Chapter 1 – The Rokudaime Hokage & the new Spy Master

The war had been a long and bloody affair. Many people had lost their lives due to the selfish ambitions of two Uchiha: Madara and Obito. So many things happened during this war. Some were good, some were bad, but what really mattered is that everything that had taken place during the war had taken its toll on those involved. When the Infinite Tsukuyomi had been cast, everyone thought it was all over. This is where events took a rather strange turn.

The heroes of the war, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, soon witnessed Madara's death at the hands of Black Zetsu, who had been secretly working towards the goal of reviving one Kaguya Otsutsuki, progenitor of chakra and mother of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the legendary Sage of the Six Paths. However, while one would expect this to be a good thing, it turned out to be a terrible happening instead! So, once more, the heroes were forced to fight.

After a long and grueling fight with the misguided woman, Naruto and Sasuke managed to bring about her end and the end of Black Zetsu as well. In the end, these two managed to free everyone from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, saved a countless number of lives, and were hailed as what they were: heroes. However, despite their actions, the dead could not be revived. The Jinchuriki were no more, leaving only Naruto and Gaara remaining behind. Neji Hyuga, who had died valiantly to protect his dear friend, would forever be lost to the world. So many dead, and so many would grieve their losses. Thus is the price of war…

Everyone had returned to their villages after the war, each of the Kage vowing to do everything in their power to keep the peace, refusing to let anyone threaten it. It had taken this war to unite the Elemental Nations, and this war had shown them just how senseless their own, personal feuds and grudges had been. If anyone dared try and ruin this peace, they vowed to do everything in their power to neutralize the threat.

At this moment in time however, a new Hokage was being anointed. He was one of the heroes of the Fourth Shinobi War, but it was not the one people might have expected. Scrap that, it was not the person that everyone who knew the blonde ninja had hoped it would be! Yes, Sasuke Uchiha had been named the Rokudaime Hokage, much to the disappointment of all those that had grown so fond of Naruto Uzumaki, the Hero of Konoha.

Tsunade Senju, the Godaime Hokage, had actually been about to announce her dear godson as the Rokudaime just days earlier. However, the very moment she was about to make the speech, the Elders, Homura and Koharu, had stepped forward and announced that they would like to allow the people to choose between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha for their Rokudaime Hokage. This had infuriated Tsunade as she had planned for Naruto to replace her during her entire time in office! And then these rotten old bastards decided to undermine her efforts and pulled this crap!

Despite the fact Sasuke had betrayed the village and done such horrible things, the people had forgiven him and had even pardoned Sasuke for his crimes! Just as Naruto and those that supported him had expected, now that their precious Uchiha had returned to them, they acted as if he had never done anything wrong! As infuriating at this was, it wasn't as horrible as what happened next.

The majority of the village had voted for that traitor to be their Rokudaime Hokage, and no matter what Tsunade tried, the power to choose had been ripped right out of her hands. Her anger boiled over to the point she had actually taken Homura and slammed his head straight through a wall, the old man succumbing to his injuries not long after. This didn't help Tsunade's case any and there had been talk of charging the woman with murder, but nobody dared do anything more to their Godaime, a woman who had done so much for them throughout her time as Hokage that they just couldn't bring themselves to take from her any more than they already had.

So, Naruto and his many supporters were forced to watch as Sasuke Uchiha was declared Rokudaime Hokage and allowed to don the robes that the blonde had so dreamed of wearing for the majority of his life. Even after all that he had done for the people, this one act finally proved to him that, no matter what he did, he would never have the respect of the villagers as a whole.

Oh, sure, they were definitely thankful to him for his heroic deeds, but when compared to their precious fucking Uchiha, none of that mattered! When they needed help, they were more than glad to seek out Naruto Uzumaki, the 'Hero of Konoha' as they called him, but it would just never be enough for them. In the end, the blonde man felt used. He felt terrible and hated that he was stuck watching his rival take his dream from him like this.

After the coronation, Naruto got together a group of his friends and a few others that people wouldn't really expect him to affiliate with, such as Karin. After all, why would he want to be around someone that was one of Sasuke's infamous fan girls, especially after what Sasuke had taken from him? Then again, the blonde hero was in the company of Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka as well, two women that had stated more than once that they were in love with the man that had become their Rokudaime. While some may wonder why Naruto Uzumaki would be in the company of such people, others would tell you that he is just that kind of guy. He is a wonderful person who happens to be both forgiving and very understanding as well.

During the conversation this group of people was sharing with one another, their freshly appointed Hokage approached the group, his old, cocky smirk plastered on his face. "Hello again. It's so good to see you all gathered here together like this. After all, I'd like for you to be the ones to witness my first act as Hokage."

Most of those in the group had scowls on their faces, clearly displeased with Sasuke's presence among them. However, despite their feelings, not one of them said a thing. Instead, they turned their gazes towards Naruto, only to see him step back to allow his rival through, a grin spreading on his face. None of them bothered to ask what that was about, choosing instead to listen to whatever it was Sasuke wanted with them.

The Rokudaime stepped towards Karin and bowed his head just slightly. "Karin. As you are one that has continuously proven herself useful to me, I have come to a decision. You will be the one to help me restore my clan. Karin…" Taking the redhead's hand into his, Sasuke smiled at her in what he felt was a charming way. "You will be my wife."

Hearing this, Naruto Uzumaki broke out into a fit of hysterical laughter, eventually forced to clutch at his stomach from the pain of laughing too much. Sasuke spun on his heel and leveled a glare at the blonde Hero of Konoha. "What the hell do you find so damn funny dobe?!"

Karin retracted her hand from the Uchiha and shook her head. "You're dumber than I thought you were." Obviously, this wasn't what anyone had expected to hear, knowing what they did about the redheaded Uzumaki woman. "Did you really think I was in love with you?"

Sasuke Uchiha's eyes widened and he looked harshly at Naruto. "You knew she would refuse me! What the hell is going on here?! I order you as your Hokage to tell me what is going on!" Whether the others wanted to admit it or not, they were all equally as curious to know!

The blonde Jinchuriki chuckled a little more before finally shaking his head and holding up his left hand, showing off a simple, yet gorgeous ring. "You never suspected her of anything? Wow Sasuke, and they called me an idiot!" Seeing that the Uchiha still wasn't getting it, Naruto moved closer to Karin and wrapped his arm about her waist, hugging her close against him. "Karin-hime and I are engaged Sasuke. We actually have been for a few days now."

As if this news wasn't shocking enough, the redheaded Uzumaki blushed at that and rested her head on Naruto's shoulder. Showing off her engagement ring as well, Karin smiled happily and hugged her newly revealed fiancé close. "Naruto-kun and I have known each other for years Sasuke. Actually, it's been since before I even met you. Naru-kun saved me in the Chunin Exams that were held right here in Konoha."

Naruto nodded at that and decided to continue on from where his wonderful fiancé left off. "I didn't realize we'd end up seeing each other again about a year later. Or, I don't know, however the heck long it was. The point is, we met again when I left on my trip with Ero-sennin. That's when I learned about who she worked for." Smirking at this, the blonde nodded in satisfaction of whatever it was he was remembering. "Despite the fact she worked for Orochimaru, that didn't really bother me. We talked for a while, and we found out that we actually got along pretty well. It helps that we learned that we're both Uzumaki."

Shrugging his shoulders, the blonde kissed his beloved's cheek and smiled sweetly at her. "I'm still amazed you agreed to be my spy. I had been planning to build my own spy network, one that could rival that of Ero-sennin's." Smirking at Sasuke at this point, the blonde-haired hero couldn't help but feel a strange sense of glee at what he would say next. "Karin-hime offered to be my very first spy, and I assigned her to watch over you and report back to me whenever possible with any updates or anything she felt I should know. It wasn't hard to give her tips on how to act in order to gain your trust."

Seeing the raven-haired Hokage's expression changing from one of shock to one of fury, Karin Uzumaki began to giggle, clearly amused at what she was seeing. "'Oh Sasuke-kun! You're so cool! Your chakra attracts me in ways that I can't explain.' It wasn't hard to trick you Uchiha. Naruto-koi's information on you was highly accurate and I was more than happy to spy on you for him. After all, getting to pull one over on an egotistical jerk like you? That's priceless."

Naruto chuckled some more at this and nodded his head slowly. "You would never suspect a fan girl of yours of having some kind of ulterior motive. It helped that Karin-hime has such unique and, more importantly for you at least, useful abilities. However, there's one thing that truly bothers me Sasuke." Taking a step forward, away from his fiancé, the Hero of Konoha's right hand shot up and clenched tightly around Sasuke's neck. As he lifted the Hokage off of the ground, Naruto glared into his eyes. "You took things too fucking far when you tried to kill her to get to Danzo! I don't give a shit about that asshole, but you were willing to kill one of your own allies to achieve your worthless goals! More importantly is the fact that this person you hurt is someone I am deeply in love with! If you weren't the Hokage and I knew I could get away with it, I'd rip out your black heart and feed it to the dogs!"

Karin shivered at this and lowered her gaze. "I still had to play my part even after being brought here to Konoha. And when I saw you again, all I wanted to do was kill you Sasuke. But I saw my mission through until the end. I no longer have any need to spy on you for Naru-koi. I don't have to pretend to care for you anymore. I can finally just be happy with the one I truly love." Walking forward, Karin Uzumaki placed her hands on her fiancé's arm and coerced him into releasing the Rokudaime. When he reluctantly did so, Karin turned him to face her and leaned in, kissing Naruto as passionately as she could so that everyone in the vicinity could see exactly how she feels for him.

Sasuke knelt on the ground, clutching at his throat as he tried to gasp in enough breaths to help him breathe normally again. Naruto had somehow cut off his airways upon assaulting him moments ago, and this fact bothered the Uchiha a great deal. However, the Rokudaime soon began shaking, not in fear, but in rage. Rising to his feet, the Uchiha went to draw his sword, only to suddenly feel himself rooted in place. "Release me this instant Shikamaru! Unless, of course, you'd like to join him?"

Shikamaru shook his head and glanced into Naruto's eyes. "That was very well played Naruto. I didn't think you had it in you to pull something like that off. Still, you have put yourself into a most troublesome situation." Glaring into the new Hokage's eyes, the Nara released a heavy sigh and freed Sasuke from his jutsu. "Killing the Hero of Konoha for tricking you wouldn't look well on your record Sasuke. Perhaps you should take the time to calm yourself before you make any more rash decisions?"

Sasuke, Hero of the 4th Shinobi War, shook his head and scoffed. "Fine then. I'll do this instead." Turning to Naruto, the Uchiha thrust a finger towards the man's face. "Naruto, you are hereby exiled from this village! You have one day to get your things together and then get the hell out of my village before I have you thrown out! Best get packing dobe!" And with that, the Rokudaime spun on his heel, cape flapping behind him as he did, and walked off back towards the Hokage Tower.

This new order had shocked everyone present, except for a select few: the happy couple and Shikamaru Nara. "Well, I'm not at all surprised by that. I was planning to head out anyways, so it's no skin off my back. Still, being exiled seems a little harsh; don't you think so Karin-hime?"

As Karin nodded in response and said a few words to her fiancé, Sakura stepped forward and placed her hand on Naruto's free arm. "Naruto…you can't just go…surely there's something that can be done?"

Naruto quirked a brow at this before looking into his fiancé's eyes. "This is a bit of a shock." Seeing Karin agreed with him, the blonde hero looked right into his teammate's eyes and smiled a bit. "I thought you'd be happy Sakura-chan. You'll probably be the one Sasuke chooses to help him restore his clan once he calms down and takes the time to think on it more. And you won't have me bothering you anymore. Sooo, what gives?"

Before the pinkette could speak, Ino stepped forward and shook her head. "You don't seem to understand Naruto-kun. We don't want you to leave. To me, you're an important friend and someone I cherish. To Sakura…"

The pinkette nodded slowly and fought back the tears she could feel welling up in her eyes. "We worked so hard together Naruto. Not just to bring Sasuke back and put our team back to normal, but…"

Before she could say anything more, Naruto interrupted her. "First off, just Sasuke? No Sasuke-kun? That's a bit unusual for you Sakura-chan. But more seriously, I understand what you're feeling Sakura-chan. We just got our team back together, things looked like they could've brightened up considerably, and now you're losing a precious teammate again because of your other teammate's petty jealousy and anger."

With a sigh, Naruto stepped forward after freeing himself from his fiancé and wrapped his pink-haired friend into a warm embrace. Soon enough, he kissed her broad forehead and stepped back to rejoin Karin. "Just take care of yourself Sakura-chan and try to be happy. Okay?"

As Ino went to speak up, clearly about ready to try and say something more, Sakura raised her hand and shook her head, signaling her to stop. "It's okay Ino. It's…okay." Naruto doesn't need to know how I feel…

When Sakura Haruno turned and began walking off, Ino's mouth dropped slightly before she began glancing back and forth between Naruto and her best friend. Eventually, the Yamanaka woman huffed and walked off to follow Sakura in an attempt to talk some sense into her.

As they left, Naruto and Karin turned to the others in the group and shrugged. "Well guys, it's been nice talking with all of you again. I don't have a lot that I need to pack, but it's good to get an early start on things. I've got people to meet, things to take care of, and a certain Hokage I want to get the hell away from." And with that, before anyone could even so much as say their good-byes, the blonde Hero of Konoha disappeared with his fiancé.

Kiba clenched his fists at this and shook his head. "Damn it! He could at least let us see him off or something! Doesn't he give a damn about how we feel or what we think?!" Growling angrily, the Inuzuka heir glared at the Hokage Tower. "Exiling Naruto?! What the hell is that idiot thinking?! Just what the hell is going on here?!"

Hinata shook her head at this and began poking her fingers together in the same nervous habit she had displayed years ago. "I…I don't think Naruto-kun wants us to worry about him. It has to be hard on him, having to say good-bye to all of his friends. If we were to see him off…" Shaking her head again, the Hyuga heiress could feel tears stinging at her eyes. "I didn't realize he had somebody he loved all this time… It's no wonder he didn't respond to my feelings… I just don't want him to leave like this…"

Shortly after saying that, Hinata collapsed on her knees and let the tears begin streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks. Kiba and Shino did their best to console their teammate, while the others in the group began to talk about the various possibilities of what they could do to help remedy this particular situation. If only the people hadn't fucked up and made a traitor the Rokudaime, Naruto wouldn't be leaving and everyone could be happy! Where the heck would Naruto go if he couldn't stay in Konohagakure?!

The Next Day

Naruto and his fiancé stood at one of the gates, smiling at each other as they began discussing what they would do after leaving the village. "So Naru-koi, what's your plan? I assume you plan to check in on your 'friends'?"

The blonde nodded slowly before looking out into the distance. "I want to check in on a few of my spies in Kumo. Not sure if you've had the pleasure of meeting them before. Karui and Omoi. I've got a few tasks I plan to assign them to. Perhaps we can enjoy ourselves while in Kumo as well?"

The redheaded Uzumaki giggled happily and hugged her fiancé's arm. "I'd love to. I'm expecting some wonderful dates from you sweetheart. We haven't had many opportunities to truly enjoy ourselves until now. So much was going on, and I missed you every day." Shivering in disgust at some of her memories, the beautiful woman clung to her honey tighter. "I still feel like I need a million showers after pretending to be interested in that jerk for so long! Seriously, how could that guy truly believe that anyone could ever forgive him for what he did?! I could have died! I would have never been able to see you again…"

Naruto Uzumaki hugged his beloved close and shook his head before leaning in and kissing her sweetly on the lips. Afterwards, he began running his fingers through her beautiful red hair. "You're safe now sweetheart and you'll never have to do anything like that again. I promise you that." Looking straight into her eyes, the blonde Hero of Konoha kissed her forehead before hugging her closer. "I swear to you that I'll continue to make that ass suffer for what he did to you. He may be the Rokudaime Hokage now, but I don't give a damn. Even if it means I make an enemy of all of Konoha, he will suffer."

A smirk suddenly donned on his face as he remembered something. "Karin-hime, how do you think he'll like our little 'gift'? I have to admit, that was a damn clever idea you came up with. I'm a little surprised you were so open to such a thing though."

Karin smirked right back and glanced towards the Hokage Tower at this point. "Considering the kind of person Sasuke is, he'll never suspect a thing. I'm looking forward to seeing his reaction when he finds out what we did." Kissing her love passionately, the Uzumaki woman grinned wider. "I'm looking forward to everything we get to put that bastard to. We're going to have sooo much fun."

The whiskered Hero of Konoha chuckled at that and nodded his head at that. "But of course, my dear hime. Still, we really should get going before he tries to sick his goons on us. I'll miss my friends, but I expected this and was prepared." Shrugging, he took his beloved's hand in his and went to take a step forward, only to freeze in place as he heard people calling out to him from behind. "Speak of the devil; it seems they're here to see us off."

Karin sighed, but turned around to face the group with her fiancé. Oddly enough, Sakura was there blushing and rubbing her left arm as she shuffled a bit on her feet. The pinkette was unable to look Naruto in the eyes, but she still managed to speak to him. "N-Naruto…" Sighing heavily, the medic tried to calm her nerves and approached her longtime friend, hugging him tight. "Please be safe and take care of yourself. I'll miss you a lot. I wish you wouldn't go…"

The blonde smiled at that and hugged Sakura close, gently patting her back as he did. "I have to and you know that. I'll miss you as well Sakura-chan. Take care of yourself and be happy, alright?" Placing a gentle kiss on his teammate's forehead, Naruto took a step back and smiled at her. "If you ever need me for any reason, talk with Shizune. She'll know how to contact me."

The pinkette nodded, but she was clearly confused as to why Shizune would be the one to speak with about getting in touch with Naruto. Still, she accepted this and stepped back without speaking another word. Shikamaru and Shino stepped forward at this point and provided him with a couple of parting gifts before the Nara spoke. "I assume you're going to take up Jiraiya-sama's role of spy master now?" Seeing the blonde before him nod, Shikamaru closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "I figured as much. And Shizune…?"

Naruto nodded slowly. "She's one of my spies, yes. Shizune will keep me informed of the goings-on in Konoha while I am away. As I told Sakura-chan: if I am needed, I will return to take care of any problems that arise. Knowing Sasuke as I do, the peace we've strived for will be in danger as long as he remains Hokage."

The Nara nodded at that and sighed again. "So troublesome. We'll do our best to make sure nothing happens, but you're right. The others will soon realize exactly how stupid they've been with enough time, I'm certain of it."

Shino nodded at this point and shook his friend's hand. "We will miss you Naruto-san. Hinata would have been here to see you off, but…"

The Uzumaki male nodded slowly at that and sighed. "I am sorry Shino-san. I know I have hurt her, and I hope she can forgive me someday. I care about her, do not get me wrong, but…"

The Aburame heir nodded. "I understand. You are in love with another and I do not fault you for that. Hinata will understand, and she will forgive you. Take care of yourself, alright?"

Hugging his friend tight, Naruto nodded slowly again. "Of course. I'll miss you guys, you know I will. I know things are going to get bad in the village after a while, so please be careful and take care of each other. Promise?"

Shino nodded and stepped back to join the others with Shikamaru, neither of them saying another word to their blonde friend. The others in the group each came forward, offering the Hero of Konoha and his fiancé words of parting and the occasional parting gift, hoping these would be of help to Naruto on his journey. When everyone had said their good-byes, Naruto turned away with his fiancé and set off towards their first destination: Kumogakure.

However, before they could get far, the lovebirds felt that something was off. Karin sensed two people approaching them and they quickly turned around, only to see two people they didn't expect coming after them. "Ino? Baa-chan?"

Ino hurried up to her friend and lightly punched him in the shoulder, scowling at him. "You didn't think I'd just let you leave, did you?! I decided that I'm coming with you. Wherever you're going and whatever you're doing, I want to help. I don't want to be there and watch everything go to hell."

Naruto quirked a brow at this and folded his arms across his chest. "Ino, you really didn't seem like the kind to chase after me like this. Besides, aren't you in love with your precious 'Sasuke-kun'? What are you doing chasing after me for?"

The platinum blonde woman shook her head and poked her friend in his chest. "Correction Mister Uzumaki, I was in love with him. I don't…" Shaking her head again, Ino looked down and sighed heavily. "I don't like what he's done to you. I supported your dream. I wanted you to be Hokage Naruto-kun. When he took that from you, I thought we could deal with it. But it was obvious he was going to rub it in your face every chance he got. And then he exiled you simply because he couldn't have what he wanted?! Naruto-kun, I don't want to be near him right now. You deserve better than that! I'm going to help you no matter what."

Naruto chuckled at that, but nodded his head and gave his friend a hug. "Thanks Ino. I appreciate this very much. You should know that we're going to be doing a lot of travelling though. I've got a spy network to run and the Elemental Nations to look after. Whether people truly appreciate the work or not is up to them, buuut, it has to be done." With a shrug, the blonde turned to Tsunade and smiled brightly at her. "As for you Baa-chan, why are you following me? I thought you'd be staying in Konoha with Shizune-nee-chan."

The Godaime shook her head and wrapped her godson in a hug. "I trust Shizune to handle things in my absence. Besides, she knows that if she needs me she can always get in touch with me. I think you need me more Naruto. I refuse to let my godson just leave me like that. I'll always look after you, no matter what it takes." Releasing the blonde hero, Tsunade smiled at him and ruffled his hair a bit. "Besides, after what happened, I refuse to stay in that village any longer. Kind of wish I had killed Koharu too though…"

The blonde Hero of Konoha shook his head at that, but soon shrugged his shoulders. However, Karin decided to speak up in his stead. "Thank you both for coming with us. I'm glad to see my love has people like you in his life." Bowing her head slightly, the crimson-eyed woman began to smirk again. "We'll pay Sasuke back for what he's done, don't you worry about that any. For now, Naruto-koi has decided we need to head to Kumogakure to meet with two of his spies. I just hope that things stay peaceful for a long time, but we really don't know if that's truly possible. Still…" Looking into Naruto's beautiful blue eyes, Karin reached up and cupped his cheek, gently brushing her thumb along his whiskers. "It is my love's dream and I'll do everything in my power to help him achieve his goals."

Naruto blushed at this, but brought his hand up and gently held the hand that had been placed upon his cheek. "I love you so much Karin-hime. I'm glad you're with me." Pulling her against him once again, the blue-eyed blonde kissed his fiancé lovingly before pulling back and turning once more. "We need to get a move on. If we keep a good pace, we should arrive in five days at the most. I'm hoping we can arrive sooner than that, but it depends on how things turn out." With a shrug, the blonde looked around at the women and nodded with a smile at each. Once he was certain they were ready, he leaped off into the trees, moving at a steady pace that he was sure they would be able to keep up for a while.

Iwagakure

It was the day after Naruto and friends set out from Konohagakure on their journey to the village of Kumo. Kurotsuchi was visiting her grandfather, the Sandaime Tsuchikage, in his office with news that she knew he was not going to like. Knocking on the door to his office, she waited until Onoki announced to her that she was free to enter. Taking a deep breath, the young Iwa kunoichi nodded her head and stepped inside.

When he was about to ask her what she wanted and how she was doing, the young woman shook her head and forced a smile. "Jiji-sama, I have some news that you are not going to like." Seeing she had his full attention now, the beautiful young woman nodded her head sadly. "I've received news from Shizune-san in Konoha. Apparently…they've elected the Uchiha as the Rokudaime Hokage and he has exiled Naruto-kun from the village. She's sent out this message to…others in an attempt to get a warning out about this. She and the others that supported Naruto-kun are worried that Sasuke Uchiha could threaten the peace we have achieved. And…Shizune-san has said that Naruto-kun is, umm…he's engaged. She'd like us to support him in any way we can if we see him…"

Onoki sighed at this and rubbed his temples in frustration. "Damn. I had hoped Namikaze's boy would become the next Hokage. I thought Tsunade had announced that he was to be her replacement? What happened?"

The black-haired woman shook her head. "Apparently the Elders, Koharu and Homura, decided that they would prefer to let the people decide. Those two put Sasuke forward as a candidate, and most of those idiots in Konoha decided to elect the Uchiha. I'm…disappointed. They took away Naruto-kun's dream and even forced him out! I wouldn't be surprised if the Rokudaime decides to cut ties with the other villages in the belief that he and his village are 'superior' to all of us."

The Tsuchikage chuckled at that and nodded his head slowly. "I suspect he'll make many foolish decisions. It's obvious he's already started making mistakes if he has exiled Naruto-kun from the village." Sighing, Onoki smiled softly at his granddaughter. "It's good to hear that the Hero of Konoha is doing well for himself, however. Have you any word of where he is heading now?"

The black-eyed lass smiled at this and looked straight into her grandfather's eyes. "Naruto-kun is off to meet with a few people in Kumogakure and spend some time with his fiancé. Apparently, according to the information received from Shizune-san, the Godaime and Ino Yamanaka left with them. It's good that he has good companions with him. I really want Naruto-kun and his future wife to be happy." After a moment, the Yoton-user shrugged her shoulders and smirked at the old man before her. "Did you perhaps want me to send a message to the Hero of Konoha?"

Onoki chuckled at that and nodded his head. "Yes, please. I would like you to inform him that he is more than welcome to stay in Iwagakure whenever he's in Tsuchi no Kuni (The Land of Earth). In fact, I would like to offer him a permanent residence here in Iwagakure. Whether he chooses to live here or not is up to him. Still, it will be his to stay in whenever he visits. Heck, the boy could choose to use it strictly as a place to perform marital if he wishes and I'd be just fine with that." Smirking at his granddaughter's blush, the Tsuchikage nodded his head once again. "In all seriousness, the boy needs to know he's welcome here in Iwagakure. I would also like you to inform him that I would like to see him after he's done in Kumo. Is this understood Kurotsuchi-chan?"

The young woman nodded quickly at that before bidding farewell to her grandfather and disappearing out the door. Once she was outside of the Tsuchikage's building, she quickly leapt off for a secluded space. Upon arriving at a usual location she visited when she needed some time to herself, the Tsuchikage's granddaughter removed a glove from her right hand and stared at a seal that had been placed there some time ago. I haven't used this in a while. I hope you get the message Naruto-sama…

Kirigakure

In her office, the Godaime Mizukage stared at the scroll in her hands, a look of frustration dawning on her face. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by this news. Poor Naruto-kun. I was looking forward to seeing you become the Rokudaime. I would've gladly visited just to see you whenever I got the chance. Still, I am glad to hear you're engaged. If only I could get married as well, I'd be more than happy.

Sighing to herself, Mei Terumi leaned back in her chair and glanced at the seal on her right hand. So you're off to visit your spies in Kumo, huh Naruto-kun? I hope you take care of yourself and your fiancé. Wait… Giggling to herself at the idea she just came up with, the Mizukage quickly wrote a message for her spy master and looked it over, examining it carefully. Good. I do hope you take me up on the offer Naruto-kun.

Sunagakure

Matsuri walked into the office of the Godaime Kazekage, smiling as she approached him. "Hi sweetie. Did you get Shizune-san's message too?"

The redheaded Kazekage sighed and nodded his head before resting his chin on his hands. "Yes. It would seem my friend was unable to achieve his goal in the end. I am unhappy with how things turned out, but there is very little we can do for him right now. Still, it is good to hear he is engaged. I would very much like to hold the wedding here in Sunagakure for him, but I've a feeling somebody else may have that same goal in mind."

Gaara's brown-haired girlfriend giggled to herself and sat on the arm of his chair, placing a gentle kiss upon his cheek. "You can still send him the invitation to hold it here. You're Naruto-san's best friend and I think he deserves to be able to make the choice for himself, don't you Honey? Send him the invitation and I'm sure he'll accept."

After a moment, the beautiful young woman began running her fingers through her love's hair. "Are you still planning to give Naruto-san a home here in Suna? I'm sure he would be very thankful. Sure, he has a spy network to run and will likely have to travel a lot, but this place could be a kind of home for him. It would be nice to have him feel welcomed here."

The Godaime Kazekage nodded at that and smiled at his girlfriend before placing a light kiss upon her hand. "Of course sweetie. In fact, I already have a home set aside especially for Naruto. Whenever he visits, he is free to stay in his home and enjoy his time here in Sunagakure without needing to fear danger. It will be a place that he can relax and take time off from his duties as the new spy master."

Matsuri nodded and looked down at the seal on her right hand. "I'm surprised Naruto-san actually asked me to be one of his spies. But, it's one thing I get to share in common with you, Gaara-koi. I wonder how Temari-san and Kankuro-san are reacting to this news."

The redheaded young man nodded slowly in thought. "Probably not well. Kankuro is probably incredibly angry right now, and Temari must be worrying deeply for our friend. Actually…" Looking into his girlfriend's eyes once more, Gaara smiled slightly and kissed her hand again. "Go and inform Temari that I have a mission for her. I want her to meet Naruto in Kumogakure and journey with him. She is to help him in whatever ways she can. Kankuro, you, and I can handle things here."

The brown-haired woman nodded, kissed her boyfriend sweetly on the lips, and stepped away. "Of course Gaara-koi. I will go and inform her at once. Is there a message you would like her to deliver upon meeting him?"

The green-eyed male nodded slowly after taking some time to think on it. "Yes. Tell her that she is to…"

Yu no Kuni – Kirei Na Onsen

Naruto's group had arrived in Yu no Kuni (The Land of Hot Water) earlier in the day, but had decided it was time to take a break and rest for the night. The town they had stopped in didn't really have a name, but it was referred to as Kirei Na Onsen (Beautiful Hot Springs) by most that lived there and those that chose to visit and/or pass through.

The new spy master and his fiancé had suggested that they visit the local onsen to relax after their long trip. As expected, they had made good time so far and should arrive in Kumogakure within the next day or two if they kept up this pace. So, feeling they had deserved a little treat such as this, the group of four ventured to the onsen and each chose to relax in their own way.

Naruto and Karin had decided they would like to try mixed bathing for the first time. They had blushed when they brought it up, realizing that the two would be seeing each other in the nude for the very first time, but they agreed that they were ready for this. Just so long as they could do things together, they were happy.

Ino and Tsunade, not quite feeling comfortable with allowing the Hero of Konoha to see them in the nude, opted instead for the female-only bath. So, bidding the happy couple a good time in the bath, the two of them walked off to enjoy themselves and talk.

Shortly after stepping out of the changing rooms to join each other in the mixed bath, Naruto and Karin Uzumaki looked each other over, the both of them only covered by towels at this point. Blushing furiously, the blonde Hero of Konoha slowly removed the towel from around his waist and glanced away, fidgeting nervously as he allowed his soon-to-be wife to look him over as she liked. When he didn't hear anything but a gasp, he turned to face his fiancé and began to blush furiously at what he saw.

There, standing before him, was the nude figure of Karin Uzumaki. She had small C-cup breasts, a body that he felt was absolutely beautiful, a cherry red face from all her blushing, and down below, he could see that she had a neatly shaven set of red pubic hair. A little lower and he saw his fiancé's womanhood. Needless to say, the sight of his fiancé in such a way was highly arousing, and when he found himself growing erect, he blushed worse, as did his beloved Karin. Deciding it would probably be best to just climb into the bath, they took each other's hands, albeit nervously, and entered.

As they cuddled up together and the redhead rested her head on her fiancé's shoulder as she enjoyed doing, they began to talk. "K-Karin-hime…you are so beautiful. I know I have said it before, but you truly are. I…honestly don't know if I could do this on my own. You have no idea how important it is to me…how much it means to me that you are here with me right now."

Karin Uzumaki smiled and slipped around in front of her fiancé. The beautiful sensor wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him as passionately as she could. "There is nowhere else I would rather be right now sweetheart. I love you so very, very much and I'll follow you anywhere you want to go. As long as I can be with you, I'll be forever happy."

The whiskered young man smiled at that and kissed his sweetheart again, holding her close against him. However, when they both felt his still erect member pressing up against her thigh, they blushed and quickly separated, Karin returning to her place at his side. "S-Sorry Hime."

The redhead shook her head and smiled sweetly at him. "Don't be Honey. It's just…I'm nervous. I want to wait for that until we're both ready. Believe me; I want to someday, just…not today. I'm not quite ready for that step yet. But when we're married, I'll be expecting you to not only rock my world, but start a family with me. Is that understood my sexy hunk?" Giggling to herself, Karin Uzumaki began running one of her fingers in circles around his nipples just to tease him.

As he began blushing worse, Naruto Uzumaki nodded in the affirmative. "I will gladly 'rock your world' Hime. And…I have always wanted a family. I have no problems with giving you children. In fact, restarting our clan sounds like a wonderful idea. But, no matter what, I'm happy to just be with you. So let's take all the time we need and only take that step when we're good and ready. Okay?"

When Karin went to respond, they both watched as numerous toads appeared on the edge of the bath they were in, each carrying a scroll. Taking the scrolls and thanking his toads for delivering them, the whiskered blonde sent a Kage Bunshin to fetch his towel. When the Bunshin returned, Naruto climbed out, dried himself off, and sat down beside his fiancé, both of them beginning to read over the first of the scrolls.

"Dear Naruto, I hope this message finds you well. Matsuri-chan and I heard about what happened from Shizune-san. I am sorry to hear that things did not work out the way we had all hoped for, but we do congratulate you on your engagement.

Now, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that I have had a home built for you here in Sunagakure for you and your fiancé to use whenever you visit. If you ever wish it, you can even live in my village. You will always be welcome here and, so long as you are within the borders of Kaze no Kuni, you will be safe. Of that, you have my word.

Matsuri-chan and I would also like to welcome you to hold your marriage here in Sunagakure. You could even have your honeymoon here and enjoy yourselves to your heart's content. Matsuri-chan says that she would even be happy to set up numerous events in your honor for both you and your fiancé to enjoy.

Sadly, I must now give to you the bad news. I regret to inform you, my friend, that Sasuke Uchiha, the Rokudaime Hokage (although he is truly unworthy of this title), is attempting to declare you as a missing nin. It would seem that he is desperate to make you suffer, although we know not why. So far, his attempts have been thwarted, but if he manages to garner enough support, he may very well succeed. In the meantime, simply be careful and take care of yourselves. We hope you will visit us soon.

Your friend forever, Gaara"

After reading this, Naruto brushed his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. "The teme's really out to get us, isn't he Karin-hime?"

The sensor ninja nodded and rested her head back upon her fiancé's shoulder. "It would certainly seem that way Honey. Let's read the others and see what else we can learn from your friends."

Nodding at this, Naruto grabbed the scroll from Mei Terumi, Godaime Mizukage, and opened it.

"Hey there Handsome! I hope you're doing well with your loveable fiancé, whoever she might be. Shizune-san didn't tell us the identity of your beloved, insisting that it was your place to do so if you chose. However, we know that whoever holds your heart must be a wonderful woman indeed. So, congratulations on your engagement Cutie!

Now, I apologize for the crap you've been put through recently with that Sasuke jerk snatching your dream out right from under your nose. I'd offer to melt his face off for you, but I've got a feeling you'd probably say no. Still, the offer's open if you ever want the Rokudaime Hokage roasted like that! Otherwise, I'll gladly give to you my help should you need it. Remember that, okay Honey?

Next, I'd like to say that you are more than welcome to hold your wedding here in Kirigakure. In fact, I'll make sure to have everything set up so you'll have the most wonderful wedding celebration you could imagine! Please, please accept? Ooo! As some added incentive to accept my generous offer, I'm even throwing in a place to live, right here next to my home in Kirigakure!

Keep in mind that this isn't a free service though. When you come, I expect you to introduce me to this fiancé of yours! That, and I'd like to have a little talk with you, face-to-face. There are things we need to discuss, and I have a proposition of sorts for you. I'll be waiting to speak with you my sweet spy master!

Loyally yours, Mei Terumi"

After reading the Mizukage's letter, Naruto and Karin laughed together for a while before shrugging their shoulders. "It seems we're going to have to make a choice about where to hold our wedding. But it also appears as if she hasn't really changed, has she Naru-koi?"

The blonde spy master shrugged his shoulders and smirked at his beloved Karin Uzumaki. "It would appear so. And I really wouldn't change Mei-chan for anything. She's fun the way she is, and she's a good friend. It's also great to have one of the Kages as a spy." With another shrug, he kissed his beloved on her cheek and smirked. "Still, she's such a flirt. I wonder what it is she wants to speak with me about."

The redhead shook her head. "I wouldn't know sweetie. For now though, I think we should probably just read that last message. It looks like it's from your spy in Iwa…"

Naruto opened the final scroll and looked it over. "You're right. This one's from Kurotsuchi-chan. Let's see what she has to say."

"Dear Naruto-sama, I hope this letter finds you in good health and good spirits. I heard about what happened from Shizune-san and would first like to offer you my apologies. Things did not turn out as they should have, and I wish there is something I could do to help set things right. So, I would like to ask of you to rely on me for anything you may need in the future. If I can do anything for you, I will gladly do so.

Second, I would like to congratulate you on your engagement. I wish I knew who it was that has captured your heart in such a way, but I know that you will tell me when it's time. Just make sure to invite me to the wedding, okay Naruto-sama?!

This actually brings me to my next subject. Jiji-sama has set aside a home for you in Iwagakure that he would like you to use. In fact, he would even like to invite you to live here in our village if you would accept the offer! It…would be nice to have you here with us Naruto-sama. I miss seeing you, and it would be nice to be able to spend more time with my spy master.

Actually, Jiji-sama also wants you to visit Iwagakure after you have finished up in Kumogakure. It would seem he wants to speak with you about something, but I don't know what it could be. Still, please take your time in Kumo and enjoy yourself with your fiancé, okay Naruto-sama? I do look forward to seeing you!

Missing you, Kurotsuchi"

Naruto quirked a brow at this and rolled up the scroll once more. "Interesting. Three Kages inviting us to live in their villages, two of which insist they need to speak with me, two of them have insisted that we hold our wedding in their village…this is a lot to think about."

Karin giggled at that, but nodded slowly. "We have time to think about it Sweetheart. I'm sure they'll understand whatever we decide to do. But…as much as I appreciate them keeping homes for us as they're doing, I wonder how they'll react when they learn about what we have planned."

The whiskered hero nodded at that. "Rebuilding Uzushiogakure is one of our biggest goals right now. We'll restore the Uzumaki clan and build our home there. Should anyone wish to live there with us, they are more than welcome to."

Karin nodded slowly at that before speaking. "It would be nice to have our friends living with us in Uzushiogakure. However, we'll first have to get in touch with your old friend, Tazuna-san, and get his assistance in rebuilding our clan's village. I'm sure many people will be willing to assist us as well. I don't think it would take too long if we managed to get enough help."

The blonde nodded at that, but before he could say anything in reply, his darling fiancé donned a smirk and poked his nose. "Sweetie, I want to talk with you about something too. Do you remember that 'thing' we spoke of before? Well, I think we need to talk about it again. With everything that's happened, I'd like if we could talk about it now."

A/N: Okay, this is the first chapter of my new fic He Who Laughs Last, Laughs Loudest. It may be a strange name, but as time goes on, it should make plenty of sense. *shrugs* I've been in a lot of pain and been feeling pretty ill thanks to the issues I've been having and the accident I had just recently, so it took me a little while to actually finish this chapter. It didn't help that at one point, my laptop shut off while I was writing this chapter, sooo...yeah. Lost a few pages of progress and had to write that all over again. That was frustrating!

Anyways, I'm sure you're wondering about a number of things, and I promise you answers will come in time. If you are wondering about the little 'gift' that the lovebirds left for Sasuke, you're going to have to wait and see. I don't think it will be revealed for a while, buuut, I think you'll enjoy it. *shrugs*

If you happen to be wondering about his spies, more will be revealed about them later. There will also be more spies revealed in upcoming chapters as well.

In case you are wondering, I'm pretty certain this fic will be yet another harem fic. If that disappoints you, I apologize, but it kind of works into certain things I have planned for this fic. *shrugs* Besides, in case you haven't noticed yet, that's become something of a staple of mine. lol. If you do enjoy the idea of a harem, then congrats!

Anyways, feeling like crap and I am in TREMENDOUS pain right now. Sooo, I'm going to get some rest. Chapter 2 will be coming laterish once I feel up to writing it. In the meantime, I'll probably be resting. lol.