Here's the last bit! I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters in any way, shape, or form. Hope you enjoy!

xXxXxXx

"Two days in at the beach sounds just fine to me!"Naruto had a simple pair of orange swim trunks on, and was standing at the top of a small tower that Gaara had constructed for the village kids. Ever since the boy had woken up and bonded with his siblings, he'd been fairly friendly and nice. Still, Naruto remembered the feeling of terror that had filled the night when Gaara had unleashed his demon. 'And mine's stronger than his is too…'

Naruto was shaken out of his musings when he heard voices coming from the lake. Looking down he saw Temari floating on her back, her back in pigtails and her body covered with a simple white one piece. The older girl was definitely nice, but she had a competitive streak that made Naruto smile. Still, Sasuke was chilling out in a similar pose with his blue trunks on, and was looking way too comfortable for Naruto's pleasure. Actually, both of them looked extremely off-guard at the moment.

"CANNON BALL!"

Sasuke went wide-eyed at his friend's descent, realizing too late he was in the path of destruction. The blonde splashed into the lake, the waves cascading over Sasuke and a smirking Temari.

"Hey, watch where you're landing!" Sasuke spluttered, coughing water out of his mouth. Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry about that Sasuke, it's just so nice to finally be out of those darn meetings." Sasuke smirked in kind, giving a 'hn' of agreement. His eyes widened again a little bit, but too late to warn Naruto. A hand reached out from behind the blonde to grab and force him under.

"Have to pay attention to your surroundings, Naruto! Especially after you mess with a girl's relaxation time." Temari grinned as the younger boy was spluttering under the water, using her height and weight to force him under. Sasuke hung back and sniggered at his friends expense. At least until he suddenly found himself in Naruto's place.

"Thanks for being my substitution Sasuke, I was really running out of air." Sasuke heard none of this, as suddenly he was the one struggling to make it to the surface.

"Hey, no fair! He wasn't disturbing my relaxing time." Temari let Sasuke up and moved over to splash the blonde. The water washed over Naruto, plastering his blonde hair to his head.

"Oh, so that's the way it's gonna be, huh?" Naruto got a mischievous grin on his face. "Well, if it's a splash war you want, I can definitely help out with that!" Sasuke had regained the surface when he noted his friends hand sign.

"Temari, you're on your own for this one, I'm getting out of here. He's taking things way too far again." Sasuke was already turning and leaving the water as he watched the chakra swarm around his friend. Temari blinked once or twice, noticing the haze filling the area around Naruto.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Ten Naruto's popped into existence, all looking predatorily at Temari and positioning themselves to soak the kunoichi. Temari blinked at the solid clones she faced, but then just shrugged.

"If you would have told me this was a jutsu splash fight, I would have brought my fan out. As it is, I'll just have to settle for humiliating you like this." Naruto smirked at her, not buying it for a second.

"Let's see you try! You've got nothing on this! Believe it!" Temari smirked as the waves of water began to descend on her.

"Maelstrom pulse jutsu" A sphere of air expanded around Temari, swirling and pushing the water back. In an instant, all of the clones were swept back by the expanding burst of air, some even becoming removed from the water and bouncing along the surface. All of them dispelled though after a certain one washed up on the bank. Temari swam over to the boy, and reached a hand down to help him up. Instead of pouting like she expected, Naruto had a bright eyed face of excitement.

"Temari, you have got to teach me that, that was so totally awesome!" The girl shook her head; one good thing about the kid was that he certainly did not take defeat seriously.

"Sorry, but unless you've got wind natured chakra, I won't be able to help you at all. Wind natures are really hard to pick up if you don't have the bent for it already." Naruto frowned, his thinking face mussing up his looks.

"I think my dad was wind natured, and my mom was fire natured. Does that mean I'm wind natured, or fire natured?" Temari smiled down at the boy, shaking her hair loose from her ponytails.

"Natures aren't usually passed down like that, unless they're a part of a kekkei genkai." Naruto widened his eyes in understanding and smashed his fist into a free palm.

"So, since Fugaku has the Sharingan, Sasuke will too, right?" Temari nodded, and the blonde turned to Sasuke with a jealous look. "Your family has all the luck, you know that Sasuke?" Sasuke was busy wringing out his hair, but he turned back to Naruto and smirked.

"Yeah, I do know. It's why the Uchiha are the best around." Naruto frowned in response, and then smirked.

"Oh yeah? Then let's see what those famous eyes can do against the Namikaze stamina!" Sasuke shook his head in denial.

"No way, you're way too much for a single Uchiha to handle. Still, there's no comparing that stamina to a fully awakened Sharingan." Naruto shrugged, even as Temari giggled at the two of them. Looking up, Sasuke seemed to fix on someone on the other side of the beach area.

"Temari, I think Baki's here to escort you and Gaara back." The jonin was indeed in full garb, and had a bored looking Kankuro and Gaara in tow behind.

"Man, we haven't even been here that long! We can't possibly have more meetings to go to, can we?" Naruto had pulled himself up from the beach, and was looking over at the approaching Jonin dejectedly.

"No way, they said the meetings were ended and we had two days to gather supplies and rest up before we leave." Temari suddenly remembered the end of the meeting, and turned back to Naruto and Sasuke. "Oh, hey, regardless of what's going on, I need to meet and talk to the two of you later. I think there's something funny going on regarding Heiki-san." Both of the two boys blinked in surprise, but nodded their agreement.

"Alright Temari, Naruto, Sasuke. All three of you need to head back to your respected lodgings for the meeting. There is news to discuss about the travel plans and how we'll be departing from here." Sighing in defeat, the three children walked away with the Jonin, leaving the beach behind.

Just as they all turned to leave, one of the other kids at the beach ran up to the group. "Gaara, you're coming back tomorrow to make more sand sculptures, right?" Gaara blinked at the kid who had run up, noting that he was the one that originally asked him to build a sandcastle.

"Of course. I look forward to adding a dungeon and execution ground tomorrow." The boy paled a little in shock. "We have to have someplace to put all of those trespassers on your castle grounds, don't we?" Gaara smirked a bit, his joke coming off a bit harsher than he intended.

The boy caught the joke though, and nodded, laughing slightly. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then!" Gaara nodded and rejoined the waiting group, all of whom smiled at the interaction.

"Better watch out Naruto, Gaara might be becoming more popular than you with the locals." Sasuke ribbed his friend slightly as the group departed, earning a moue of disappointment from his friend.

"A guy does one cannon ball at the beach, and suddenly everyone's picking on him!" The group laughed as they returned to the peaceful village.

xXxXxXx

Minato Namikaze was not sleeping peacefully. Visions of the mission in Iwagakure during the end of the Third Shinobi World War played through his mind. The change of Kakashi from his former closed off rule-based view into a lazy loafer had only further heightened the loss of Obito. The fatalities he had administered at the battle of the bridge, and the loss of Obito played through his mind, along with the words of Kakashi. He had abandoned one generation to save the next.

Minato found himself rising from his bed, the large mattress seaming out of place with no one to share it with. The leader rose and dressed himself, letting his mind guide him on autopilot. He soon found himself at a bar in the seedier districts of Konoha, a favorite tavern of the younger ninja of the village.

The neon red lights roused the man from his misery. He noticed the familiar sounds and laughter from within, remembering his sensei taking him on trips, against his better judgment, into such establishments. 'Kushina gave me hell for that too when she found out…' The man turned away from the revelry within, choosing instead to walk the lonely streets. The night air was warm, making the Hokage's battle robe suffice for a basic covering.

Minato was so distracted by his thoughts he missed the looks of a purple haired kunoichi and a silver haired shinobi, both of whom followed his departure carefully. His movements carried the man to the memorial stone where names of the fallen were writ. He ran his hands over the many comrades he had lost and found himself crying. 'Kushina always made fun of me for being a cry-baby…' Sobs racked the man's form and before he knew what had happened, the leader of the proud leaf village was on his knees, sobbing for his loss.

The sound of leaves crunching nearby had Minato's eyes snapping wide open. "I'm sorry for intruding…I had not realized that another would be here so late." Minato felt his throat tighten as the words carried to him from the last voice he wished to hear.

"It's alright. I was just about to leave." Minato straightened, intending not to turn and face the specter of his deceased.

"Please stay. I wish to know more about the village that I am to join. I wish to know specifically about the man who controls the fate of those that I lead." Minato turned to face the eyes of Yuugito Nii, her face settled into that controlled mask of indifference. From within her eyes, he saw earnest emotion though, betraying her façade.

"This is the memorial stone. It is a place of commemoration for those who have fallen within this village. Those who have died in war, or in combat for the village, have their names carved into this stone." Minato turned and let his eyes settle on the woman across from him. They held a great umbrage within them. "My wife will not have her name placed on here, since her cause of death is to be listed as a complication due to pregnancy. This is to prevent demands of war spreading between our villages." Yuugito felt her eyes widen and she cast her gaze away and to the ground.

"To lose a place of memory within the village is a terrible blow to someone as renowned as Kushina Uzumaki…" Yuugito was surprised at the harsh bark of laughter that came from the man across from her.

"Kumo had tried to remove her from the memory of the village once before and they failed thanks to me…this time, I have to remove her from the memory of the village and succeed in order to prevent war with your nation." The voice of the Hokage was filled with utter venom, his gaze never leaving Yuugito's face.

"I am sorry for the difficulties my people have placed upon you. Still, I need to know what future awaits my people within this village. I was selected as the leader of this expedition, and I must know how we will be explained to the general populous of Konoha." Minato met Yuugito's eyes, noting the determination within them to protect her villagers.

"You and your companions had your lightning village headbands confiscated before you entered the village proper. As such, you will be explained as a traveling group of ninja, refugees from the civil war that passed through Amegakure recently. Your status as former Kumo ninja will be suppressed and all ranks will be stripped from you. However, next year, you may take the requisite exams and test into our infrastructure." Yuugito smiled slightly and shook her head.

"I am not talking about the details of how we will be integrated, though I am dismayed to hear that we will have to give up our heritage to protect the peace of the nations. What I am interested in is the status of myself, and the other companions of mine, that are of a unique situation." Minato gave her a questioning glance, encouraging her to continue. "In Kumogakure, Jinchuuriki and members of Kekkei Genkai clans are respected and feared by the people. They are also ostracized from participating in the normal activities of daily life."

Minato smiled and lowered his head. "Those with Kekkei Genkai are accepted well within this village, and your status as the Jinchuuriki of Kumo will remain unknown for the time being. In essence, any of those among you who have clan abilities will not be treated poorly. You however will have to give up use of your Jinchuuriki in the completion of your missions." Yuugito smiled and nodded.

"I am thankful that we have a captor such as you, Minato Namikaze. Not all such individuals would treat us with such kindness and good-nature." Minato tensed as the female approached him, noticing her posture and movements. "I hope that the two of us can become closer as we help my people acquaint themselves with your villagers." Minato felt his eyes drawn into the Jinchuuriki's eyes, noticing in the faint light of the stars and moon that they seemed to glow an eerie yellow.

"How are you and your companions interested in acquainting themselves with the villagers?" Yuugito smiled, and Minato could have sworn the kunoichi had begun to purr. At the same time, the Kage became far more aware of the feminine sway that Yuugito had begun to put in her hips as she traversed the few remaining feet to the Hokage's side.

"Oh, well, I don't know about the rest of my companions, but I am very curious about you, Minato Namikaze." Her voice definitely held a seductive tone in it, and a dim part of Minato's mind noticed a cloying smell pervading his nose. It was a heady smell, driving away any and all rationality.

"Curiosity killed the cat Yuugito…" Minato was fighting as hard as he could with his fading mental faculties, but he now knew he was suffering from a powerful seduction technique. His mind played tricks on him, convincing him that he found her desirable; that he wanted to be with her. A whistling sound in the trees, almost like leaves swirled through the empty field.

"Cats have nine lives, Minato-kun…" Yuugito reached out to touch the Hokage, only to jump back quickly at the intrusion of several kunai into the space she had formerly occupied.

"Sorry, kitten, but you don't just get to move into the village and hit on the head honcho that way…" Yuugito schooled her features quickly, her hands moving behind her back. In a blur, Minato found his senses returning, and his head pounding rather heavily. "Sorry to interrupt Minato, but the council has called an emergency meeting. It seems that your son and company ran into a little trouble at the Waterfall village and have been delayed two days for rest and resupply." Minato shook himself, turning to face Anko at the edge of the forest.

"I understand. I'll be leaving now then. Anko, could you escort Yuugito-san to her quarters please?" Anko quirked an eyebrow in question, but nodded her acceptance. "Yuugito-san, thank you for joining me this evening. I apologize for my apparent lack of attention; I seem to still have my mind on matters concerning Kushina." Yuugito smiled demurely and bowed her head in acceptance.

"Not at all Namikaze-san, I understand completely. Thank you for your company on this lonely night, and for explaining the meaning of the memorial stone. I hope you feel betters in the days to come." The kumo ninja bowed deeply, to which Minato returned the gesture.

"Thank you again Anko-san. I'll leave you to see Yuugito-san home now." Minato turned and left, unsurprised by the questioning gaze that followed him from the purple haired woman.

"Alright, kitten, let's get you home, shall we?" Anko jumped down from on high, and found herself sniffing the air as she landed next to the fellow kunoichi.

Yuugito glanced at the similar aged woman, smiling as she approached. "Do you like my perfume Anko?" The other woman stiffened at the address, and turned a glare on the other woman.

"You will address me as Mitarashi-san. Also, I'm interested in some of Kumo's traditions now; do your people usually the working of glamour genjutsu on others in your village?" The voice was laced with outrage and hatred. Yuugito seemed slightly taken aback by the question.

"Whatever do you mean An…Mitarashi-san? I've never used a glamour jutsu on anyone, nor would I have any skill with such a technique; you must have read my bio as you were listed as the diplomatic exchange informant for Kumo." The other woman narrowed her eyes and glanced over the woman carefully.

'There's a glamour there, but it seems to be combined with something else…some sort of seal for obedience!' Anko snapped her eyes open and pulled out restraining wire from within her pouch. "You're right; a Jinchuuriki wouldn't have the control necessary to perform a glamour. But that doesn't mean one could not be performed on you and strengthened without your knowledge." Yuugito blinked in confusion, but quickly found herself bound by straps of resistant and chakra-repressive cuffs.

"You will come with me, and will not resist under orders of ANBU. If we discover this was placed upon you by those in Kumogakure, this will necessitate further reparations between our villages." Once the straps were placed onto her, Yuugito stiffened as if she had been slapped.

"Where am I and why are you cuffing me? This is not Kumogakure…" Anko was surprised by the sudden change in personality. The woman before had been demure and polite, whereas the current tone she received was harsh and exacting.

"You are an emissary for the reduction in war-terms between Kumogakure and Konohagakure. You were sent to forestall the damage war would cause and represent the ninja from your village. Do you remember that?" Yuugito nodded, her guard up and hands clenching behind her back.

"That sounds familiar. Last I remembered we were passing through the Rice Country and had stopped at an inn. There was a man across from me, and he had pale skin…" Anko stiffened slightly, gears starting to click together in her mind. "…and long black hair. His eyes though were pure red though…like the Sharingan…" Anko had tremors running through her hands, and her breathing was coming more and more ragged.

'So, the bastard managed to perfect the body transfer technique…and now he has the Sharingan…still, he's given us his position at least.' Anko regained her composure and began to lead Yuugito away from the memorial stone. "Come on, I'm sure that the Yamanaka's will have a few questions for you…" Yuugito bowed her head in acceptance and let herself be lead away.

"Nothing will happen to the others, correct?" Anko nodded in the fading light, leading the fellow Jinchuuriki into the depths of the hidden leaf village. Twilight hid the movements of a creature in the trees.

xXxXxXx

Naruto and Sasuke landed lithely in the bushes and shrubs surrounding the Konoha guest house. It was a simple, one story building, surrounded by a wooden fence with trees and bushes ringing the perimeter. Simple stone paths dotted the landscape, bringing together all of the houses entrances and exits. The two nodded to each other and leapt into the night, careful to meet at the place that Temari had suggested.

"What do you think Temari noticed about Fuu that she wants to investigate?" Sasuke shrugged off Naruto's question, focusing instead on moving quickly and silently through the village. Naruto frowned at Sasuke's lack of a response, but continued after his friend in silent protest.

The two of them landed silently on the rooftop where they had decided to meet the others, quickly spotting a crouched over Temari, Gaara and Kankuro. "Good, you decided to come." The three cleared away what looked like a card game before they moved over to the leaf shinobi. "I noticed something strange about Fuu-san and I wanted to investigate. Namely, she put down her age as 85 on the Tri-Village Treaty, and it still said it was valid." Naruto and Sasuke both blinked at this in surprise.

"That treaty is a binding seal, it wouldn't have read correctly if that wasn't her correct age…" Temari nodded in agreement with Naruto but then smirked slightly.

"What if Takigakure was trying to pull a fast one on both Konoha and Suna though? They could make it seem like a binding document, and then change up the seal so that it would hide any invalidity on their part…" Naruto and Sasuke both felt a growing pit in their stomach, but it was Sasuke who spoke up this time.

"If that were the case, this is way above our ability to handle. Yes, we have two Jinchuuriki working with us, but that's power not stealth." Temari frowned at the boy, though she knew he was right.

"Look, we should still investigate none-the-less. We know where she'll be hanging out, and if this were some kind of plot of this village to harm ours, Fuu-san seems to be the type to disregard such an action." Kankuro had pulled his large package off of the ground, and seemed to be settling it onto his shoulders in preparation for moving. "Plus, she seems to really like Naruto and Gaara, and would most likely share such information with them at least." The others nodded in response, everyone seeming to consider Kankuro's advice.

"That's the best thing I think you've said since I met you, clown-boy." Kankuro sputtered in annoyance at the voice from the darkness, but he was also instantly on edge. All of the other youth present reached for their respective weapons, and tensed for an unwanted intruder.

From out of the shadows stepped a woman with mint-green hair and orange outfit. "Yes, you're right, I did sign the seal contract as if I was eighty five. However, that's because I am." None of the Konoha or Suna kids pulled back from their weapons, causing Fuu to sigh. "Look, Jinchuuriki get different abilities depending on what Tailed Beast they have sealed within them. The one tailed demon offers the power to control sand and expand and grow at an enormous rate if so inclined." Gaara felt himself flinch lightly at being named. "The nine tailed demon offers the power of nearly limitless chakra to use and manipulate in whatever desired fashion." Naruto looked down and away from the others. "The seven tailed demon offers false eternal youth. My body will appear and function as if I was at my physical prime, even as I slowly age and deteriorate." Fuu smiled sadly at the group. "As such, I never know when my life will end, having to merely wait and hope for the end of my life." All of the assembled looked down at that, hands moving away from their weapons.

"Come on; let's get all of you back to bed, alright? It's going to be a big day tomorrow when we head out for the leaf village." The group settled in and began to move away with the shinobi, falling into step in groups. Temari and Naruto ended up near the back of the group.

"Sorry about dragging you into this Naruto; guess I was just slightly hoping that for some reason we couldn't control we wouldn't be forced into this whole marriage thing, you know?" Naruto nodded. He had not admitted it aloud to Sasuke, but he had secretly hoped that this would be a good enough reason to forestall the treaty as well. He had even been excited when Temari mentioned how it could have been a giant scheme of Takigakure, though that made him feel horrible considering his friendship with Fuu.

"It won't be that bad though. I mean, it's not like we have anything to worry about for the next eight years or so at least. That gives us plenty of time to grow up and know others." Temari smiled and nodded sadly. "Plus, it didn't say anywhere in that contract thing that we have to be completely promised to one another from now on!" Temari nodded in agreement.

"You know, for an eight year old, you're surprisingly smart." Temari faked a flirty glance at the boy who had the humility to blush and turn away.

"I blame my mom for getting me to read all of those stupid books and attend those stupid meetings. I swear, I've grown up more from interacting with adults than interacting with kids my own age!" Temari giggled lightly at the boy.

"You're going to find that puts you in a better stead than many your age. Just keep an eye out on your friend, alright?" Temari ruffled Naruto's hair, causing the shorter blonde to protest.

"Why, because you like Sasuke more than me, huh?" Temari chuckled and suddenly sprinted ahead to catch up with the others.

"I don't know, but he definitely isn't as interesting as the most unexpected ninja ever!" Her voice carried back to him over her shoulder, and as what she said registered, Naruto paused for a second.

'Most unexpected ninja ever…perhaps I could add to that and make it a really cool title someday…' Suddenly, Naruto noticed how far ahead the rest of the group was, causing the boy to curse before flashing ahead to catch up.

"Don't fall behind Naruto, you'd be a real pain to have to come and pick up because your brain stopped working." Naruto scowled at Sasuke and just continued along in silence, further annoyed by Sasuke's slight 'hn' of satisfaction for getting the other boy's goat.

As the ninja fled through the darkness, the night slowly lifted from the land.

xXxXxXx

Minato sighed and fell into the Hokage chair, his last energy for staying awake fleeting from his form. 'I can see why the third liked to have this big comfortable chair in here…it almost makes the position worth it if you can just sit and relax in this for a little bit.' A knock at his door roused the powerful shinobi, making him groan a reply for his guest to enter. 'Who the hell is coming to my office at four in the morning of all times…'

Anko stepped into the room, a grim look set on her face. She walked right up to Minato, anger set into every line of her face.

"Anko, what are you doing here at four in the morning?" Anko's steps did not falter at the question, she just moved right up to the Hokage and smacked him resoundly across the face.

Minato was stunned for a second, but quickly found his voice, and turned angry eyes of his own back on the woman. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Shut up, that's the least you deserve for keeping her death from me!" That reply was not what Minato had expected. He turned to look at the door, sighing inwardly when he noticed that it was closed and the silencing seal had been placed across the frame. With that, his frame relaxed and he turned his gaze back to the now crying woman in front of him.

Tears streamed down Anko's cheeks in silent rivers, her eyes remaining open and filled with rage. "How did you find out about Kushina's death?" Minato's voice was hollow and flat, the last word causing Anko to grit her eyes closed and fall to her knees. "What led you to investigate her hospital room?" Sobs came from the woman on the floor, but she slowly raised her head to look the man in the eyes. In a moment, she had gathered herself and wiped the tears from her face.

"When you left for the council meeting, I questioned Yuugito about the glamour genjutsu she had used upon you. It was very powerful, but was apparently only staying active through the constant circulation of her chakra. When I applied restraining chakra bands, the glamour fell away completely, and she was immediately aware of having been put under a hypnosis technique when in Rice country. The Yamanaka's have hence narrowed down the identity of that man to Orochimaru, in possession of the Sharingan." The woman paused, her tears seeming to threaten to return. "But none of that tells me why you didn't damn well tell me about Kushina!" For the first time in a long time, Minato grew worried about the black marks that suddenly spread across Anko's face. The woman gasped and fell to her knees, clutching at her shoulder. In moments, the mark had passed and returned to normal.

"No one knows of Kushina's passing save for top ANBU operatives that I personally cleared, and top medical staff that Hiashi-san allowed to work on the medical ninjutsu and genjutsu techniques. I had to do so to prevent social and political unrest before the signing of the Tri-Village Treaty." Minato had moved down to help the woman up but she had jerked away, anger still burning in her eyes.

"None of that though has anything to do with not trusting me with this information! I loved her, maybe not as much as you did, but it's still true…She was the one who helped me the most after Orochimaru tossed me aside…" Her voice had started out angry, but had now quieted to barely more than a whisper. The glistening of new sets of tears hung on her eyelashes, begging to fall.

"I'm sorry Anko, but I could not risk a security breach of this information." Minato tried once again to reach out and help the woman up, and this time she acquiesced, allowing herself to be led to a chair where she could sit.

"Fat lot of help that did…Orochimaru still learned of Kushina's death and about the coming arrival of the Kumo ninja." Minato stiffened instantly, looking back over the last five minutes of information in a flash. His breath suddenly hitched and he fixed Anko with a fearful expression.

"What, all I said was that the snake bastard found out about what happened. We all know that there have to be leaks to him somewhere, right?" Minato shook his head, causing Anko to stare more, her brain starting to work through the mental gears of what had happened.

"All of the people that had been informed were cleared by me and Ibiki for ANBU, and similarly for the Hyuuga. But someone on the medical staff still found out about the situation. Which means, the mole for Orochimaru is probably somewhere within the medical staff of the hospital." Realization dawned in the special jonin's eyes, and she immediately jumped up and grabbed Minato by the arm.

"We have to find that person now, Minato. If they can tell us about Orochimaru after he just recently gained the Sharingan, we can move quickly enough to actually stop him from gaining too much power." Minato nodded and wrapped an arm around Anko's waist. His hand already grasped one of his Hirashin kunai, and he had them disappearing into the void before he could notice the light blush on Anko's cheeks.

xXxXxXx

Tonight was not a good night for Kabuto…He had overseen the interaction between Minato and Yuugito and had strengthened the glamour the whole time in order to ensure success. Then, just as Yuugito was poised to deliver the poison kiss that Kabuto had placed on her lips, Anko Mitarashi, that failed experiment, had shown up and ruined everything. 'We were so close to having the short-game destruction of the leaf become possible! Now I probably have to evacuate and leave before they discover who I really am…' Kabuto fled through the trees of Konoha, silently executing the two chuunin guards on duty with ease as he passed through one of the village's side gates. In an instant he was in the forest, heading out with all haste for Rice Country.

'I may have jumped the gun a little on leaving; it's entirely possible they still wouldn't have figured out that I was the mole. Even still, Minato Namikaze is not a man to be trifled with; killing him now is going to have to involve some outside power, as even Orochimaru-sama fears his abilities.' Turning an eye back toward his home of the last three years, Kabuto smiled ruefully at his lost chance of work. 'Things had been going so well too; from issuing that false order to capture a Hyuuga, to mentally controlling that Kumo ninja to kill Kushina, our plans had been moving flawlessly toward perfection. But whether that was the guidance of Orochimaru-sama or of Madara, I'm not quite sure. Still, it's a shame to leave an uncompleted job behind.' As Kabuto mused he noted lights flicking on in the hospital proper.

"Looks like they discovered me after all…good thing I left a mess of things there so that it will take them a while to catch up." Turning Kabuto leaped through the trees, his feet already bidding him toward Rice Country. "Orochimaru-sama will be pleased at the changes in the world at least; things are finally starting to turn again after so many years of peace…"

xXxXxXx

(Several Years Later)

Naruto could barely keep his head up as he looked over the classroom. Last night he had a terrible dream about his mother again, and it had kept him up the whole night at Shikamaru's place. The blonde had chosen to sit in the back, up by the highest window, letting him look down over all the others. He noticed Sakura sitting in the middle area of the room, all the way up against the far wall. Sasuke was at the very front of the room, as always, and seemed to be focusing on his fingernails and trying to ignore the blushing and interested fan girls surrounding him. It honestly made Naruto sick, which was one reason why he always came to class late. It allowed him to avoid his fan-club and keep to himself. Added to that was the fact that Naruto chose a horrendous orange colored jumpsuit to keep the number of his fans to a minimum, unlike the fashionably dressed Uchiha. 'Still, you'd think that he'd wear something besides that outfit that Sakura picked for him way back when…but at least it goes with his sword.' Naruto adjusted his headband and stifled a yawn, fighting to keep his eyes open as Iruka walked in with the team placements.

"Alright, listen up for your team placements. All of you passed the exam, so you all will know be placed on teams and given missions to follow, is that understood?" Iruka looked over the class as he got a less than empathetic response to his call and sighed. It was always this way with his class, ever since the group started modeling themselves after the two biggest slackers, Naruto and Shikamaru. Both of them performed the bare minimum of class participation, never really acting on something unless Iruka forced them to care.

As Iruka called out the names, Naruto could barely force himself to care. Another year had passed, and he had graduated the academy at the regular age of twelve, much to his father's disappointment. 'Still, not like I care what the old man thinks…just because he graduated at age ten doesn't mean I have to…though honestly, I could have completed all of this stuff back before Mom died…' Naruto sank further into his funk, barely even catching the names being called out.

"Team Seven will be Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno and Naruto Namikaze" That got Naruto to perk up a bit. 'So, the whole gang is together huh? Guess dad was forced to do that since the three of us have been inseparable the last few years…' Naruto smiled a bit at that, remembering how Sakura had comforted the two of them after the return of the Konoha mission those many years ago. She had helped Naruto through the pain of losing his mother, and Sasuke through the pain of losing his older brother and most of his clan.

'She really is the only thing that held us all together…guess even dad can see that we needed her to keep going. Not like he cares now that he and Anko are settling down' Bile rose in Naruto's throat as he considered that, forcing himself look out the window in disdain. 'Mom hasn't even been gone that long and the guy is already settling down with a younger woman to boot! And then he wonders why I'm always staying over at Sasuke's or Sakura's, or even Shikamaru's place! The nerve of the man!' Naruto was well into one of his more infamous anger sessions now, his hands going white from their clenched fist grip.

Naruto came back to reality as he noticed a bunch of the other kids leaving. Looking around, he noticed that only Sasuke and Sakura were left in the room, and the boy sighed loudly breaking the silence. "Looks like our teacher abandoned us, huh?" Sasuke shot a look back at Naruto with a similarly chagrined expression, and then shrugged.

"What else is new? Besides, if we have some spare time, I say we leave a little surprise for the stupid jonin!" Sasuke rolled his eyes, but Sakura stifled a small laugh in response. The girl moved from her seat at the top of the class down to the front row where Sasuke was sitting. She had on a simple pink battle dress with no sleeves, and knee length black short underneath. Her hair was cropped around her neck length and a new Konoha headband was strapped across the front of her forehead.

"Still, I'm glad I got paired with you two at least. I don't know what I would have done had I been stuck with Ino as she clamored on about boys and shopping." Sasuke smirked and laughed lightly to himself at this, catching Sakura's attention. "You know, you really could be nicer to her Sasuke, I mean, she does lead your fan-club and all." The girl ribbed him lightly in the side with her elbow, causing the boy to brush her off.

"Just because she leads my fan-club doesn't mean I have to be a fan of her. Besides, half the time I can barely tell if she wants to be with me or with Naruto." At the mention of his name, the blonde ninja shushed the other two as he carefully placed an eraser between the cracks of the sliding door. "She's way too obnoxious and loud, like most of the blonde's I know." Naruto shot Sasuke a dirty look as he walked over and sat next to the others.

Sakura laughed lightly and wrapped her arms around both of the boys' shoulders. "Won't she be jealous then with having both of you all to myself?" The two struggled to get out from under her grasp before Naruto got a mischievous grin in his eyes. The blonde reached over and startled tickling the pinkette, causing her to laugh and pull away. Normally, this would have been a perfect escape, but Sasuke had gone for the same thing as Naruto, and ended up tickling her chest instead. The girl blushed terribly, and then darkened into a mood of rage, turning on both of the perpetrators. "Oh Sasuke-kun…I think we need to have a talk about personal boundries…" Her voice was venom, and luckily it gave Naruto the chance to create a shadow clone for Sasuke to swap with. Sakura paused for a moment at this, and both boys took it as their chance to escape, quickly fleeing in opposite directions.

"This is all your fault Sasuke! Jeez, why do I stick my neck out for you sometimes, it doesn't even make any sense!" Naruto jumped over tables and chairs as the angered girl chased the two of them at top speed.

"Don't waste time talking Naruto, just run! If she catches either of us, we're in big trouble." Sasuke's face was an image of abject terror as he raced through the classroom, avoiding the wrath of his friend. Both of them knew, from personal experience, that an angered Sakura was the last thing anyone wanted chasing after them.

During their running around, they missed the quiet opening of the door and the drop of the eraser onto a clearly unaware jonin. Turning as one, they looked fairly farcical as Naruto held a struggling Sakura back from choking Sasuke. Still, all of this stopped as Sakura and Naruto turned as one and yelled at the silver haired ninja in standard garb. "HAH, YOU FELL FOR IT!" Sasuke had the decency to right his clothes before turning and smirking haughtily at the ninja.

The man paused for a second, rubbing his fingers along his chin. Naruto had never even seen this ninja before, but for some reason he felt like he knew him. It stood to reason that he would remember the guy though, that strange headband placed across one of his eyes. "Let me see, I'd have to say that my first impression of you guys is…" all of the gennin leaned forward to hear what he had to say "…I hate you." All three of the individuals glared daggers his way respectively, and the man sniggered inwardly a little. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an orange little book and turned to leave the classroom. "Follow me, we're going to head to the roof and do some basic introductions." Naruto still felt like he recognized the guy from somewhere, and the orange book only furthered his suspicion.

Once they were all settled on the rooftop, the man sighed and put his book down, giggling a little as he did. "Alright then, why don't we start by introducing ourselves…you know, likes, dislikes, dreams for the future, hobbies, stuff like that…" all three of the gennin eyed the man wearily once more, but Sasuke shrugged and went first.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha, I like fried rice and salted meat, and I dislike candy or chocolate. My dream for the future is to lead the Uchiha clan once more to greatness, and to bring Madara Uchiha to justice for what he has done to this village," This caused the whole group to pause for a second and give Sasuke a strange glance. "My hobbies are Kendo and shuriken manipulation. I'm also a fire type, and have mastered several fire ninjutsu." The boy looked up for a moment as if remembering something. "I also have these to give to my teammates before we continue." The boy pulled out chakra slips, surprising everyone else. Naruto and Sakura remembered them from the far off birthday party, causing both of them to smile lightly.

The jonin for his part raised a single eyebrow, and motioned for them to continue. Sakura channeled a bit of chakra into the paper, and it soaked and dripped on her, causing her to drop it rather quickly in a gasp of surprise. Naruto took his and it split straight up the center. Sasuke gripped his expecting it to turn to ash, but was surprised when it indented sharply first before burning up in his grip.

"Well, I have to say, I'm starting to like this group a little bit…having access to chakra paper and learning your elements early on could make training you lot a bit more bearable. Tell me, how did you all do in your classes?" Sakura turned and looked at the man sharply, shaking her head.

"No way, not until you introduce yourself at least. Especially when you don't have the decency to know not to read book's like that in front of women." Her comment drew the attention of Naruto, who looked suddenly as if he had been hit with a two by four.

"I know who you are now! You're that perverted ninja Kakashi who always comes by whenever Uncle Jiraiya visits!" Turning a serious look towards Sakura, Naruto whispered conspiratorially with her. "This guy's the second biggest pervert I know, so whatever you do, don't let your guard down around him, alright?" Sakura nodded, and Sasuke fixed Kakashi with an even harsher glare than before. Putting his material safely back in his vest pocket, Kakashi sighed and turned to look all of them in the eyes.

"As Naruto here mentioned, my name is Kakashi Hatake, as for my likes and dislikes, that's nothing I'm sharing with any of you just yet…My dreams for the future…" the man paused as if deep in thought "…are also none of your concern, and I have many hobbies and pastimes". All three of the individual students in front of him face faulted at this, thinking along the same lines. 'He didn't tell us anything!'

Naruto sighed and ran his hands through his hair. The wind on the rooftop played with it lightly and the village behind him looked to be in full swing of life. "My name is Naruto Namikaze, though I prefer to go by Uzumaki if given the chance. My likes are ramen and candy, and my dislikes are perverts and people who never have time for those they care about. My hobbies are cooking and gardening, as they give me a chance to earn my keep when I stay at a friend's house. My specialties are shadow clone techniques, and high level explosive seals. I also like practicing difficult taijutsu styles that involve wielding talon kunai." Naruto paused to fix the jonin with a harsh stare. "My goals for the future are to punish all perverts excessively, and to become the greatest Hokage ever." Kakashi was a little struck by the diminutive shinobi's powerful determination, and patted his chest pocket absently to reassure himself of his book's safety.

"Guess that means I'm next. My name is Sakura Haruno, and my likes are dumplings and umeboshi. I dislike all food spicy and all men perverted. My goal for the future is to surpass the legendary Tsunade Senju in terms of medical ability, and to keep myself on par with Naruto and Sasuke. My hobbies are trivia games and needle-work. My current specialties are basic genjutsu and medical ninjutsu, as well as my own thread based trap jutsu." Her gaze took on a softer tone, with a bit of haughtiness behind her emerald green eyes. "And just so you know, I graduated top of the class, ahead of Sasuke. Naruto was ranked around the bottom since he never really tried, the idiot." Naruto smirked slightly and ducked his head blushing a bit.

"Sounds like I have a rather strong team of gennin then…I hope you make it through tomorrow's test." All of the other's snapped up at this, worry registering in their eyes.

"Oh, so Iruka didn't tell you huh? All of the jonin give one final test to the graduating rookies. Only a third or so of the teams usually make it through, and it really depends on the person giving the test." Kakashi was thankful for his mask as it allowed him to keep a relatively straight face while smiling so much sometimes.

"How hard is your test?" Sasuke was the one asking, and had a hard look set in his onyx eyes.

"Well for the last nine teams I've tested…none have passed." Fear definitely played through all of them, save Sasuke, whose look only became more determined. "If you still want to risk it, you could show up early tomorrow, around eight, at training ground forty four…" Kakashi couldn't help but starting to laugh at the looks on all of their faces. "I always love how much rookies flip out when they hear about the test. Well, the papers are there for it, so I'll see you tomorrow I guess." The jonin handed out the slips of paper and turned to leave.

"Oh and one last thing; if you don't want to throw up, you should skip breakfast." With that, the mysterious man disappeared into a puff of smoke, his orange book out and giggling as he left.

xXxXxXx

Okay, so I know this was bit of a surprise transition from one story arc to the next. Sorry for the abruptness of it, but I felt as a writer, that I did not have the skill to adequately lead you through the changes I had planned in real time. I find the use of flashbacks much easier to work with, so I'm going to employ them here to explain the development of the three main characters over the time skipped years, rather than lead you through them. I do this both for the sake of the work, and for my own sanity. I have so many ideas about how I want to change the storyline once we get to the team being gennin that I just had to get on with the waiting. I hope I've left enough mystery about the possible changes in the world, as well as left some hidden things to work from when developing the flashback sets for this new world.

That being said, I would like to thank all of the avid fans out there. I know it took forever for me to finish this arc, but I would like to assure you that I will be returning (though probably not till sometime in the summer) to continue this story of their development and training as Team Kakashi. Expect my return sometime around June 15th or so, but until then I hope you've enjoyed the story and leave a review or two. I'll be continuing this story as a sequel that will be titled "The Death of the Fourth Hokage" and it will lead us up to and through the Chuunin exams as well as finding the fifth Hokage. Do not expect it to directly involve Minato's death though; wanted to give that as a heads up here. The death that will occur is going to be more emotional than physical, and that's all I'm saying on it. Hope to see the hits returning around June when the next story is started and for those that have stuck with me throughout this process, thanks for the help along the way! As always, read and review!