at the sound of a small child falling in front of him, the small boy scraping his knee. The boy looked like he was about to cry as he pulled his now bleeding knee into his chest, so Naruto quickly crouched down and patted his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay little one. How about I fix this right up, okay?" Naruto offered softly, and smiled when the boy nodded despite his sniffles of tears. Naruto reached into a pouch behind him, hidden by his over coat, and pulled out a bundle of white bandages. Unraveling it, he began to weave the white cloth around the boy's knee. After about 5 wraps, he tore it with his mouth and tied a knot to keep it on the boys knee. Putting the bundle back in his pouch, Naruto pulled the boy up and patted his shoulder. "There ya go little one. Go on." Naruto said softly, shooing the boy away with a wave of his hand. The boy bowed with a small thank you, and then ran away towards his friends who began to check on his knee. Naruto smiled, sighing as he stood up and felt his knees pop.

A small distance away watching from a roof was Mine, who was tasked with watching the man for the day so that they knew where to capture him at night. She was watching with Pumpkin, and was reporting into the rest of the members with an ear piece. "Target just stopped to bandage a child's knee. Target is continuing his walk again." Mine reported in, still watching Naruto through the scope of Pumpkin.

Naruto continued to wander throughout the day, stopping to help people wherever he could. Eventually, night took its course, and the blonde began to pick up his pace, seemingly walking towards a set location. The crowd had lessened, allowing Naruto to slip through the streets much easier. Mine found herself having to move a lot more than she did in the day. The other members were also trailing Naruto, trying to decipher where the blonde was going. Naruto's step lost its vibrancy the further he continued, his eyes losing their soft touch.

Eventually, the blonde turned into an alleyway, stopping and standing with his arms crossed, closing his eyes and looking up towards the night sky. "Why did you follow me?" Naruto's statement was simple, calm, without force in his voice. It was a modest question, but it was met with the sound of multiple people dropping down and cutting off both exits of the alley way. Naruto sighed softly, opening his eyes and looking in front of him. He was met with the sight of three figures in front of him. To his left, stood a fully-armored wielder of Incursio, the imposing armor shining in the moon. To his right, stood a blonde woman with ears, a tail, and two massive paws for hands. Ah, so she was Lionel's wielder. And, directly in front of Naruto, stood a raven-haired girl with Ruby-Red eyes, wielding a Katana Naruto knew well. Murasame. That meant this was Night Raid.

"Come with us without struggle and you will not be harmed." The girl in front stated, stepping forward and pointing Murasame at Naruto. The blonde smiled softly, staring into her eyes. "I have one question, answer that and I might go with you peacefully." Naruto offered, staring into the eyes of the ruby-eyed girl. The blonde narrowed her eyes, going to step towards him, but the Incursio wielder stopped her. "What is your question?" The Incursio wielder asked, his spear at the ready.

Naruto smiled softly, nodding to the Incursio wielder. "Thank you for you Hospitality. I would like to know, is Najenda-chan your leader?" Naruto asked with a cheeky smile, watching as the trio in front of him reacted slightly. Suddenly, from behind Naruto, strings flew at him and wrapped around his body, restraining the blonde forcefully. "Ack! Hey! I said I'd come peacefully!" Naruto shouted, until he looked up and saw a pawed fist coming towards his face. "Ah come o-" The fist connected, and Naruto's world went black.

Night Raid HQ

Najenda rose from her sleep as the door to her office opened, and the members of Night Raid stepped into the room. She smiled at first, since this meant that they had captured Naruto, but then she frowned as Leone walked in with the blonde tied up on her back, asleep. More than likely knocked out by said blonde. Najenda sighed as they placed the blonde on the ground, roughly. "Do tell me why you restrained and most likely knocked him out?" Najenda questioned with an annoyed look as she rubbed her nose ridge. Leone stepped forward.

"He asked if you were leading our group. We figured he knew too much and Lubbock restrained him. To make it easier to leave with him, I knocked him out." Leone reported, causing Najenda to sigh and stand up. "Did he say he would go peacefully?" Najenda questioned walking around her desk with her hands behind her back and her eyes closed. "Yea, he said he would as long as he answered his question." Bulat responded, only to shrink in fear as the aura around Najenda darkened. "And yet you still restrained him. Wonderful." Najenda growled out, standing in front of Naruto.

Crouching down, Najenda ordered Lubbock to free him. Lubbock did so quickly, not wanting to face Najenda's wrath. Najenda leaned down, picking Naruto up and placing him in her chair, before shaking his shoulder slightly.

"Na...uto… ru...Na…" Naruto groaned as he fluttered his eyes open, feeling a pain in his head. Agh...What hit me? Naruto thought to himself as he slowly opening his eyes, the world around him focusing slowly. Finally, the image of Najenda cleared in his eyes, the silver-haired woman leaning over him with a soft smile. Naruto got up quickly, standing with excited eyes as he looked at her. "Najenda-chan! Haha! It is good to see you!" Naruto shouted, wrapping his arms around the woman in a tight hug. Najenda responded with a hug as well, before snaking her arm around Naruto's head and rubbing her knuckle on his head with a cheeky smile. Naruto struggled to get out of her hold while the members of Night Raid watched the interaction in a shocked silence.