"Shino, come back to bed," the pink haired Uzumaki commanded, wrapped in her dark blue bed sheet. A small smile graced the Aburame heir's lips. Some may think Tayuya and he were a mismatched pair but that was superficial. While she was passionate and he reserved, she was not irrational nor illogical. Her hard life had made her cutting but Shino appreciated that bluntness, that honesty. It was refreshing, that she was more animated than any other girl he knew simply added to the attraction.
Shino broke from his reverie, knowing she was expecting a response. Shino would love nothing more than to return but he couldn't, not now anyway.
"I am sorry, Tayuya, but I cannot. As you know, Naruto's return is today and we are to meet at Kurenai-sensei's."
"I'm sure you have time. Besides, Stump can wait."
"Friends should not make each other wait, Tayuya."
"And boyfriends shouldn't deprive their girlfriends, Shino. It's been a month and it was two months before that," she said and Shino could hear the edge in her voice. She was nearing the limits of her patience, which weren't in excess to begin with. He wouldn't complain though, he knew that about her. She was fiery and passionate. But also accepting, of him, his manner and his choices.
Shortly, after the formation of the new InoShikaCho, Shino joined the Hunter Ninja Corps. The training was grueling, the assignments even more so. He'd improved immensely because of it, becoming a better tracker, fighter, and assassin. Like Shikamaru, Shino knew he'd grown reliant on his teammates and Sensei. They were a well-balanced team, as well-balanced as any genin team with Naruto would be but that very balance posed its own limitations.
His current position corrected that, hunter ninja often working alone unless the threat is too great. Shino didn't mind the solitude or the harsh routine, but he did miss his team and Tayuya. She was right, he could be gone for a day or several months and rarely knew which it would be. He looked at the clock on the chest of drawers. He had more time, and if he were a little late he knew his team would forgive him. Friends forgive each other. Shino slipped back into bed, being greeted with a kiss. It was confirmation he'd made the right choice.
"Next time, just get back in the fucking bed, asshole," Tayuya said, though there was no real anger behind her words.
"Hai, hai," Shino agreed, smiling internally all the while.
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"BOSS!" the young Sarutobi exclaimed, making a mad dash toward the target of those words. The sea of people parted, allowing Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon to move quickly to their older brother figure. Naruto turned when he heard the shout, smiling at the upcoming trio, each proudly displaying their headbands. Naruto didn't pay attention to it, but several onlookers had fond smiles themselves watching the Honorable Grandson make his way to the once pariah.
"Boss, you're back!" Konohamaru said, excitement not having diminished in the least
"Hey, you guys have gotten big," Naruto said good-naturedly.
"Us? Boss, you're so tall now," Udon remarked as the other two genin nodded in agreement.
"Yea, finally hit a growth spurt or two. How's ninja life treating you?"
"You should have warned us about D-ranks, Boss," Konohamaru pouted.
"But where's the fun in that? Besides, if you do them well you don't have to do them long. Besides, I'm sure Ebisu-san is training you well, right?"
"Hai," Moegi responded, "thanks to you we don't have to do a lot of the basics like other teams."
"Yep, and now that you're back we can get some kickass ninjutsu!" Konohamaru added, pumping his fist in the air. Naruto laughed.
"We'll see, I'll have to talk to Ebisu-san to make sure I'm not throwing off his training plan."
"So, Boss," Konomaharu started, his excitement diminishing enough to realize Naruto was and had been holding flowers the entire time they've been speaking, "who are the flowers for, your girlfriend?" All three genin were dismayed when they saw the sad smile form on Naruto's face.
"No, Konohamaru, this is for an old friend I haven't seen in a while. I was just on my way there so I'll catch up with you guys later, ok?"
"Alright, Boss," Udon agreed and watched as Naruto disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
"Kono, you idiot," Moegi stated.
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking. Do you think he's mad?"
"I doubt it. Naruto-nii knows you're kinda dumb," Udon observed, plainly. This caused a tic mark to form on Konohamaru's forehead.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That you can be dense, Monkey Boy," Moegi backed Udon up.
"I get no respect, I tells ya. No respect at all," Konohamaru said while under a depression cloud.
As Konohamaru sulked Naruto arrived at his destination. It'd been years since he'd been here but the place hadn't changed. Eerily quiet, competing scents of various flowers. The environment felt heavy as if the decades of mourners' collective sorrow coalesced and surrounded everything, never leaving. He kept a steady gate as he made his way to his intended location. It hadn't taken long. While not ornate, the gravestone was adorned with various flowers and trinkets. Naruto added his own, an arrangement of white lilies, pink carnations, and blue hydrangea.
"Hinata Hyuuga; Sister, Daughter, Ninja," Naruto read the gravestone aloud. "We hadn't known each other long… I regret that because even if it were short I considered you a true friend. I wish I could have told you that it didn't matter, I didn't hold your observing me against you. You hadn't hurt anyone and maybe those days you silently supported me gave me the strength to continue when I wanted to give up and give in.
There are so many things I want to tell you but it seems hollow now. I hope you're experiencing the freedom you desired and are at peace. I don't know what I can do but I'll try to look out for Hanabi, however with you as a role model I doubt she'll need it. Shikamaru is taking care of your team but I'll make sure he doesn't get lazy, the bastard. And I won't even punch your dad out, which I had been planning on doing for an unrelated matter. So, don't worry; everyone will be ok. Goodbye, Hinata."
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He bowed before the man, his primary tormentor; someone he'd been quickly coming to despise as much as he had Danzo and Sasori. Kabuto wondered if one of the reasons the Sandaime allowed Danzo so much freedom was that the two were more alike than they wanted to admit, Danzo acting as the Sandaime's id; indulging in the darkness the Fire Shadow could not be linked to but was no less capable of being immersed if not for his position.
Kabuto hated this study, the furniture, bookshelves, and moldings all made from the trees grown by Hashirama-sama. The room smelled of pipe smoke, parchment, and ink. Even removed from power, the man sat behind his desk as if he were above all, still the God of Shinobi. It burned Kabuto, the insulting nature of his situation. That he was forced to betray his Mistress when he only wanted to protect her from the Uzumaki's influence, to get back to their work. Instead, he had to kneel before this fossil, inhale his second-hand smoke and obey his orders.
"It has been three years, Kabuto. Three years and you've given me nothing actionable, nothing of value on Orochimaru's plans. Do you think my patience infinite, Kabuto-kun?"
"No, Sandaime-sama. I have tried but Orochimaru-sama is distrusting by her very nature. If I pushed too far she would get suspicious and I would be of no use to you."
"Of what use are you to me now?"
"I told you of her secret room."
"That you have no access to and no way of getting in," Hiruzen countered, smoke billowing from the latest drag of his pipe.
"I am working on that," Kabuto said in his defense.
"Ah, yes, young Karin-chan. Had Orochimaru not taught you any seduction techniques? Surely, it should not take this long to bring her to your side or dupe her outright."
"Karin is a gifted sensor and can detect insincerity, I have to proceed carefully."
"The time for being careful has elapsed. I wanted Orochimaru dealt with before Naruto-kun returned. He has done so and I have no doubt she will not waste a moment ensnaring him."
Kabuto bristled at the Sandaime's words, not liking the characterization of his Mistress. It was this dissatisfaction that loosened his tongue. "If you are so concerned about Naruto's virtue, maybe Hokage-sama should have seen to his upbringing more than simply leaving him to his own devices. Instead of being a cowa-," he did not get to finish his statement as a powerful hand was now around his throat, Kabuto lifted off the ground.
"Do you forget who I am, boy? I have sent more people to the Pure Land than you've met. You think your Mistress is powerful? Who do you think made her that way? Never dare speak about things you do not know in my presence," the Sandaime said before releasing the boy and dismissing him. Kabuto left, rubbing his sore neck not chancing the repercussions should he glare at the old man.
When alone, Hiruzen sagged his shoulders and sighed. He did not like the tactics he was using against the young medic. He did not like using people as pawns, sacrificial or otherwise. But, he reasoned, this was for Naruto-kun. He had to pressure Kabuto enough to get sloppy and tip his hand. In a blind rage, Orochimaru would kill him and he'd finally have something on her as Kabuto was, technically, a shinobi in good standing.
Tsunade would not be able to ignore the violation, he'd do anything within his influence to make sure she couldn't sweep it under the rug. Orochimaru would be stripped of her status and either imprisoned or banished. With a clan, ties to the current Hokage and his team Naruto-kun wouldn't leave. Hiruzen truly believed that. Then, Hiruzen could mend the severely damaged bridge between his surrogate grandson and him. He just needed time.
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Koharu and Orochimaru had departed after the debrief and strategy session, only Tsunade and Jiraiya remained. Jiraiya was not used to those hazel eyes looking at him in concern and he wondered what could be on his former teammate's mind.
"I noticed neither Naruto nor you provided much in the way of details about the training trip."
"He didn't want to reveal too much in front of Orochi and I honestly didn't think you'd believe me if I told you." That was not a suspected response.
"Why wouldn't I believe you?"
"Because I've seen him do things, repeatedly, and still have difficulty believing them."
"Fine, I'll just have to watch his and Orochi's fight to see what she drags out of him. Beyond his skills, are you two alright?"
"We're fine," Jiraiya replied but he could see the disbelief in Tsunade's eyes. "Truly, we are in a really good place."
"And how did that happen? Jiraiya, if I beat you within an inch of your life then Naruto had you at a half an inch. Mount Myoboku might be beautiful but it wasn't worth the trip to see you clinging to life. You never did tell me what caused it."
"The gap between my words and my actions caught up to me in the form of a pissed off Uzumaki."
"Do better, Jiraiya," Tsunade said, her tolerance with Jiraiya's indirectness running out.
"You know what happened in the Land of Iron. Mifune suspected something, he just didn't suspect who wound up being the ringleader in the coup. Naruto… he saw himself in the man, they had gotten close so of course it wasn't easy for Naruto to kill him," Jiraiya said.
"But he did, how does that end up with you two beating the shit out of each other?"
"The man's methods led something to be desired but he wasn't necessarily wrong. Naruto felt he may have protected an oppressive government for the chance we'd have a future ally."
"I could see how he'd find it upsetting, Jiraiya, but not enough to attack you."
"I told him about the prophecy and that I thought he'd be the one to fulfill it. I shared a lot of my philosophies with him, some he'd entertain and some he'd reject. But seeing how I put him on the path to kill a man that just wanted to change things for the better… the hypocrisy of it all made him snap. He couldn't accept all my preaching about peace when I would put Konoha's interests over others."
"Why would you do that, Jiraiya? Why burden him with that?" asked, more in confusion than anything.
"I believed it to be true, for one. Secondly, he needed direction. Naruto didn't need my help to grow stronger, he'd do that whether I was there or not. But strength isn't everything. He was all science and no philosophy. He doesn't believe in the Will of Fire because of Sensei. Someone had to see to his morals, to put something on his mind beyond jutsu and war. I was tasked with helping him become a man his parents could be proud of."
"Naruto is a good kid, Jiraiya."
"He was also an angry kid. Angry and resentful. He may not dwell on it but it is never far from his mind how they," Jiraiya points out the window, "treated him. I just wanted to give him something larger to shoot for, something more. Maybe it could have helped him come to terms with everything. But with the coup, it just looked like I didn't really believe what I was preaching. I was just like Sensei, trying to manipulate him to my own ends. He snapped."
"So, what changed?"
"While I was healing he spent time with the Panthers. I don't know what happened, he would never tell me but he just seemed so much lighter once we reunited. We talked, really talked, for hours. And over the following days, we just kept talking. And now, we're at a really good place."
"As long as I don't have to worry about you two getting into a brawl in the streets that'll have to do."
"I don't think you have anything to worry about, Hime."