Chapter 2

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Naruto wakes up in the morning to the low light of the sun and the low simmer of excitement in her gut. Today, today she would finally be getting her arm back. Hopefully. Fingers crossed. Left-hand fingers because she still doesn't have any right ones. But that won't be an issue after today. Maybe. If all goes well.

Looking down at the little stump that's made her life miserable ever since she left the battlefield, the blonde allows herself a small, proud smile, wiggling free of the blankets the rest of her (whole and not missing) limbs are tangled up in. She flails a bit, swears a lot when she attempts to steady her body with a hand that isn't there and winds up hitting the floor instead. Blood instantly bursts from her nose at the sudden impact and it has her whimpering under her breath, pressing her stupid left hand to her face in an attempt to stem the bleeding. Kurama's healing fact kicks in soon enough, but that doesn't do anything about the blood now marring her top, sheets and floor.

Slowly, Naruto rights herself, curling inwards with her one hand still pressing to her face, even though she can feel the blood flow has stopped. It's clotting already and, as long as she doesn't stick her finger up her nose to dislodge it, she'll be good as new soon enough. She's had plenty of nosebleeds in the past, but they've never lasted more than a few seconds. Back in the Chunin Exam, when she'd kicked Kiba in the face, it'd taken over ten minutes for his nose to stop gushing the red stuff. Now, his top had been ruined that day, stained beyond repair. If she's quick, Naruto'll be able to salvage this one. Hastily stripping herself of the shirt, Naruto pads over to the sink, dropping the fabric into the basin after she'd plugged in and then setting the tap to hot. As the water fills up, she gathers the sheet too, eyeing the splattering that's made it onto her nice, Yamato-created floorboards. He'll probably get pissy at her if she asks for new ones; she's gonna have to actually clean it. Knocking the tap off, she leaves the fabrics to soak, snatching up a sponge to scrub the red from the floor before it begins to dry. It's a quick job but, by god, does Naruto hate cleaning.

Standing in the middle of her apartment, Naruto twists back and forth, consider what she wants to wear today. Going in her ninja-gear is a plain no; what she has left of pre-war times will just look awkward, given she's lacking an arm, but she doesn't want to turn up in a sundress either. There's a chance blood'll end up on the dress. Yes, she's a ninja and isn't bothered by the red stuff, but it's a bitch to get out of fabric once it's in. And her dresses are all nice ones.

As Pein's invasion had reduced Konoha -and thus, her previous apartment and all within- to a dust bowl, she'd not had anything other than the clothes on her back after coming out of that fight.

Ever since, she's been busy, preparing for war, fighting in a war, supporting the survivors of a war. It'd been Sakura who'd gone out and bought her clothes, who'd found the time to make sure Naruto would have a life to come back to after war. It made her feel warm inside.

While the two of them had gotten off to a rocky start, what with her younger self not understanding that perhaps not all girls were interested in both girls and guys as she was, Sakura's now her best friend. The pink haired girl had gone out of her way to understand her, to really get to know her. Especially after the training trip with Jiraiya.

Scratching at her bare breast, the blonde snatches up the only casual shirt she owns, a burnt orange top that hangs loose once it's passed over her breasts, only just covering her stomach with its short length. It's her most comfortable shirt outside of her ninja gear, and coupled with the ripped denim shorts Tenten-chan had left the night she'd stayed over during her house-warming party two night ago, Naruto feels it's her best choice of outfit when she considers what she'd be doing today.

For a moment, she wonders what Itachi's up to. Then she looks down at her still very bare chest and flushes slightly. At least he'd not been around when she'd made a complete idiot of herself while getting out of bed. Some ninja she was. What an embarrassment.

Saviour of the five nations (and more), defeated by a particularly clingy blanket and higher than the norm bed.

Yeah, when she compares that to Uchiha Itachi who'd been an ANBU Captain at thirteen, she ends up looking particularly graceless. Best not to have another episode like that when he's here to play witness to it.

Letting out a long sigh, Naruto brushes her hair back from her face, tracing the whisker like birthmarks that rest upon her cheek before she turns on heel, heading for the bathroom.

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When she done, all change and even wearing a bra (and hadn't that been hell to get on?), Naruto walks out the bathroom to come face to face with her ghostly visitor. The former S-ranked ninja is slouched across her couch, staring up at the ceiling with dead black eyes. Naruto freezes in place, halfway between tugging her shirt down over her stomach, heart beating thunderously in her chest.

Has, has Itachi died in her apartment? Like, died-died?! His ghostly corpse isn't going to be sticking around, is it? Because she can't touch it, can't move it; dear god, she'll have move out of an apartment she's just broke in. Everyone will kill her if they have to celebrate another move-in so soon.

His head angles slightly at the sound of her approach and Naruto deflates in relief, laughing nervously. She says nothing, pushing down the embarrassment and trying to kill the burning red of her cheeks. She can't eat ("No food before an operation, Naruto!"), but she's still got time to kill before she's due at the hospital.

"My apologies for interrupting your morning routine, Naruto-chan, but I'm afraid this couldn't wait."

Peeling the towel from her shoulders, Naruto throws it back into the bathroom, shaking her head and sending water droplets rocketing from the ends of her hair.

Itachi's low, smooth voice had held a little… a little something more than it usually did. Not quite an emotion, more like the afterglow of one. One that wasn't too pleasant either. It's not like she's heard him speak a whole lot but, then again, Naruto is ace at reading people. It's how she's powered so well through opponents that, in all honestly, should've been able to crack her open like a walnut and scoop out her gooey insides. Do walnuts even have gooey insides? She's probably thinking of something different. No, she should be focused here.

"What's up Itachi?"

The man in question lets out a low sigh, looking back over at her with black eyes so dead it roots Naruto to the spot for a moment.

"Sasuke has decided to go and search for his own answers. He wishes to leave the village for some time, and your sensei, as the elected Sixth Hokage, gave him official permission not twenty minutes ago. He leaves in an hour."

It's like a straight up sucker punch to the stomach.

Sasuke, Sasuke's leaving. Again. She's just got him back and already he's trying to fuck off on his own, leaving her behind.

"That crazy bastard! The idiot just got back damnit!"

Naruto's not even aware she's heading for the door before an uncanny feeling explodes across her wrist, prompting a flinch from the blond. She looks down in time to see Itachi retracting his hand, having clearly attempted to take hold of her, stopped only by his ghostly form. Urgh, that had been an awful sensation, really, really bad. Zero out of ten, would not recommend.

They're both quiet for a second, staring down at their respective limbs before Naruto's brain remembers it's supposed to do something in this situation, choosing to shake the arm back and forth. As if that'll shake free that nasty feeling that's still lingering. Like sticky burnt cheese. She hates it.

"Gah, don't do that again!"

"Please, Naruto-chan, wait a moment before you go charging after my foolish little brother."

Grumbling, Naruto wades back to the bathroom, snatches up the previously discarded towel and begins to awkwardly rub at her wrist where that awful sensation persists. Chancing a glance towards her current company, Naruto focuses on his face and not the way his feet and almost floating above her floorboards. She really, really hopes that part is her mind playing tricks on her. Itachi looks uncomfortable, though over what, she cannot begin to guess.

"Why is Kakashi letting him go?" Naruto finally murmurs, eyes downcast as she drops the towel once again. It hasn't helped in the slightest and only frustrated her over the lack of a right arm that little bit more. She can't wait until she's got another one; no more of this having to clumsily juggle business.

"Sasuke feels he needs time to find himself. I do believe you asked Tsunade-sama for the same thing just yesterday."

Scowling, Naruto gives the Uchiha a one-fingered salute moments before she bounces over to the front door, trying helplessly not to snicker at the absolutely stunned look on Itachi's face. As if he'd been expecting her to act like a lady or something.

For the first time Naruto finds she doesn't think of crows when she looks at him in that moment, but rather a wide eye barn owl that's just woken up for to sunlight for the first time.

She pauses by the door, reaching for the shelf that houses a particular headband. A scratched one that she'd kept on her at all times until the end of the war, which had been when she'd thrown it onto the shelf to be collected later.

"Is that-"

"Sasuke's headband," Naruto finishes, fingers till curled around the cool metal.

"I gotta make sure he's got it on him before he runs off after all, the bastard!"

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Watching Sasuke walk away down the dirt path, sans one arm, Naruto tries to swallow around the lump that's formed in her throat. Sakura's beside her, having asked to go with the boy, but she'd been turned down.

Naruto understands the need for solitude, at least, on a rudimentary level. She'd never be able to go without talking to somebody for as long as Sasuke plans to though. Going on her adventure, going out into the world to help Itachi move on; that's different. Because she'll never be alone, she has Kurama and the older Uchiha brother, after all. Or at least-

"You are coming with me, right?" Naruto asks, cocking her head back to look at the ghost that's gliding along beside her. Naruto grimaces. No one should be able to move that smoothly. No one. Even if you were an ANBU Captain, it's like his feet aren't touching the ground. Oh…. Never mind.

"For a while Naruto-chan."

Scowling to herself, the whiskered blonde skips after Sakura, watching as the pink haired girl turns around to smile. Deep purple bruising rests beneath her sharp green eyes; Sakura's tired.

Guilt gnaws at the edges of Naruto's consciousness, but she determinedly pushes past it. Sakura knew she was at her limit, she's a responsible shinobi, a responsible medic nin. She'll know when to stop, Naruto trusts her on that account. It's taken her a long while to accept that not everyone has the same kind of stamina as what she did. Hell, back in the academy she'd been running rings around the girls, the boys and even their teachers when it came to the stamina tests.

If there was one thing she'd been good at from the start, it was endurance. No one had been able to take that away from her, to force her to unlearn that skill.

"Are you ready for the surgery Naruto?"

Looking down at the offending stump, the blonde in question offers Sakura a teasing grin.

"This arm will match right? It's not going to be some weedy looking thing next to this arm, right?"

Flexing her remaining upper limb until it drags a smile from the medic, Naruto lets her own grin grow, bumping her hip into Sakura's and laughing when the girl returns the gesture and almost throws her completely off balance.

Eyes dancing back to look at Itachi, who's watching with his face completely blank, Naruto feels her grin fade slightly at the sight. She can read the sorrow in his face, and for a moment, she remembers what he had told her of Uchiha Shisui. He had to miss his best friend, that much was obvious. Naruto has no idea what she'd do without Sakura.

"Now remember, we're going to give you a gown for surgery, Tsunade-sama is doing it herself. You will be put under for the duration of the operation, are you okay with that?"

Grumbling under her breath, Naruto gives a sharp, short nod, following the pinkette into the hospital. It's one of the most furnished buildings, done out of clear necessity.

"Yeah yeah, this arm will complete me, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura's fist coming down on Naruto's head is the last thing she remembers. When Sakura had said she'd be putting her under, Naruto had rather been hoping it'd be a bit more technical than that.

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Four limbs twitch when Naruto requests they do so.

Eyes popping open, the blue-eyed teen stares down at the fourth limb that is now attached to her person with something resembling awe. It's a pasty white and will probably remain a pasty white forever more. But Naruto isn't too bothered about her appearance. She'll wrap it up in bandages and be done with it.

Oh, she cares if she's got a pimple on her face -ninjas did not get pimples, not super awesome ninjas like her anyway- but caring about the fact one arm's now lighter than the other?

Never.

Running the new fingertips across the bed sheets, Naruto grins when she discovers that the sensations are exactly the same as what they were in her original hand. Tsunade has really done an excellent job with this fake limb.

Wiggling the fingers back and forth, Naruto lets out a joyous little giggle at the motion she's now able to complete. Not even the unnaturalness of the white hand could upset her right now. This is perfect. She'd say it was well worth the wait, but Naruto hates waiting for anything in general, so that'd be a lie.

Still though, an arm. Two arms; she's a complete human being again.

Laughing, she reaches out for the glass of water, then startles when the fake arm faults on the move, unbalancing her enough that Naruto tumbles out of bed.

It is with a grumble that the blonde pulls the rumpled hospital gown back down so that it's covering her ass, standing up and reaching for the water with her good arm.

Okay, so she's not quite in sync with this arm just yet. She'll figure it out as she goes.

The empty glass hits the wooden table with a crisp 'thunk' as Naruto places it back down, eyes lingering on the paperwork that rests on the bedside cabinet. Slowly, she removes that from the wooden surface, flicking through the sheets in her grasp.

One is an official looking document that states one 'Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto is currently recognised by the Fifth Hokage as a travelling nin of Konoha'. Another is her paper passport, though when this recent looking photo had been taken, she has absolutely no idea. The final paper's a note from her much beloved 'baa-chan', informing her that she will most certainly be keeping an ear to the ground while she's out and about, and so help her if Naruto causes any trouble.

Laughing, the whiskered teen makes her way over to the chair where her pre-operation clothes rest, stripping herself of the hospital gown as goes. She's almost ready to travel. She'd packed the night before, and now she'll only need to change into her ninja gear and then she'd be ready to set off out into the open world.

It's only as she opens the window to make her exit that Naruto realises she didn't exactly have a destination in mind. Kurama would know what to do about this, but right now he's… sleeping.

Then again, the other Bijū are out and about; she can totally hit them out for a talk about ghosts and how to guide them on into the Pure World. The three tails had seemed the most reasonable of the lot, but she has no idea where Isobu could be right now. All the Bijū that'd been freed during the Fourth War had scattered after offering her their thanks; she doesn't have a clue where they could be. Well, doesn't know where any of them could be, barring one.

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Shouldering her pack, Naruto looks down at the orange tracksuit top Jiraiya had given her. She's grown now, just a few inches but it's enough that it no longer looks oversized on her frame as it once had done. However, she can't quite zip it all the way up, not without overstretching the material anyway.

Scowling, Naruto looks down at her breasts, breast she'd been almost sure would be non-existent back when she was a kid. She'd not really grown into her curves that much on the training trip with Jiraiya. Oh sure, so slight curving had happened, enough to make her noticeably female, but not like, curve-curves. It seems however, ever since her return to the Leaf they've been steadily growing, sneaking up on her until bam! She has baps almost as big as Hinata's. Almost, because Hinata's has the best chest of their generation, hands down.

She can only hope that her own boobies will put her in with a chance of snatching Ino's crown of second best chest.

Chuckling under her breath, Naruto cups her boobs fro a second, not quite able to keep the pleased smile off her face. Her mother had been curvy as well, so she's pretty damn happy to see she got one of her physical features. Aside from her temper, that is.

Pulling down the black shirt she wears now that she has to keep the jacket open, Naruto adjusts the straps of her backpack before brushing her bangs back. She's ready to go, ready to find the information she needs to help Itachi out. After his help in the war, after he'd managed to break free of Kabuto's control, it's only fair she does her damn best to save him too.

Strolling out of her apartment, she closes the door and locks it, bidding her room a goodbye for now.

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Sakura is waiting for her when she gets to the gates, the purple smudges of her eyes larger and darker, her frown soft.

"You're leaving too, Naruto?" The pinkette looks devastated, Ino beside her not looking that much happier either. Pushing down the wave that feels suspiciously like guilt, Naruto offers a nervous grin, rubbing sheepishly at the back of her head.

"I need to go and check on all the Bijū, make sure they're all doing okay wherever they've decided to hunker down since the war. I was gonna stop at the other villages on my way around… Do you want anything will I'm passing through?" Naruto bought almost all of her stuff for the new apartment from the new Konoha, she only had a few knickknacks that she'd gotten as mementos from little villages and towns she'd visited with Jiraiya. Stuff to keep the memories of the places she'd been. It's a, well, habit she'd picked up over time.

Sakura blinks slowly as she thinks, but Ino's quick to take her up on her offer.

"Oh, can you get so some of Suna's skin moisturizer? They have the best stuff in the nations but it's super expensive to import."

Nodding slowly, Naruto turns her gaze to her green-eyed best friend, absentmindedly noting that Itachi has appeared at some point throughout their conversation.

"Do you really have to go Naruto?"

"I- erm, yeah… It's important to me Sakura-chan, but I promise I'll be back soon!"

Arms wrap around her shoulders and Naruto blinks, slowly encircling Sakura's waist with her own.

"Just be careful, you big lug. Just because you beat a goddess doesn't make you unbreakable." She pokes her false arm as if to make her point and Naruto scowls, rolling her eyes.

"I'll be careful, that's the promise of a lifetime! And I'll get you a pretty dress or something from Mist. I saw you eyeing the Mizukage's outfit."

Sakura matches her scowl with one of her own, a light blush dusting her face as Naruto laughs, weaving free of the medic's arms and waving to the duo as she bounces away down the dirt path. It isn't until she's out of sight that she slows, adjusting the straps of her pack and looking back over at Itachi.

"Ready to come meet some Bijū with me? I promise they're friendly!"

.

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There is something he is missing here, that much Itachi is sure of.

Uzumaki Naruto is a lot of things, but a liar, a secret keeper, she is not. The girl is so painfully obvious when it comes to the fact she's planning something it is almost painful to witness. She's the type of person who wears her heart on her sleeve, showcasing what she feels on her face.

He's seen the way her features dropped slightly when her teammate had asked if she had to go. She doesn't feel one hundred percent right about having to leave the Leaf Village to travel around and discovering answers about the world, about herself. Naruto is sure of herself, just as she is sure of the fact she could and would mould the world into something better. Something greater than it already had been.

And she makes those around her believe in her too.

Frowning, Itachi continues walking alongside the girl as she babbles on about the Bijū she'd met during the war, almost skipping along. The twin tails of her blonde hair snap about at the movement, her open jacket fluttering around slightly as she gestures wildly with her left arm to explain her tale better.

It really doesn't fit Naruto's character to leave the Leaf Village as it is now. Konoha is still rebuilding, they're currently post war and even if the other villages had declared a tentative peace, it's still as fragile as a newborn infant. Tender and very easily broken.

Still, Itachi's pleased to see that peace is indeed possible, that it wasn't a unrealistic dream, completely untouchable. This is the start of a new age, and he is honoured to have witnessed it in person… so to speak.

Looking over at Naruto upon noticing the lack of noise, Itachi raises a brow at the girl's face, which is scrunched up in consideration. He knows that they'd been on the same side during the war, and she'd accepted his alliance then, but for her to now treat him so openly when before he'd been part of the group threatening to end her life; well, she's taking it all far better than he thought.

"Where will you be travelling to first, Naruto-chan?"

The girl blinks at him, startled blue eyes focusing on his face for a second and he doesn't miss the slight fear that leaks into those orbs. It isn't fear of him, per say, but more of what he is.

A ghost, unable to move on, unable to find peace in his death. Barred forever from the Pure World where his loved ones wait for him. He hopes they are waiting, he still wishes to make amends with his parents, to speak to Shisui on this new peace that's appeared within the Elemental Nations.

But it appears such a thing was not on the cards for him.

"I think I'm gonna go meet up with Bee, see how Cloud's doing, maybe talk with Gyūki while I'm there, seeing as my Bijū is sleeping on the job," Naruto frowns, poking at her own stomach, as if such a crude method would awaken the fox that resides in her.

Smiling slightly at the motion, Itachi turns his gaze to the sky, mind already whirling.

Naruto wants to talk to the Bijū about something. That much is obvious. She's unintentionally implied such a thing with her words, the unspoken confession that she needs to talk to a Bijū and that her own is inaccessible to her right now.

With the Nine Tails sleeping, this leaves her with little choice but to approach the only other remaining Jinchūriki, seeing as the only other option is to track down one of the now roaming Tailed Beasts. Chasing down one of the Bijū, who have no doubt gone into hiding for a bit to recover from the events of the Fourth Ninja War, would have taken much more effort than to go after the one that she already has a verified location on.

The only question that goes unanswered is why Naruto wants to track down a Bijū, what questions she has for them? Now that the war's over with, now that she's had time to process all the information that's been dumped upon her thin shoulders, the blonde clearly has a few questions that only a Bijū can answer, it would seem.

The only thing is, Itachi doesn't know what kind of questions she has to ask.

Obviously, something that only a Tailed Beast would know, otherwise she'd have gone looking for another source that wasn't so far away from Konoha.

Naruto loves the Leaf, that much is evident. She wouldn't be going so far from its boarders right now unless she feels like she has to do something, something that only she can do. Hence, something related to the Bijū. Perhaps he will be able to tease the reason out of her with a bit of conversation? Naruto, as stated earlier, is no secret keeper. She'll end up spilling her reasoning shortly.

"I have never been to Kumo."

It is a true statement. He'd come close before, but never actually been within the its walls as he had every other Hidden Village in the Elemental Nations.

Naruto pauses where she's walking, rubbing her chin with her artificial arm before she seems to realize what the appendage is doing and forces it to retreat. Clearly, she's still unsure of the bandages that wrap around the unnatural white skin beneath.

"I haven't been in any of the other Hidden Villages come to think of it… No, wait! I've been to Suna! But I never really got to stop and look around." Pouting, Naruto squints slightly as she looks towards the setting sun, a smile steadily spreading across her face. "Well, maybe if I don't get the answers I need here, then we can stop by others while I track down another Bijū!"

Grinning, the blonde leaps up into the trees, rocketing off and picking up speed, clearly much more motivated.

Itachi hasn't the slightest idea what has set off this reaction.

Regardless, he's gotten a bit of an answer now. Naruto isn't looking for answers for herself, or how on the other villages worked, or even about peace. She is looking specifically for something only a Bijū could answer. And it isn't something she's expecting all the Bijū to know about.

So, it's an obscure topic then.

But what could have possibly drawn Naruto away from the village, what could she consider more important than sticking around to watch Konoha being rebuilt?

True there's little chance of the village being attacked, because all the villages are still in the same state at this moment in time. But there's still the slightest of chances some mercenary group may attempt to push their luck…

Grimacing over his own thoughts, Itachi accepts the fact he is indeed paranoid over things he can no longer effect. The ninja of the Leaf will be able to handle such an attack without Naruto. Hatake Kakashi remains, as does Tsunade herself, along with her apprentice.

In truth, he just didn't want to leave the village behind. He's spent so much time away from it, so much time on the run and unable to walk its welcoming streets; he'd missed it. On a similar train of thought though, he's uneased with the idea of leaving Naruto's side too.

For the first few days as a ghost, he'd been content. Nothing hurt, illness was no longer ravaging his body because there was no body to ravage. It just was, he just was. And it'd been one of the most pleasant experiences he'd felt in the past few years. He'd come to accept he'd be unable to do anything other than watch. Until Naruto saw him, until Naruto reacted to him. Now..

He doesn't want to go back to being unacknowledged. It is supposed to be the way of the ninja, the ideals of self-sacrifice. But this sacrifice holds no meaning, no reasoning. No one would benefit if he remains in the Leaf with no one to talk to.

On the other hand, if he remains with Naruto, he can at the very least help her out, considering she's not… well, the sharpest kunai in the pouch.

While it's true he's a ninja, he also happens to be human. And he's tired of denying that part of himself now.

He's sacrificed everything in life in order to keep his brother and his village safe. In death, he supposes he can afford himself the bubbly company of Uzumaki Naruto.

Until she requests he leave, he'll remain for now. He doesn't wish to look back on this time hundreds of years in the future, when there will be no one to talk to his ghostly form, and regret not taking advantage of the one human he could interact with. He will aid Naruto in her mission for answers, seeing as she had accomplished the only thing he'd ever strived for. The safety of both his brother and his village.

"Sure you can keep up Itachi?"

Looking to the blonde-haired girl that's bouncing from branch to branch, the Uchiha graces her with a small smile, floating effortlessly beside her.

"I highly doubt I will tire in this state Naruto-chan, but you are welcome to try."

EDIT (14.07.19) Can I get a wah-hoo?

Tsume

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