A/N: Apologies for the long wait, as always. Thanks for your patience, stay safe and stay well my friends!

Big thanks to Beta Reader, Kenchi Narukami.

Chapter two: An unusual team.

On the field of training ground seven, the newly formed Team 7 were now gathered, currently awaiting the arrival of their Sensei Kakashi. Konan was sitting on the ground with her back against one of the Training ground's signature posts while Naruto had his head resting in the bluenette's lap as she soothingly stroked his head. In the background, Sasuke was quietly brooding while occasionally glancing over at the pair and at the same time, attempting to ignore Sakura's presence. Most especially whenever she asked him for a date.

From what he had witnessed, the paper user seemed rather strong, but she was completely subservient to Naruto. The blonde in question had yet to actually display any of his skills, but if he spent his life traveling around the nations, it was likely that he had learned some powerful jutsu… and there was also something about that sword the Dobe had with him too. The Uchiha couldn't put his finger on it, but he could definitely tell there was a powerful aura surrounding that katana.

"Hey Dobe. Where did you get that Katana?" Sasuke asked out of curiosity, hoping that he could get a weapon just like it since he had an interest in learning how to wield a sword in the future. Anything to help get an edge over Itachi.

Naruto smirked and replied back "In the bluntest of terms, I inherited it from my birth mother who gave it to my godmother for safekeeping before her retirement from being a Kunoichi. It's name is 'Enma' sharing the same name as the Monkey king."

"Where can I get a Katana like that dobe?" The Uchiha inquired further as he crossed his arms. If he could find out where it came from, then he could make arrangements to buy one, or better yet, have the Civilian council get one for him.

"A Katana like this, you ask? Utterly impossible. Enma here is a one-of-a-kind Katana, only one was ever made. You see, Enma is classified as a 'cursed weapon'. If anyone unworthy tries wielding it, the blade will immediately absorb their life force until their a shriveled up husk. Only two people have ever been worthy of taming this blade, myself and my mother." The whiskered teen explained with a slightly haughty grin.

The Uchiha clicked his tongue in annoyance at the Uzumaki's smugness then asked "That Katana must be powerful then right?" his question prompted the Jinchuuriki to nod in confirmation causing Sasuke to continue speaking "I want that sword Dobe."

"Nope. Not gonna happen." The blonde spoke, instantly shooting down the Uchiha's demands and then added "Remember my advice? You won't get far in life by treating people like shit. That also includes making demands of others. Not everyone is going to bow down to you just because you're an Uchiha."

Sasuke scoffed slightly and gave a small glare, he then smirked and spoke "Fine then. I forget, you're different from that dumb-as-dirt Blood Clone. What will it cost to get that sword?" Once he had finished speaking, he saw that the blonde had a thin smile on his face, which slowly began to stretch across his face until his cheeks seemed ready to split apart.

Naruto got up from the ground and stretched out his limbs, with Konan also getting up as she began to pat him down and remove any dirt and grime from his clothes as the Jinchuuriki spoke "There's nothing in this world I'd trade Enma for. Not money, not jutsu. Nothing. It was a gift left behind by my sainted mother, and thus it is a treasure to me. But since I'm such a nice guy, I'll make you a deal. If you are capable of wielding Enma, I'll let you borrow her until you kill Itachi. But ask yourself… do you really think you can handle her?"

Once the Jinchuuriki finished speaking, he unhooked the katana from his back and presented it to the Uchiha with a smile, clearly laced with malevolent intentions. "Don't do it Sasuke-kun! It's not worth it!" Sakura piped in since she had listened to the whole conversation, fearing that if Sasuke took it that he would possibly perish. The self-proclaimed Avenger swallowed a lump in his throat, a large part of him wishing to reach out and try to take it, but his survival instincts were telling him not to.

He wasn't sure why, but he could almost swear he felt… hunger emanating off the Katana. Sensing the Uchiha's hesitation, Naruto spoke as he replaced the Katana to his back "No? Then do me a solid, and don't bring it up again. Allow me to impart another nugget of advice, those who seek power beyond their control are either corrupted by it, or destroyed by it."

Sasuke grumbled something beneath his breath, feeling slightly humiliated. Before the conversation could continue further, Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke with a sheepish expression "Yo. Am I interrupting anything?"

Upon his arrival, Konan sent an icy glare towards the masked Jonin and spoke in a cold voice that could freeze hell over "You're late. I will not forgive you if you continue to inconvenience Senpai."

Naruto chuckled as he placed a hand on his companion's shoulder and spoke "Easy Konan. In all fairness, Kakashi is only fifteen minutes late this time. I'm sure he had his reasons for being late… am I correct?"At the Uzumaki's words, the copy ninja raised his hands in a placating manner, having a strong feeling that if he didn't give a satisfactory answer, he'd be in hot water.

"Well, I was busy with something… that is until an Anbu intercepted me and practically dragged me to the Hokage's office." Kakashi explained with a sigh, his words earning some questioning looks from the Genin.

"What for Sensei? Must have been pretty serious business." Sakura asked in a worried tone, hoping that some kind of crisis wasn't at hand.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure. The Sandaime just told me to bring you to the Mission hall with all haste. Said it was important." Kakashi answered, his tone suggesting that he himself was both surprised and clueless about this turn of events.

"Then let's not keep him waiting. And Kakashi? Do try and make a better effort of arriving on time. Otherwise I may have to take… certain actions to ensure that you keep your appointments." Naruto spoke with a sadistic smile, making the masked Jonin shudder a bit. The last time he had seen a smile like that, Kushina poisoned all of his food, keeping him in a state of constipation that lasted for a little over a week. And all because he said that he thought her butt looked big.

He certainly didn't wish to trifle with her son and undergo a similar ordeal. Chuckling nervously, the Silver haired man spoke "I'll be sure to remember that." After that was said and done, Team 7 began to make their way towards the mission hall to see whatever the Hokage had planned for them. Although in Naruto's case, he was exceptionally excited since he loved surprises.

A few minutes later, they had arrived at their destination with the Hokage sitting behind his desk, and next to him was the form of Iruka who was likely aiding in the Mission assignments until the next school year. Yet another cushy risk-free job for him. Naruto couldn't help but notice that the Sandaime seemed to be smoking much more heavily than usual given the thick plumes of smoke escaping his nostrils as he rubbed his temples.

"Rough morning old timer?" Naruto asked with a cheeky grin, causing Iruka to glare harshly at him and shout "Show some respect to the Hokage! You can't just speak to him so casually!"

Hiruzen sighed as he raised a hand towards the Chunin and spoke "It's quite alright Iruka. I don't mind." The scarred Chunin grimaced, wondering why the boy was given so much leeway. Why was that damned Kyuubi brat not only allowed to have a Clone impersonate him in school, but he was also allowed to study abroad in foreign nations? It made no damn sense to him.

Ignoring the Chunin, The Sandaime straightened himself in his seat and addressed the team "Thank you all for coming here so quickly. Most recently, an Envoy from Kumo arrived, hoping to promote peace between our village and theirs." At this news, most of Team Seven's jaws dropped, excluding Naruto and Konan. Even Iruka was surprised since this was the first he had heard of this.

Sakura quickly shook off her stupor and spoke up "Likely story! They probably want to try and kidnap someone with a Bloodline! They might be after Sasuke." At this, Kakashi rubbed his chin a bit since he remembered the Hyuuga incident as being quite the scandal. Surely they wouldn't try the same trick twice? At any rate, Sakura did bring up a good point. Sasuke being the only Uchiha living in Konoha made him exceptionally valuable to a number of people. Especially people who have a strong interest in Bloodline abilities such as Orochimaru for example.

"So what does this have to do with us Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked since this seemed a little out of his team's depth. Not to mention politics wasn't his strong suit either. Was The Hokage planning on putting Sasuke under protective custody or something?

"Well, about that… The Raikage is… for lack of a better term 'loaning out' one of his own Ninja's to work alongside one of our Shinobi teams. He calls it the 'Ninja exchange program' with the intention of having ninjas from other villages working together to better understand one another and promote peace. Truthfully, I was actually surprised by the idea. It seemed rather radical… but I sensed no ill intentions. He even said in his letter that we could keep the Kunoichi if she agreed to stay. No strings attached. The only stipulation was that she be allowed to pick the team she works with." Hiruzen explained, this news hitting the majority of Team Seven like a ton of bricks.

"And let me guess, this Kunoichi picked Team Seven? Which so happens to have Konoha's last remaining Uchiha?" Iruka asked suspiciously, finding that to be a little too convenient.

The Hokage shook his head and replied "Actually, she didn't pick Team Seven per se. She specifically requested, and I quote 'Whatever team Naruto Uzumaki is on would be cool.'" At that, the Jinchuuriki's ears perked up a bit as he crossed his arms and chuckled a bit, gaining the attention of everyone in the room.

"This Kunoichi. Her name wouldn't happen to be Samui, would it?" Naruto asked, earning a nod from the Hokage, prompting the boy to clap his hands together excitedly and mutter a quiet 'Oh hell yes!'

"Someone you're familiar with, I take it?" Hiruzen asked with a small chuckle. The blonde smirked as he scratched the side of his cheek with a lone finger and nodded before replying "Yeah, me and Samui go a ways back from my time in Kumo. She's hard to read, but she's a good person."

At that, the Hokage nodded then called out "Send her in." At his call, the doors to the mission hall opened revealing a young woman with chin length blonde hair in a bob cut, and a busty figure that easily rivaled that of a certain Sannin. The girl gave a polite bow and spoke in an even tone, her face an unreadable mask "I am Samui. Genin of Kumo on loan to Konoha. I look forward to working with you all."

Sakura could only blink her eyes a few times as she stared at the blonde girl's curvaceous figure and thought to herself 'Is this girl really around the same age as us? Just… that body of hers… is she an early bloomer or something? No way a body like that can be normal at her age.' the pinkette thought in jealousy as she felt a sudden sense of… inadequacy? That would be the word.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and thought 'Ah. Another stoic type. At least she seems normal enough. And if Naruto knows her, then I don't think I should worry… on second thought, maybe I should be worried.'

In the background Sasuke sneered a bit at the thought of another female being added to their team. Their group was already large enough as it was, and now a Kunoichi from another village was being dumped on them. With so many people around, this would surely get in the way of his training.

"I still don't like the idea of putting someone from Kumo so close to Sasuke." Iruka muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear. Earning a small glare from the Sandaime for his rudeness.

Samui turned her gaze over to the scarred Chunin and spoke calmly "That is your opinion. And you are free to express your dislike of me. Just as I am free to express my immediate dislike of you. Though it is not for what you said." The Academy teacher raised an eyebrow in confusion, wondering what she was getting at. Her stoic manner was almost… unsettling. The Kumo Kunoichi approached Iruka's desk and then pointed at his hands.

"The reason I dislike you is because of your hands. They're too clean. No signs of any scarring or calluses from training or combat. In Kumo we have a saying. 'Those who earned their scars have earned their headband and their place. Those who remain unblemished earned nothing.'" Samui spoke, her words stunning the Chunin into silence as he looked down at his hands for a brief moment, his voice unable to function since he was now at a loss on how to respond.

"An interesting saying. It is a well known fact that any Shinobi who earned their stripes have some type of scars, be it physical or mental." Hiruzen noted as Samui turned on her heel and walked towards Team Seven. She approached Konan and the two stared at each other for a few long moments, the silence between them being almost deafening. They then nodded to one another as if they had come to a silent understanding. She then approached Naruto and the two embraced each other before they both planted a kiss on each other's cheeks.

"I'm certainly glad to see you again Samui-chan." Naruto spoke with a broad smile, causing his fellow blonde to return it with a barely noticeable smile of her own. "Likewise. It will be refreshing to work with you. To commemorate our reunion… I demand you service me."

Samui's words earned numerous looks of confusion as the onlookers wondered what she meant by that. "As you wish milady. Front? Back? Bottom? Or other?" Naruto asked which caused the confused expressions on the others to intensify, although Konan was staring impassively at the scene, though if one looked close enough, it was possible to see a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

"Front." Was Samui's curt response as she turned around and pressed her back against Naruto's chest. His hands snaked around and grabbed her enormous breasts, fondling and rubbing them, earning a low moan from the busty blonde. In the background, Kakashi, Iruka and Hiruzen all started to have nosebleeds.

Sasuke grunted in disgust while Konan didn't seem particularly bothered by the scene. Sakura however was blushing a neon red as she shouted "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Naruto gave a shit-eating grin as he explained "Samui-chan suffers from chronic backaches due to her large breasts. So she often asks me to massage her."

"Ah. Only Naruto's hands are capable of easing my aches and pains. It was a nightmare for me after he left Kumo to train in Kiri. Naruto? Expect me to use you a lot for my comfort." Samui spoke, a slight tinge of pink dusting her cheeks as her fellow blonde continued working on her chest region with his almost magical hands.

"As you wish Samui-hime. Feel free to order me around." He replied and then kissed the nape of her neck.

"Oi! Aren't you going to say anything Konan? He's clearly cheating on you!" Sakura shouted towards the paper user while pointing towards the two blondes.

"It's not truly cheating if I am aware of it. What Senpai does with other women is entirely his business. So long as he doesn't manipulate them or cast them aside for malicious reasons, which I know he won't ever do, I see no reason to say or do anything." Konan spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, making Sakura wonder if they were in what was known as an 'open relationship'.

In the background, the Sandaime was slowly sinking in his seat, feeling a little lightheaded from the blood loss, so he decided that an interruption was necessary.

"Erm. Team 7? I think that now you should receive your first mission." He spoke, gaining the attention of the newly minted team. Naruto hummed to himself in thought as he continued to knead Samui's soft marshmallow like breasts. Once he finished there, he began to rub her shoulders and asked "Remind me again. What's the minimum number of D-ranks required to qualify for a C-rank mission?"

Hiruzen cocked his head a little, wondering what kind of scheme the boy was planning but nevertheless answered "Forty or so D-ranks is the required amount."

"And how many D-rank missions do you have available at this moment?" The whiskered teen asked with a snarky grin. A devious glint in his eyes which only further proved he had some trick up his sleeve.

"Erm… Seventy-eight. Why?" Hiruzen asked as he stroked his beard. Already having a hunch as to how he would beat the Mission assignment system.

"We'll take them all." Was the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's response causing everyone in the room, excluding Konan and Samui to stare at him like he had grown a second head.

"All of them?" Iruka asked in a tone of surprise. At most, Genin teams typically took two or three D-ranks a day. But that many at once? There's no plausible way for a Genin to do so many D-rank missions in a single day.

"I most certainly didn't stutter. Did I?" The Jinchuuriki asked sarcastically. Hiruzen for his part shrugged his shoulders since there wasn't an actual limit to how many D-ranks could be accepted within a day and then produced a chest marked 'D-rank' and set it on his desk with a loud thud.

"All right Naruto-kun. Here's all the D-ranks available in this chest. I bid you good luck." The Sandaime spoke as Konan stepped forward and picked up the chest with ease.

"Leave it to me old man. We'll be back in a few hours." The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki spoke with a cheeky grin, giving a thumbs-up to the Hokage. He then scooped up Samui in a bridal carry and marched out with the Origami expert following close behind as the remainder of Team Seven seemed to be trapped in a stupor.

Kakashi and his two other students looked at one another and shrugged, deciding to follow Naruto and see exactly what he had planned. Whatever it was, it sounded like he was confident it would work. From what they could tell… there was definitely a method to Naruto's madness.

A while later.

"We're back!" Came the shout of Naruto who had a triumphant grin on his face, with the rest of his team looking rather smug. Even Kakashi had a shit-eating grin that was visible beneath his mask as he saluted the forms of the Sandaime and Iruka.

"Team Seven reporting. All missions accomplished." Naruto announced and gestured towards Konan who approached the Hokage's desk and deposited the chest full of mission scrolls in front of the Sandaime. The aged Hokage quickly perused through the numerous D-rank scrolls and found all of them to be marked as 'complete'

Iruka also took notice of this and asked in a demanding tone "How the hell did you accomplish all of these D-ranks in such a short amount of time? It's not physically possible!"

"Nothing an army of Shadow Clones can't help with. Kakashi-san here can confirm the completion of every single mission, or you can call up all the clients and ask them yourself. Though that would be a waste of time if you ask me." Naruto answered with a cheeky grin while flashing a victory sign with the rest of Team Seven mimicking the gesture since he did rescue them from the tedious tasks.

"Clones again? You can't just do that!" The scarred Chunin shouted, his face turning crimson as he angrily pointed at the blonde boy.

"Says who? There a law I don't know about that prohibits the use of clones? If so, feel free to quote it off or look it up for me. If not, does it matter how the job's done so long as it gets done?" Naruto asked in a semi-mocking voice. The Academy teacher made a choking noise, almost as though he wanted to argue against the boy, but he had no ammunition to fire back with since the boy did make a fair point. But it still didn't seem fair or right to the Chunin for the demon brat to get away with everything so easily.

With that little spat over with the Sandaime decided to speak "Very well done. I suppose now you'll be wanting to take a C-rank yes? I'm sorry to say, but there's only one available at the moment. Escort Duty to Wave Country."

"Wave Country eh? Never been there before. I heard it's mostly carpenters and fishermen there." Naruto spoke as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I thought you said you studied abroad Dobe." Sasuke muttered with a raised eyebrow, his eyes still locked on the blonde's katana. A large part of him wanted to try and take it… but an even larger part warned him not to. Even now he could sense something… sinister about that blade. And if it really could sap the life force from the unworthy well… revenge won't matter if you're dead.

"I did. Just not in Wave. Wave doesn't have a Shinobi presence whatsoever, so I had no reason to ever go there." Naruto explained with a shrug, and took notice the Uchiha was still eyeing his sword causing the blonde to feel a small twinge of sadistic glee. All the Uchiha had to do was wrap his hands around the handle, and he'd be a dried up corpse in seconds. Though it seemed the Uchiha was erring on the side of caution for the time being. He supposed that even dumbasses could occasionally make smart choices, especially if their life depended on it.

"At any rate, we'll take the mission. I think it'll be a good chance for everyone to get better acquainted, especially with our newest addition Samui-san." Kakashi spoke with a small eye smile. During the time they spent watching Naruto's clones hustle about, Samui largely kept to herself or stayed near the real Naruto at almost all times, or had some of his clones on hand whenever he needed to leave her side for but a few minutes.

He tried to be as welcoming as possible and tried asking some basic questions… but she mostly answered with a 'yes' or 'no' response. It seemed she was a very quiet and reserved kind of person… or maybe she didn't feel ready to open up yet. Additionally, Kakashi wanted to be sure she wasn't any kind of threat whatsoever, but on the other hand Naruto seemed to wholeheartedly trust her, and if he was anything like his mother, there was no possible way he'd befriend a bad person.

After all, it was a well-known fact that anyone who betrayed Kushina were hunted down, tortured until they were kissing her feet and sucking her toes while pleading for the release of death… only for her to cruelly abandon them and leaving them in an almost constant state of pain until they took their own lives. Yes… Kushina was that merciless.

Hopefully Naruto didn't pick up all of his mother's brutality. "Very well then. Here is your client, Tazuna." The Hokage spoke and then clapped his hands twice, prompting the doors to open revealing an ageing man escorted by some Chunin into the room. Their apparent client had a large blush on his cheeks, likely from the influence of alcohol as evidenced by the bottle of booze in his hand.

"So this is my protection eh? Quite a few of them. I thought Shinobi teams were a bit smaller… and there's some real good looking girls here too." Their client spoke with a slight slur, he lifted his hand up to take a swig of his booze… only to find the bottle missing from his hand.

He looked about wondering where it went and then heard a shattering noise and felt something sharp being pressed against his neck as a voice spoke behind him "Ninjas we may be old man, and as our client it is part of our job to protect you. Though I should make mention that I have no tolerance towards the kinds of clients that think they can sexually harass or force themselves on a Kunoichi, or any other female for that matter."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by it! I'm not that kind of person I swear!" Tazuna squeaked out and almost instantly sobered up. His assailant flashed a toothy grin and released the aged man who was now clutching at his chest, his heart beating a mile a minute.

"I believe you. I'll just chalk it up as the booze talking." Naruto spoke as he tossed aside the broken bottle with a chuckle.

"Do all of you ninjas threaten your clients like that?" Tazuna asked as he pulled out a rag and wiped some sweat from his forehead… he actually could have sworn he felt a few years of his life slip away just now.

"That's… not an advised course of action. Though he does make a good point. Lately there's been a rise in clientele who have been trying to either hire Kunoichi's only for sex as though they were prostitutes or harass them while on mission. Though for future reference, please don't go making that a habit Naruto-kun." Hiruzen spoke as he took a drag from his pipe.

The Jinchuuriki shrugged his shoulders and answered "Sorry old man. Just wanted to get my point across. And I refuse to make half-assed promises."

"At any rate, I'm Tazuna, a master bridge builder. I'll be counting on you to keep me safe until my bridge is finished." Their client spoke then gave a polite bow… mostly because he didn't want to piss the blonde boy off again… or any of them for that matter.

"Marvelous. Team? Let's meet in front of the Village gates in an hour. Don't. Be. Late. That goes triple for you Kakashi. Konan? I shall entrust the packing and securing of provisions to you." The Jinchuuriki spoke, the bluenette giving a small bow and quickly departed to carry out her task. Both Sakura and Sasuke wondered who put Naruto in charge, but had no real reason to complain so they decided to go home and pack up as well, followed quickly by Kakashi as he buried his nose into his favored book.

"Naruto. I demand another massage. A more thorough one this time." Samui spoke in a flat tone, making her fellow blonde sigh as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Normally, I would oblige you and fulfill your every desire. But at the moment, I have an appointment that I've been meaning to get to. Until then, feel free to use these to your heart's content." Naruto spoke and quickly summoned a group of at least thirty Shadow clones for her to entertain herself with.

Samui stared blankly at the original Naruto and took notice that he had a somber glint in his eye. She knew well that he wouldn't dare miss a chance to spend time with any of his… female associates. It must have been something exceptionally important. "Very well. I'll make do. But please, don't keep me waiting. It isn't cool for a man to neglect his woman. And Shadow clones are a poor substitute." She spoke with an almost unseen smile.

"His woman?!" Iruka whispered to himself. Was Naruto seriously in a relationship with a foreign Kunoichi? And what was that about an appointment? Something was clearly suspicious here. He did spend time abroad, so was he truly loyal to Konoha? He needed to investigate the matter, fortunately his shift would be over in a few minutes anyway. If he exposed the Jinchuuriki as a traitor then he could finally avenge his parents' deaths!

"But of course Hime. I promise to make it up to you later. Once my business is concluded, you can do whatever you want with me." He promised her with a wide smile.

"I can already do whatever I want to you. I'll need to be more… creative in the future." Samui spoke with a small bit of allure to her voice as she departed with the Shadow Clones, some of them asking how they could service her. Afterwards, Naruto himself finally left as well.

"Well now… Naruto certainly has… interesting tastes in companions." Hiruzen muttered to himself with a small chuckle. Each and every woman was unique in their own ways, with varying personalities and quirks. He couldn't help but wonder if Naruto had a strong liking towards stoic types, or were his tastes more varied and complex? As the Sandaime contemplated officially instating the Uzumaki's as an official clan of Konoha when the perhaps the last living heir turned Chunin, he failed to pay attention to Iruka slipping away.

Later. Yamanaka flower shop.

Ino hummed a small tune to herself as she placed a pot of flowers in its designated spot, the shop was empty for the moment but that was subject to change at a moment's notice. But while it was quiet, it gave her a bit to gather her thoughts. She still had difficulty believing that the 'Naruto' she knew in the Academy was actually a Blood Clone.

Then again, that whole 'I'm gonna become Hokage' and 'Ramen's the food of the gods' and 'Believe it!' was so annoyingly over-the-top it shouldn't have come off as a surprise that it was a clone. When she saw the 'real' Naruto appear, she had to admit… he was rather cute. But he also had that strange blue haired girl. Was she his girlfriend or something? Her musing was quickly broken when she heard the familiar chime of the entrance's bell.

She quickly turned to greet the customer but her voice caught in her throat upon seeing the form of Naruto himself… this was certainly a first since she could never remember him ever coming to visit. Not even his clone ever came. "Hello Ino-san. I'd like to make a purchase." He spoke as he approached her with his hands in his pockets.

She quickly snapped out of her stupor and spoke "Oh! Um, certainly. What kind of flowers are you looking for?"

"Roses." The whiskered teen quickly requested as he approached the nearby counter and patiently waited as Ino prepared a bouquet of roses. Deciding to try and dig a little juicy gossip from him she asked "Roses huh? For a special someone? A woman perhaps?"

Naruto smiled a bit sadly and replied "The most special kind of woman, who never got the chance to be in my life." At that Ino stiffened up, feeling like she had just stepped on a landmine. A wave of guilt washing over her for prying. It seemed like he was planning on visiting a… lost one.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She apologised and tried to focus on her work, not wishing to potentially embarrass herself any further.

The whiskered teen chuckled and spoke warmly "No need to apologize for something you weren't aware of. How are things going with your team?" He asked to change the subject and try to brighten her mood a little.

It seemed to work as she giggled a bit and answered "My team's okay. I mean, I've known them for a while anyway so we get along for the most part. I just wish Shikamaru would get some kind of motivation in him… and I think Asuma-sensei should seriously cut back on his smoking. Being a Ninja's hazardous enough, I don't think he should be adding lung cancer to the mix." She spoke the last part in a concerned tone.

"You're a kind and caring person. I like that. If you're interested, I wouldn't mind trading a teammate of mine for one of yours. You can have Sasuke for all I care." Naruto joked at the end, though he took the statement seriously as she spun around with stars gleaming in her eyes and squealed "REALLY?!"

The Jinchuuriki groaned in slight discomfort as he put a pinky in his ear and replied "Was kidding. I don't have that kind of authority." His statement earning a disappointed groan from his fellow blonde as she finished up with his order.

"In any case, it was nice talking to you Ino-san. I hope we get to work together sometime in the future. If you're ever interested, I would love to take you out to dinner." He spoke with a charming smile followed by a two-fingered salute. The blonde girl stared at him for a few moments… was he seriously hitting on her?

"Hey! Are you some kind of two-timer? Aren't you together with that blue haired girl… erm… Konan?" She blurted out at the end since it took her a moment to remember the girl's name. At her accusation, Naruto laughed heartily as he placed a wad of bills on the counter.

"Never said it was that kind of dinner. You came to that conclusion yourself, naughty girl. If you're that concerned about it Konan can come along, though I gotta warn you, she's not much of a conversationalist." The whiskered teen spoke as he accepted the roses from Ino and gave a sly wink. She felt her face heat up and turn a deep red… earlier she felt a 'stepped on a landmine' feeling… now she felt like it had exploded under her for her blunder.

As Naruto left with his roses, Ino took notice of the large wad of bills on the counter "Wait a sec! This is way too much!" She tried to call out to him, only to receive a 'Keep the change!' from the whiskered teen as he exited the shop. She was left in a stunned silence as she looked down at all that money… did the roses really matter that much to him?

This new Naruto seemed like a good person, he was also charming and generous… she actually couldn't help but feel… jealous. Jealous of Konan for having such a great boyfriend. If only Sasuke was like that… but he wasn't. She knew that. No matter how much she lies to herself, Sasuke has never once looked at anyone, boy or girl, with interest. He was so hung up on his not-so-secret Vendetta against Itachi that he saw nothing except what he could use.

Naruto… the real Naruto, was different. If the chance should come… maybe she'd try and have that dinner with him. Not that she wanted to steal him or anything… but it would be nice to have someone to talk to. Maybe… more if it were possible. Naruto did mention something about inviting that Konan girl… was it an open kind of relationship or something?

As Ino quietly mused to herself, she didn't take notice that Iruka had been observing everything from the corner of the shop window. And now he was off following the Jinchuuriki to his next destination.

A bit later. Konoha graveyard.

"Let's seeeee." Should be around here somewhere. Naruto whispered quietly to himself as he scanned the various graves until he found the one he was looking for. Marked 'Kushina Uzumaki'.

He smiled as he lowered himself to his knees and placed the roses near his mother's grave and spoke "Hey mom. Merlin told me where to find your grave. I guess this is the first time I've ever visited, huh? Sorry for keeping you waiting.

Merlin was and is a great Godmother. She took great care of me, taught me how to fight, and I traveled and studied across the Nations and got to meet lots of great people. Merlin also told me that you would have wanted me to make a lot of grandchildren. Somehow, I get the feeling that's not gonna be a problem in the distant future.

But before I ever settle down, there is some unfinished business I need to deal with. We actually have a lead on the man in the mask. He goes by the name of 'Tobi' nowadays. As soon as he rears his ugly head I'll personally send him to hell for everything he's done.

This 'Tobi' isn't just responsible for what he did to us, but also for a number of other tragedies that he must answer for. I'll be sure to come by again later and give you another status update. Be seeing you. Who knows? Maybe there will come a chance we can finally meet in person. In this life, or the next. Bye."

After saying his goodbyes, the blonde turned on his heel and asked "So how long are you gonna follow me around for Iruka?" At his question, the Chunin in question stepped into view with a visible scowl, his eyes darting back and forth between the Jinchuuriki, and the grave of perhaps the most infamous Kunoichi in history.

"I never would have expected you to be related to THAT woman, but then again, one bad seed can only create another." The Chunin spoke with a sneer.

The blonde rolled his eyes and retorted "I share the same surname as my mother, I'm amazed that most everyone in Konoha hadn't figured it out. But then maybe it's easier to shut one's eyes to the truth than it is to face the unforgiving reality. Not that it really matters to me. Pray tell, what on Kami's good earth did I ever do to make you despise me so much?

It doesn't take a genius to see that you were deliberately holding me back, or more accurately my clone, in school. What great sin did I ever commit that would set you on the path to sabotaging the life of an innocent child?" The blonde asked, his question making the Chunin's eyes almost bulge out of his head while his nostrils flared as he took long and deep breaths.

"Innocent? Innocent? Is that some kind of a joke? You're the reason why my parents are dead!" Iruka shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the boy. The Jinchuuriki slowly blinked his eyes and gave a dry and humorless chuckle.

"You honestly believe that, don't you? It is a tragedy to lose one's family, and most often that loss can lead to certain degrees of trauma, that trauma can manifest in a myriad of ways but hatred is a common one. Naturally one must have something to hate, so they direct it towards the one they believe to be the guilty party. And that same hate turns into a grudge, or a vendetta. If you wish to hate someone or something, then let it be the truly guilty party. A man known as Tobi who also claims the name of Madara." Naruto spoke as he clasped his hands behind his back with a forced smile.

The Chunin scoffed and spoke in a disgruntled tone "Bullshit. Madara died at the Valley of the End. You're just passing the blame onto someone else!"

"Supposedly died. I don't remember the body ever being brought back, or confirmed to be destroyed in any known records. Allow me to impart a piece of advice unto you, you've a right to be angry about your parents death. But if you don't mature and focus that anger towards something more positive, I only see further misery in your future. Goodbye Iruka 'Dead-Last' Chunin." The blonde spoke with a small laugh as he marched off towards the village gates.

The Chunin felt bile and bitterness in his mouth as he glared at the grave of Kushina. He never knew her personally, but he was fully aware of her ferocious reputation. If Naruto was anything like her, it could only spell disaster. But still, he didn't have any ammo to use against the brat. The only advantage he had before was that he was an Academy teacher, that gave him almost absolute authority on his class and students.

But now that the demon brat was recognized as a Ninja, he had nothing he could use against him. On top of that, he had the Hokage in his corner, so any complaints he could raise would be shot down almost instantly… though he did know 'someone' that was against the boy. And that someone was also incidentally a longtime enemy of Kushina. He had to have connected the dots already to so actively persecute Naruto… or at least attempted to. Damned Blood clone.

He would need to pay him a visit and consult him on how to handle things. If Naruto's influence became too strong… there would be severe consequences.

Elsewhere. Village gates.

"You're late!" shouted the form of Sakura as she pointed angrily at Naruto's form who had a small look of shame as he scratched his cheek… although he was only late by about three minutes.

"My apologies. I was finishing up with my appointment but then a stubborn blind man crossed my path." The blonde spoke, his response earning some odd looks from some of his team members.

"Oh, is that all? So you stopped to help him? You're a pretty good person." Sakura spoke, her previous anger and annoyance instantly washing away. Though her statement earned a small laugh from the Jinchuuriki as he whispered to himself "Not always."

In the background Kakashi snapped his book shut and spoke "All right everyone, now that we're all here, we should be getting underway. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can arrive at our destination." At that everyone else nodded in agreement. Sakura seemed a bit eager to take her first steps outside of Konoha and get a glimpse at a larger world. Sasuke for his part was already wondering if he'd encounter any strong opponents to take down.

They took a few steps out of the village gates to begin their journey… and then a voice spoke "Naruto. I'm tired. Carry me." Everyone turned and saw Naruto obediently pick up Samui into a bridal carry.

"YOU BARELY TOOK FIVE STEPS!" Sakura screeched as she pointed at the stoic blonde who only stared at her blankly. Samui gave a small yawn and spoke "I suffer not only from back aches but chronic fatigue. I must conserve energy."

Naruto simply smiled and spoke "I don't mind whatsoever. I get to feel Samui-hime's soft tits squishing against my chest and I can freely feel up her nice bubble butt as well." He let out a perverse giggle which earned a 'lucky bastard' from both Tazuna and Kakashi as they felt a bit of jealousy.

"How in the hell did that Samui girl ever become a Ninja?" Sakura wondered to herself as they finally departed. She couldn't tell if Samui was just being lazy… or she was just enjoying ordering Naruto around like a whipped dog.

The trek down the road was relatively quiet as both Kakashi and Tazuna exchanged some small talk. Sasuke seemed to be quietly brooding to himself as per usual, but for some reason Sakura wasn't pestering him for dates at the moment. Her eyes were locked on the unusual trio that were part of her team.

Samui and Konan seemed to be having some type of silent conversation as they either shook their heads or nodded to one another, while Naruto seemed to simply enjoy their company. Every so often, Konan would ask Naruto if he wanted water or a snack, which he'd politely decline, or Samui would whisper something in his ear and cause her fellow blonde to give a cheeky grin and say something like 'Anything for my precious Hime'.

"Hey Naruto. I've been wondering. Why do you let Samui boss you around like that?" The pinkette asked out of curiosity since that had been on her mind for a while now.

The whiskered teen simply answered "It's a somewhat embarrassing story. But let's just say a frisky cat crossed my path." His answer only seemed to confuse the Haruno even more as she frowned. As they continued on the road, Naruto caught the sight of a puddle on the side of the road… in spite of the fact it hadn't rained today and there was no visible water source in sight either that could have made it.

He chuckled a bit and blinked his eyes a few times towards Konan, using morse code to signal her. She got the message and gave a quick nod… after a few more steps a pair of shadowy figures leapt from the Genjutsu camouflage and rushed towards the group. Konan formed a trio of lances made of paper and sent one flying forward, aiming for the chain linking the two assailants together.

It successfully hit its mark and pinned the bladed chain to the ground, causing the two to lose their footing as they were jerked back by the chain. Konan then leapt overhead and used the other two spears in her hands to pierce their bellies, keeping them nailed to the ground as they began screaming in pain. "As you ordered Senpai. They have been subdued. Shall I dispatch them for you?" The bluenette asked as a pair of paper kunai materialized in her hands which she then kept at the two would-be attackers necks.

"Just a moment Konan. I have a few questions for them." Naruto spoke as he approached the trapped duo and took a quick look at them before continuing to speak "I thought I recognized you two. It's Meizu and Gozu. The Demon brothers from Kiri. Ambush specialists. Pretty low tier Rogue Nin, almost bandit or grunt level really."

"How'd you know… about our ambush?" Meizu asked as he glared at the blonde boy, while in the back the rest of Team Seven watched the scene, with Sasuke glaring angrily since he felt his thunder had been stolen just now.

"Your piss poor camouflage. That puddle Genjutsu is a pretty common trick in Ame and Kiri, but practically worthless anywhere else. You guys mainly target Civilian convoys and the like. Why target such a large group of Ninja? What were you hoping to accomplish?" Naruto questioned with a smirk. The Demon brothers only growled, signaling that they wouldn't be talking.

"Konan. Hurt one of them." Naruto ordered, and without hesitation she lifted a foot up and smashed it down on Meizu's crotch, his eyes almost popping out of his head as he let out a silent scream.

"What're you crazy?!" Gozu yelled as he tried to swipe his claws at the bluenette, however she was out of his reach.

"Well my friend, you can either tell me what I want to know, or I can ask my associate to start cutting pieces off your brother." The Jinchuuriki replied casually, making his prisoner's start to sweat nervously. They glanced at the Origami expert and saw that she was prepared to start hacking off their limbs and kami knew what else.

"Okay! Fine! Gato hired us to kill the old man! He doesn't want him to finish his Kami-forsaken bridge! Now let us go ya bastard!" Gozu shouted, his insult towards the blonde earning a quiet snarl from Konan as she waited for Naruto's instructions.

"I never agreed or formed any bargain. So I think not. Konan? Kill them, take their heads. They have a surprisingly generous bounty from Iwa, and save one of those gauntlets for me. I kinda like them." The Jinchuuriki spoke, and not a moment later there was the sound of a blade cutting through flesh followed by a splash of blood as the Jinchuuriki approached the client with a questioning stare.

Tazuna felt himself shrink under the collective gazes of the various ninjas. "It's not cool to keep secrets from those meant to protect you. You have a lot of explaining to do Client-san." Samui spoke in an icy tone. Their client sighed in defeat, the jig was officially up… he hoped they would at least be understanding of his plight.

"Your explanation better be a good one old timer. Otherwise I may need to introduce my Sweet Aunt Diane." The blonde spoke with a chuckle, elsewhere in Iwa… a certain Giantess sneezed.

End chapter two.

A/N: Somewhat filler, though I was hoping to show Naruto interacting with other characters a bit more. Hope you enjoyed all the same.