"Do you have enough clothes?"
"Yes."
"Enough water?"
"Yes."
"Weapons?"
"Yes, yes, and yes. I have enough of everything." Naruto said while rolling his eyes in faux annoyance. Truthfully, he liked the attention and that someone worried enough about him to do all of this. But Tsunade's and Jiraiya's snickering was of no help at all. Shizune looked at her little brother figure as if to weigh the truth of his words. She's aware he dabbles in sealing and likely has his equipment there but he's going to a foreign village in a desert, she feels right to worry.
"Oink!" Tonton says while squirming in Shizune's arms.
"I won't forget, Ton-chan." Naruto said.
"Alright, brat, go kick some ass. Also, see if you can get some action going." Tsunade said, slipping him some ryo.
"Tsunade-sama, that's improper." Shizune scolded and Tsunade just waved her off. Naruto took the money and shot her a wink, no sense in not buttressing his income for this asinine mission. When Orochimaru-shishou informed him he'd be fighting Gaara he was less than enthused. Especially not in Suna, a place with an excess of sand. He still believes he can beat his Suna counterpart but he truthfully has little interest in him. Whatever Suna did to Gaara, they broke him and he's more mad dog than shinobi. What value is there in victory over a beast?
Naruto's team had said their goodbyes the night before as they had a mission schedule for today. Kurenai, like Shizune, ran down the list of things he needed to bring and ordered him to stay properly hydrated. Shikamaru wished him luck through a series of troublesomes and Shino bid him fair travels. The last person he was to speak to was the person that had been training him non-stop for the previous month.
Naruto hadn't added much to his ninjutsu arsenal but he had improved on utilizing them. His Lava and Ice jutsu still took too much time and lacked proper control to be field ready but Orochimaru was confident it would come with time. His mornings started with a workout and then a spar with Kimimaro. He has come to like the stoic boy, even if said boy calls him "Akagami" instead of his name. Though as far as nicknames go, it is pretty benign.
From there he'd eat and then start on his instruction from Orochimaru. More than anything, she was preparing him to face the Akatsuki members and while he couldn't match their power, he could out strategize them with her knowledge of their abilities. Various scenarios were covered for each of the known members and some tentative plans were created. He'd have to develop some more jutsu to handle them but he was confident he'd be as ready as he could be when the time came.
After the study session she'd work on his various skills, helping him grow more comfortable with his mother's kenjutsu style or other things like predicting behavior from body language. She even started teaching him some of her Hebi style, though he'd have to get much more flexible to really incorporate it. That would usually go on until late afternoon and he was free for the evening. He'd spend an hour absorbing the information from his shadow clones, learning from the materials his mother stored in their "vault" which was really just a sealing array that could be accessed from multiple points, if you knew the array and had the right chakra signature.
Once he'd done that and meditated he'd release the resistance seals as he only wore them during the day or when training and go visit his team or spend time with Tayuya and Karin. The three finally decided on a design for their house/ future compound and it would be located by the Mask Storage Temple. Because of the security seals Naruto planned to incorporate along with some other features, the building would take awhile but it'd be worth it when it was all said and done.
It had been a good month all told. He was gaining experience, refining his skills. Yep, everything was good. Except the repeated sex dreams he was having about Orochimaru. They didn't happen nightly but each time got more graphic and making eye contact with her the next morning was incredibly awkward for the Uzumaki. The only reason he managed to do so was out of fear where his traitorous eyes might drift to if left to their own devices. He didn't want to piss off a Sannin, especially not one that literally knew where he slept. But ignoring his burgeoning sexual awakening, it was a good month.
"I expect you to win." Orochimaru relayed while stroking his whiskered cheek. He fought back the knee jerk reaction that came from people doing that, something he hadn't learn until Shizune did it after his mission to Ishval. Badass ninja do not purr! He just knew his father wouldn't and he'd be no different.
"Hai." was the muted response.
"And don't do anything perverted with Jiraiya."
"Hai." After ruffling his hair she walks away confident her apprentice will handle the Kazekage's son.
"Well, brat, we need to go." Jiraiya spoke then took off.
"Alright. Bye everyone!" Naruto exclaimed and waved while catching up with the Gama Sannin.
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Orochimaru soon arrived to Hiruzen's office as she was to be assigned a mission. It was his justification for why she could not travel to Suna with her student. She found the thought amusing, until Kabuto arrived with an ANBU escort looking worse for wear. That, wasn't amusing in the slightest. Both former traitor and former spy entered the Hokage's office to see Kakashi, Gai and Asuma also there.
"Sensei."
"Orochimaru. We need to start the transition to making Oto a true protectorate of Konoha. I'm sending my top jounin with you to get the necessary information, including a full roster of your employed ninja and any projects you may have. I expect you back in a week's time."
"Is that all?"
"Yes, leave within the hour."
"Hai."
The group of five departed, each going to prepare their things and the jounin sensei going to inform their students they'd be gone for a week. Orochimaru waited until they were alone before she asked Kabuto how he was and what happened. He assured his Mistress that it was a simple interrogation, nothing extreme. He wouldn't betray her for the Leaf, he holds no love for the village nor the man that allowed that monster Danzo to trick his mother into trying to kill him. No, Konoha could never have his loyalty.
"I knew this would happen eventually. Good thing I ordered Guren to end my existing experiments." the snake Sannin said, causing Kabuto to readjust his glasses, a tick she noticed. "Speak, Kabuto."
"I just don't know why we had to end our work, Orochimaru-sama. We could have been close to some outstanding breakthroughs."
"Or not and it would jeopardize my position here for little gain. We'll start back up eventually, it's merely a short term loss." He adjusted his glasses again. "What, Kabuto?"
"Nothing, Orochimaru-sama. Guess I was just invested in those experiments more than I realized."
"Understandable." she spoke and the two remained quiet.
Gai found his team at their normal training grounds, all three working separately. It had only been two weeks since Neji got his prosthetic arm but Gai could tell the boy was beyond relieved. He was happy, his team had been made whole and were working harder than ever, youthful flames indeed. What concerned Gai is that much of their focus was not on enemy nin but a comrade, one Uzumaki Naruto. He understands why. Naruto battered Neji and Lee's bodies; he also damaged their collective pride. They assumed they were the strongest genin in the village, and rightfully so as Naruto was a genin in name only. But their defeats, the maiming and near murder are forever etched in their memories.
One one hand, Gai wants to help them get over their near hatred for Naruto. By shinobi standards he did nothing wrong and they need to understand this, especially if Sandaime-sama orders them to participate in the Ame invasion. They may have to work with Naruto, be led by him and there won't be time for squabbles when real enemies are afoot. It may cost them their careers or their lives. But there is another part of him that wants them to keep this drive as it may leave them to be as prepared for what is coming as anything else. It's a fine line and the normally boisterous Jounin is at a loss of what to do.
"YOSH, MY YOUTHFUL STUDENTS FALL IN!" he shouted and awaited for them to do as instructed. Once they did Gai proceeded to tell them of his mission to Oto and that he'd be gone for a week. He instructed them to continue their training and he'd see them soon.
"Wait, sensei. Isn't Orochimaru the Uzumaki bastard's sensei? Is he going as well?" asked Tenten.
"No, Naruto has been assigned another mission in Suna. It appears the youthful Kazekage desires to see the match that would have been the Chunin exam finals."
"Oh, well I hope he isn't grievously injured by that lunatic." Tenten replied.
"It would be a shame if such a fate befell him." Neji rejoined.
"Your intentions are unyouthful, my students. He is a comrade and you'd do well to remember that. Now I must be off." Gai spoke before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.
Asuma was also informing his students of his upcoming departure and instructed them to get extra training in with their clans in his absence. Telling them to train together is a waste, two of them won't bother and the third won't do anything to force the issue. His team is a mess and the should be leader is becoming more and more disconnected from the rest. Hinata respects him, if sometimes grudgingly. He is man enough to admit that's his fault, he was too lax when they first formed. He had his reasons, it wasn't simply out of laziness but given the existing dynamics he should have been more forceful to start.
With what's approaching, Asuma knows there isn't a chance in hell his team will be activated to participate. The only one even remotely close is Hinata, especially after she revealed her skills in archery. Such a long range threat can't be dismissed. She's got the combat skills to be chunin but the leadership qualities haven't shown themselves and he hasn't any clue on how to bring them out. His other charges just need to get bloody and mature. None of their C-ranks have gone awry so they have a false sense of what this life can entail, even for clan kids. He realized this during the Chunin exams but hasn't been successful in getting them to transition. He'd have to amend that soon. Asuma dismissed them after relaying his orders.
"Hinata, hang back."
"Yes, Sensei?"
"Hinata, I'm going to be blunt. This team is a mess. And it's a mess because of two of its members. Like to guess which two?"
"Ino and Choji-kun would be the obvious answer but I'm guessing they'd be too obvious."
"Yes, it's us. I should have been on you guys from the start, that's my fault and I will be rectifying it when I return. But you? You should be this team's leader but you're content to just hang back and let the others continue on when you know better. Why?"
"I don't want to be a leader."
"Interesting position for an heiress."
"Don't want to be that either."
"Then what do you want?" Hinata snorted.
"That's an excellent question, Sensei."
Kakashi arrived to his team's training ground and watched as Kiba played with Akamaru, as it wasn't really training. Sakura sat under a tree staring at Sasuke and Sasuke looked off into the void. He held back a sigh at his team. Kakashi knows depression. He's suffered through it, battled it and frankly felt he's lost to it more times than not so he knows Sasuke even getting out of bed is a triumph. Losing your purpose that is almost indescribable. He sympathizes with the last Uchiha and has ordered him to see a professional to help. It hasn't been long so there aren't much in the way of results but Sasuke didn't fight him on it, so he'll take it.
Kiba would be fine, he has his family and his partner but Kakashi would remain diligent so the Inuzuka doesn't become one dimensional. Sakura… god he didn't know what to do with Sakura. No branch of the shinobi arts seem to grab her. Genjutsu? She could do a few but the creativity and subtlety required to truly excel in the art? She didn't have it and didn't want to develop it. Iryojutsu? She could do it and her brief tenure at the hospital during the Chunin Exams break seemed to spark an ember but the experienced mednins found her ambivalence distasteful. Fair or not, they expected a certain level of zeal if you engaged in the healing arts. Taijutsu? If he made her and he did make her. Ninjutsu? With her reserves, he'd almost be killing the kid if he pushed her too hard. She was good for her level, her skills were solidly genin and he didn't know how to push her forward.
"Mah, mah, my cute genin I have news." All three stopped what they were doing and looked at Kakashi, making no move to actually come toward him. He'd have to work on their discipline as well. Sure, he didn't really portray any but he was a former ANBU and an elite Jounin, the rules were different for him. They'd have to earn their disrespect. "I've been assigned a week long mission to Oto. Please keep up with your training while I'm gone." Seeing nods he departs, keenly aware that the little bastards didn't even say goodbye. If Naruto were here he'd say goodbye.