Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own the collective works of Naruto, Avengers or anything that may come into the following Fan made piece of fiction. This is meant for enjoyment alone.

"Balance in all things." Jutsu/ Demon speech/Jinchuriki speech.

'Balance in all things.' Thought

"Balance in all things." Regular Speaking

"Balance in all things." Flashback Jutsu/ Flashback Demon speech.

"Balance in all things." Flashback speech.

XxxXxxXxxX

Previously:

Shikaku stepped forward once more. "And that concludes the assessment of the Panel. By an order of votes via recommendations and assessment, as Jounin Commander I am authorised to assign you the rank of Special Jounin at this time. By the support of the Sandaime Hokage you will be assigned the rank on a probationary period no greater than two years but no less than one at such time you will be eligible for further advancement. By the recommendation of Orochimaru, myself and Fugaku-dono, you will receive information packets and recruitment offers for initiation into either the Shinobi Program's Academy as Sensei-in-training or the Intelligence Department. Understand that acceptance and posting in one department does not preclude later reassignment to the other nor will it prevent you from potential reassignment to any other department. You will be expected to collect your sign of rank and Konoha Headband at the Hokage's Office within forty eight hours after which you are afforded a period of two weeks before official assignment."

"Welcome to Konoha."

XxxXxxXxxX

Naruto ignored the stares he was getting from the surrounding civilians as he strode down the busy streets of Konoha's shopping district, tuning out their whispers and more than one quiet giggle a the image he portrayed; a red haired Shinobi with a tiny three year old perched on his shoulders pulling at his hair like a rider on a horse.

"Forward Ojisan!"

Instead Naruto simply rolled his eyes in good humor. Natusmi had taken well to him in the time since his arrival at Konoha, with Kushina and her daughter spending more time at his home than at their own, it had been a foregone conclusion that the young toddler would grow attached to the man that bore a resemblance to her mother.

The moment the little terror had learned how to walk had seen the end of his peace and quiet at home as Natsumi rarely allowed him a moment alone; following after him more often than his own shadow.

Truth be said though, he didn't mind. It was, nice, after all these years to see another Uzumaki running around without care. Like it had been before.

He was here with a job. One that was far greater and more important than spending time with his newly rediscovered kin. But for the life of him he could not turn Kushina or Natsumi away when they came to him. Kami help him if they turned on the waterworks whenever he had to tell them he was busy.

Which was the sole reason why he was escorting his three year old 'niece' to the Shopping District. It was the third birthday of her best friend coming up in a weeks time and Natsumi was determined to get the 'bestest present in the history of forever.'

Kushina had waved off any involvement and made the excuse that she was meeting with her good friend; Uchiha Mikoto. Naruto didn't believe her. Kushina had been wearing a massive impish grin the entire time she had made the excuse after all which was all Naruto had needed in order to find her unwillingness to accompany them suspect.

That was now confirmed as, even now, he could feel the woman spying on him and her daughter a few houses away.

"Natsumi-chan we've passed by three toy stores already. Do you even know where we're going?" Naruto asked as he peered up to the cheering girl.

"Silence steed!" The girl in question howled with a feather light smack on the top of his head. "An Uzumaki is never lost! Even when she doesn't know where she is or where she is going! Kaasan said so."

Naruto breathed out a defeated sigh. Kushina's terrible sense of direction had been well and truly inherited it seemed.

"So tell me about your friend."

The blonde tilted her head to the side in confusion at the question, still pulling at his hair to direct him as the street turned a corner. "Hinata-chan? Ano, Hinata-chan is Hinata-chan."

The straight forward, no nonsense delivery had Naruto feel a drop of sweat beat at his forehead, somehow feeling as if he was the one saying stupid things. How a three year old could do that he had no idea.

"What kind of family does she come from?"

Natsumi perked up. "Oh I know this one!" She looked so proud right now. "Hinata-chan is from the Hyuga clan! They are the ones with the Blinking-gum. Kaachan says that they are pervy eyes that let the Hyuga be pervs and enemies to all women."

Naruto stumbled forward at the simplistic and completely single-minded view of one of the oldest and most powerful bloodlines in the history of the Elemental Nations. Trust Kushina to take something with vast combat potential and proven efficiency in wartime and sum it up as the talent of a voyeur.

"And what do you think Hinata-chan would like to get for her birthday?"

Natsumi scrunched her face up tightly, squinting her eyes shut in thought.

Naruto winced when a particularly sharp tug at his hair had him turn slightly.

"A...fluffy...bunny rabbit!"

Naruto could have sworn he heard a distant cry of 'Youth' as Natsumi struck a victorious pose atop his head, right foot on his shoulder while her left was firmly planted on his head and her arms held out wide as if she were some conquering hero.

Naruto responded only with a soft smile that had more than a few women gush at the sight and Kushina from her hiding place grinding her teeth with rage at those 'hussies'. He had forgotten how dramatic Uzumaki children could be.

It was nothing short of good fortune that had provided Naruto the time off to spend with Natsumi and Kushina. Ever since his official enlistment into Konoha's Shinobi Program and provisional ranking as a Special Jounin he had been working nearly non-stop in order to ingrain himself into the rank and file. It was, beneficial to prove himself trustworthy and invaluable to the higher ups of Konoha's leadership. The sooner he could prove himself to the Hokage, his advisers and the Shinobi High Council, the sooner he would be able to move outside of the village without oversight. Rin and Nagato were hard at work continuing the Plan; maintaining and operating the network he had developed and Rin was, on top of that, searching for any sign of potential catalysts to serve as the next stone.

The current Mitsue-shiro of the Rabbit Clan; Mikoto had assigned a couple of her children to serve as messengers between himself and Rin so the two had been able to stay in contact with one another. Konoha's famed barrier was not up to the task of detecting one of the oldest summon contracted animals when they passed through it.

At the present time Rin was in the process of investigating historical landmarks across the continent for any remnants of the more mythical history that pertained to the Rabbit-Goddess and the Sage of Six Paths in the effort of finding any clue or sign that could direct her to a suitable catalyst or at the very least something that could be of use for the Plan in general.

Apart from that, the Masked Man that had claimed the identity of Uchiha Madara and stolen control over Nagato and Yahiko's Akatsuki had been a busy man. He had left Ame and as a result Nagato and Konan alone; most likely out of a desire to maintain some level of secrecy from the world at large.

But he hadn't been able to hide completely. Naruto had been informed of some of the man's movements; particularly his recruitment of a number of Missing-nin to serve under him. Of those recruits two names had reached his attention: Kakuzu, former Shinobi of Taki and rumored assassin of the legendary Senju Hashirama. And Akasuna no Sasori, former Shinobi of Suna and master of the puppetry technique. Both S-ranked and extremely dangerous in their own right.

According to Nagato; 'Madara' was looking to add another S-rank to his ranks in the form of a Missing-nin from Kumogakure; 'N' the Thunder Sword.

He would have to make a reminder to keep an eye on how that organisation progressed over time. If 'Madara' continued to acquire S-ranked Shinobi, they may very we-

"Stop! we're here!"

Literally punched out of his thoughts by an overly enthusiastic toddler; Naruto reached up to rub at his sore head from where Natsumi had slammed her fist down, trying to ignore the fact that he could almost certainly feel a lump forming on the crown of his head from where Natsumi had hit him; silently marvelling at the strength this three year old, Jinchuriki or not, possessed. Turning his attention forward he saw that Natsumi had been able to direct him to one of the more popular toy shops within Konoha.

"This one! This is where we get Hinata-chan's birthday present of supreme-ultimate-fluffy-cuteness!"

Once again Naruto ignored the spike of killing intent aimed at the women around him who once more gushed at the sight of what they thought was a single father and his daughter. Kushina's jealous tendencies regarding her family were going to land her in trouble one of these days when she finally snapped.

With a shake of his head the red head entered the store, ducking down so Natsumi didn't hit her head. Thankfully, for the store-owner that is, the attending staff had no issues with the young Jinchuriki.

In the year since his first arrival to Konoha Naruto had experienced the displeasure of noticing the quiet glares being cast at the innocent child by more than a few civilians and even some of the Shinobi. Kushina did her best to make sure that Natsumi was not affected by the contempt that many of the villagers had for her; unable to acknowledge the difference between the beautiful child with the monster that she unknowingly held.

It was fortunate, once again for the villagers, that Naruto and Kushina were enough of a deterrent to any and all that had more 'violent' ideas.

It surprisingly did not take Natsumi long at all to find her supremely awesome gift for Hinata-chan, the blond haired ball of energy almost literally bouncing back to a waiting Naruto clutching a stuffed rabbit nearly twice her own size.

When the rabbit was purchased and stored safely within one of Naruto's storage seals that he kept on hand, Natsumi was returned to her throne atop his shoulders and the pair turned their attention to the next, more important mission of the day. One that sparked a fire within Naruto's eyes that was matched only by the fierce determination and passion of Natsumi herself.

Ramen time.

XxxX

True to expectations, the Hyuga threw a great party. A bit too formal for Naruto's liking but the food provided was better than anything found in all of Konoha. The party itself had been divided into two; the more formal gathering of the attending adults wishing to pay their respects and well wishes to the clan heiress via a stoically beaming Hiashi as well as the parents of the children that had received invitations. The second party was for the children themselves. Organised in a separate room from the adults it was there that there was music playing, sugary food and games of all sorts to entertain the rampaging monsters.

Naruto had poked his head in briefly to check in on Natsumi before fleeing at speed when he saw the look in both Natsumi and the Yamanaka heirs eyes when they spotted him. Young Ino had been reaching for makeup the moment she had locked her eyes on him which had been all the Uzumaki needed to know that retreat was the best course of action.

Kushina had nearly collapsed with laughter when she learned of why he looked so pale when he had returned to the adults party.

"So this is where you have been hiding Naruto-san."

The man in question turned his head and smiled politely at the shorter. Raven haired woman that had sneaked up on him. "Mikoto-san."

"Ah don't be like that Naruto-san." The Uchiha matriarch whined, sliding up to him to clutch at his arm with a coy smile on her face. "You'll make me feel like an old woman at this rate."

Naruto rolled his eyes. He knew full well what the woman was doing. Kushina had to be nearby. He had quickly learned that Mikoto's greatest hobby was teasing her best friend and it had taken the Uchiha moments after their first meeting that flirting with her cousin was now the easiest and most entertaining way to get a rise out of Konoha's Red Hot-Blooded Habanero.

Naruto had been concerned at first of the ire he would be getting from her husband Fugaku regarding his wife's behavior to him, but a night out drinking with the Head of the Uchiha Clan revealed that he knew that Mikoto's actions were harmless fun done only for the purpose of annoying Kushina. It was why even now the only response Naruto was getting from the Uchiha Clan head was an expression of understanding pity.

"We are only as old as we feel Mikoto-chan." Naruto replied, shifting the suffix as he smiled and pulled his arm out of her clutch to wrap it gently around the woman's side, pulling her in closer to whisper in her ear. "And by how you feel, I dare say you will be as firm and, enthusiastic, as any Uzumaki."

Mikoto's face exploded into a blush as she felt the hot breath of the older, attractive man in her ear coupled with the shameless tease. Despite the fact that she was quite happily married to her beloved Fugaku and still very much in love with the man she could not stop her treacherous heart from skipping a beat.

It was only the sound of teeth grinding together and the waves of rage wafting from behind the two that spared her the embarrassment of stammering and therefore losing the game.

"Mi-Ko-To-Chan!"

Naruto pulled back from the still blushing Uchiha and afforded her a wicked smile, conveying perfectly his satisfaction in turning the tables despite her overall victory in annoying the extremely irate Uzumaki Kushina before turning to the seething redhead in question.

"Kushina-chan! what's wrong?" The still smirking man asked innocently, ignoring the haze of blood-lust wafting off of the woman as well as the way her long hair was waving behind her in nine tails.

"What is the meaning of this Onii-san?" Kushina seethed, flicking her glaring eyes from a smug looking Naruto to Mikoto that was still blushing but recovered enough to giggle at her expense.

"Just a friendly talk. Nothing all that concerning really." Naruto replied with a shrug. "Why? What did you think was going on?"

Kushina fought the blush from rising up on her own cheeks. With the accusation turned back on her she couldn't very well admit that she believed that her friend was seducing her precious cousin and that her own jealousy and paranoia had convinced her that Mikoto was moments away from dragging Naruto away for some kind of salacious affair.

"Fufufu, is Kushina-chan having pervy thoughts over her beloved Onii-chan?" Mikoto teased with a coy hand covering her mouth, having regained control over herself once more. "Ara, ara, how scandalous."

There was no stopping it now. Kushina's face exploded in a powerful, deep blush as she lost all intimidation in her posture and aura as she backed up a step waving her hands in front of her defensively. "What!? No, no, no! that's not it at all, I wasn't thinking about you seducing Naruto-kun and taking him to some dark secret part of the Hyuga manor where he would ruin you for all men and you would both come back sweaty and clothes wrinkled and everyone would know what you did and..."

Naruto couldn't help it. He had to bite his fist to stop himself from laughing at the fact that Kushina was digging her own grave the more she inadvertently revealed the depth of her own thoughts and depravity. Even Himiko; Hyuga Hiashi's wife was blushing. And that woman had more control over her emotions that a medic-nin had over their own Chakra.

It was a good thing that pervert Jiraiya wasn't here. The man would have passed out from blood loss at the direction Kushina's thoughts had taken her.

Eventually, and thankfully for the majority of the room, Kushina regained some motor control to clamp her hands down over her mouth as her eyes and brain caught up with her mouth at seeing just how widely Mikoto was grinning the more she 'confessed.'

"Oh my, I think I should be worried about poor Naruto-kun's virtue, living so close to such a depraved monster." The Uchiha woman giggled, stepping over to Naruto's side to loop her arm around his. "I fear what would happen to poor, innocent Naruto-kun when Kushina-chan finally snaps."

It should not be possible for Kushina to blush any further than she already was. Naruto was growing concerned when he could swear he could feel actual heat emanating from the young Uzumaki's cheeks.

"I think she's had enough Mikoto-chan." Naruto advised gently.

"Mouuu, are you sure Naruto-kun?" Mikoto pouted up to him. "I could mention exactly the things I could do to make sure you never look at another woman like little Kushina-chan ever again."

There was a crack as the floor beneath Kushina's right foot cratered slightly.

"I think that would be best left for another time."

Mikoto didn't look pleased.

Thankfully, Naruto saw his means of escaping the situation entirely. "Fugaku-san!"

With the swiftness that would have put many a veteran Shinobi to shame, Naruto extracted himself from the deceptively tight grip of Mikoto and rushed over to the Uchiha in question; leaving the two women to continue their own 'conversation.'

"Uzumaki-san, have you come to confess to your theft of the heart of my dear wife?" The Uchiha drawled, a mostly concealed smirk evident at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't you start too." Naruto warned with a pointed finger. "It's bad enough Kushina-chan is going to keep reminding me for the next week, I don't need it from you as well."

Mercifully the Clan Head nodded in understanding. "Very Well. I Trust you have settled well into Konoha. You have been busy since your evaluation last year."

"Well enough." Naruto replied with a shrug. "Hokage-sama has been kind enough to keep my busy and provided me with a number of opportunities to prove my worth to the village regardless of my, condition."

The stoic man nodded. "I understand that Orochimaru-sama often attempts to recruit you into the Intelligence Department."

Naruto nodded his head. It was true. In the year since his probational admittance into the Shinobi Program as a Special Jounin, the Snake Sannin had made it a point to begin and continue attempts into directing his career path into Konoha's Intelligence Division. The only reason Orochimaru even needed to keep asking Naruto, meaning that he had been refusing thus far, was that Naruto felt he needed to further establish himself and his reputation amongst the regular rank and file within the Shinobi Program before moving into a more specialised sector.

"He is persistent I will say that much."

Fugaku was in agreement to that. Of the three Sannin, well two considering the departure of the Slug Princess Tsunade, Orochimaru was the more dedicated to the Village and the Shinobi Program. For all his reputation Jiraiya seemed to be more concerned with his fame as a writer than anything else.

"I heard that your eldest made Genin recently." Naruto prodded.

This brought a proud smile to the Uchiha's face. "Indeed. My son Itachi. He graduated the Academy at the age of seven, the youngest outside of wartime."

Naruto returned the smile, feeling the pride that the man felt regarding his son's achievement. "An achievement well earned if even half of what I have heard of young Itachi is true."

"It is something both myself and Mikoto are both proud of." Fugaku nodded in agreement. "That he upholds the reputation and prestige of the Uchiha name so well, I can only hope that my youngest Sasuke grows to match his brother."

"Your youngest is Natsumi-chan's age yes?" Naruto asked. "I wonder if the fates will be kind enough to see your son on the same team as my niece. Quite a power house wouldn't you agree?"

Fugaku nodded with keen interest. Truly the thought of an Uchiha teamed with an Uzumaki. It was a heady combination.

"Kushina-san and Mikoto often set up lay dates between my son and her daughter." The man said slowly, almost chewing his words thoughtfully before voicing them. "Perhaps you and I should arrange for a similar arrangement when it comes time to see to their training?"

"I'll have to speak with Kushina-chan, but I believe that could work out."

The conversation between the Survivor of Uzu and the Head of the Uchiha Clan was interrupted when a blonde blur crashed bodily into Naruto's leg.

Looking down to the now firmly attached body that was almost fused to his leg so tightly was it clutching him, Naruto paled slightly when he saw the wide, puppy-dog like eyes of Uzumaki Natsumi twinkling up at him.

"Ne, ne, Ojisan! Can I have a sleepover here with Hinata-chan?"

XxxX

In the end, Naruto had been able to deflect the power of Natsumi's eyes towards her mother whom had readily agreed to it after a quick discussion with Hitomi and Hiashi. It seemed that Natsumi and Ino had worked together to convince the more quiet and meek Hinata to be agreeable to a slumber party in the aftermath of the party.

The end result of that unholy alliance was Hinata's face lighting up in joy when she was told her two friends Ino and Natsumi would be permitted to stay the night.

The adults party came to its end when it drew close for the children to head to bed with Kushina stumbling away, supported by Mikoto while she wailed at how her baby girl was growing up and already leaving home; much to the fond amusement of Naruto who followed in their wake.

The Village was surprisingly subdued considering everything that was going on. Not in regard to the Hyuga heiresses birthday, for the most part the Village as a whole was unaffected by that. No it was considering the fact that Konoha and Kumo were in the process of signing the treaty that would put an end to the conflicts that had arisen in the past during the previous Great Ninja Wars. Naruto was doubtful it would have any real meaning. Konoha was not one to share the pedestal it enjoyed standing upon and Kumo was always in search of its next power grab. Sooner or later that Treaty that Sarutobi was signing with Kumo's Head Ninja would not be worth the paper it was signed upon.

Currently Naruto was leaning against the trunk of a large tree along the perimeter of one of Konoha's internal Training fields near the Shinobi Academy. With the Hinata girl's party now over there was no distracting himself from the fact that high ranking Shinobi of one of the villages that had destroyed his family and home were in the village. The last thing he wanted to do was bring down Kushina's mood with that reminder and in this place; separated from the rest of the village, he was less likely to do something foolish like seek out some pointless gesture of vengeance.

He had run some tests on the Sealing Stone; a habit he had picked up whenever he was bored. Experimenting with its capabilities and seeing just how far its outer limits were. An answer he had yet to reach.

Apart from that he had, every now and again, checked up on Natsumi; reaching out with his Chakra and senses to monitor the state of her Chakra network as well as its relative location. There had been some activity and a sense of mischief that Naruto had concluded to be a sign that the cheeky brat had convinced Hinata to stage a midnight raid on the Hyuga's kitchen pantry before she settled into a calm state of sleep.

Naruto had returned the Sealing Stone to its hiding place and pushed himself back to his feet; figuring that he might as well get some training in; see if he couldn't hone his Chakra Control into furthering the natural amplification of physical attributes such as speed and strength when he felt, something.

He had made sure to keep a passive eye on Natsumi; familial concern as to her well being and safety given that this was her first time outside of Kushina and his supervision.

It would seem that it had been a smart move as when Naruto stopped and turned away from the training field to face the direction of the Hyuga complex to get a better 'eye' on what it was he could feel, he was able to properly sense Natsumi's Chakra leave the perimeter of the Hyuga's land. That was concerning enough as it was. What was Natsumi thinking; leaving the safety of the Hyuga compound at so late an hour? But that question was made redundant and the potential situation made more alarming by a single, frightening fact; Natsumi's Chakra was still stagnant. Meaning: she was still asleep.

It was an experience that Naruto had not felt since he had tasked Rin to Konoha and later learned that the Kyubi had been released. It was an emotion that he had hoped not to go through in this regard; fear.

There was no hesitation or deliberation; Naruto shot out of the Training field at speed, tightening his control over his Chakra as much as he could to maximise his capabilities with the atrophy seal still in place. If it turned out to be nothing then he would learn how Natsumi had been able to calm her network to the level where he mistook it for unconsciousness before seeing to it she was grounded with Kushina. If it turned out to be what he feared, then he would deal with it.

It was as he neared Natsumi's Chakra signal that his senses picked up on two more. The first was Hyuga Hinata's, he was not as familiar with the Chakra of his niece's best friend and so needed the close proximity to pick up on it. The other one, was cause for alarm. A Shinobi, highly trained and actively engaged in stealth maneuvers that had the Chakra Network suppressed to the level of the average civilian. Difficult to pick up, but not if a Sensor was looking directly at them. Like Naruto was.

It was a stealth tactic that Naruto had seen before; in Uzu.

When the redhead cleared the final line of buildings that separated him from Natsumi, Hinata and this third unknown, his blood boiled.

An unknown Shinobi; dressed in black with a head covering that completely concealed the identity of the man with only a small gap that exposed the eyes. Hanging from the man's arms were two small children; Hinata and Natsumi.

There was a faint concern for the well being and potential fate of Yamanaka Ino; the other girl that he was aware had stayed at the Hyuga home for the sleepover, but that was pushed aside for the more pressing concern.

Recover Natsumi and Hinata.

Naruto had left his gear at the apartment and was still dressed in his more civilian attire which was why the Uzumaki tore a tile from the roof he was standing on and threw it down toward the kidnapper, hands flashing together into a burst of hand-seals.

"Kawari Shuriken (Roof Tile Shuriken)."

The roof tile's edge shifted as Chakra was infused into it and sharpened. The weaponized tile impacted into the ground a few feet in front of the kidnapper, stabbing deep into the pathway and effectively bringing the unknown Shinobi to a stop.

Looking up in the direction the makeshift weapon had come from the kidnapper took a step back in alarm when he saw the glowering form of Uzumaki Naruto looming overhead; like a vengeful wraith with the moon framing his form.

There were no words said. The enemy Shinobi simply dropped the two unconscious children and leapt at Naruto; lighting forming at his fingertips. It inadvertently narrowed the identity of the kidnapper to two possibilities; Hatake Kakashi, known for his elemental affinity for lightning that would make him capable of the seal-less feat of channelling Lightning Chakra like this. And Kumo.

Naruto understood fully well that Kakashi would gladly die before acting against the family of his Sensei; the Yondaime Hokage. There was no chance in heaven and hell that the Copy-nin of Konoha would turn traitor. Which left the single, obvious conclusion.

Kumo was attempting another kidnapping just like they had attempted years ago when Kushina had been a child.

Naruto snarled and backhanded the cretin the moment the Kumo Shinobi came into range, knocking the man flying across the roof to the adjacent building and completely ignoring the sting as he felt lightning infused fingers jab into his chest. The pain was minimal, there was no bleeding as the lightning infused Chakra cauterised the puncture wound. All it did was cause a minor spasm of his muscles and a brief tightness in his chest as his heart skipped a beat before the foreign Chakra was purged via a Chakra flush courtesy of Naruto himself.

The Kumo ninja recovered easily; back flipping in mid flight with the blow and finding his feet against the wall before kicking off to re-engage.

Still the enemy was silent as he returned to attack the furious Uzumaki.

Naruto wasn't content to allow the bastard to come to him any longer. With a pulse of Chakra Naruto seemingly vanished from the space he had been occupying to suddenly appear right in the face of the astonished Kumo Shinobi. A powerful palm thrust doubled the kidnapper over Naruto's arm for a moment before an accompanying burst of Chakra from Naruto's open palm rocketed the enemy Shinobi backward and into the wall of the building behind him.

With Kumo gasping for breath and trying to heave himself back to his feet, Naruto briefly turned his head, eyes flicking over to his periphery before; with a short nod, hopped off of the roof and down to the street where Hinata and Natsumi were resting.

Seeing that the Uzumaki that had waylaid him from completing his mission had seemingly abandoned the effort in fighting him, the Kumo ninja lost his patience.

A powerful flare of Chakra that was far too much to have any hope of maintaining his secrecy within Konoha and he sped through a long chain of hand-seals.

Naruto could feel the build up of Lightning Chakra from within the man and allowed a small smirk of amusement when he noticed his earlier handiwork take effect and drawing the gathered Chakra down into the pit of the Kumo Shinobi's stomach.

"Raiton: Gain! (Lightning Style: False Darkness)"

Naruto didn't even bother turning his eyes back to the Kumo Ninja to see the confusion in the man's posture when there was a brief surge of Chakra followed by a small puff of smoke and the smell of ozone belched out from the man's mouth as the Jutsu failed.

No Naruto simply kept his attention on Natsumi and Hinata; checking them to make sure that they were unharmed.

There was no need for him to deal with the wretch that had foolishly chosen to waste his life by attempting to kidnap not only Uzumaki Natsumi, but Hyuga Hinata; daughter of a very, very, angry father.

"You are within my range of divination."

...Who happened to be standing right behind the fool in question.

XxxXxxXxxX

A/N

Its been a long time coming, but your patience has been rewarded (hopefully). Here is the latest chapter of Zero Chakra Plan!

So this was really meant to be a 'slice of life' chapter if you will for Naruto. we're really trying to work on Naruto's personal development as a character so we feel that it is worth the time spent seeing him like this, relaxing and interacting with others. If we skipped right over it and just focused on him 'Thanos-ing' then it would serve only to make Naruto a shallow one dimensional character and therefore; boring.

We put in a bit of humor into this chapter mainly as a test to see how it goes. We tend to do that; test out ideas and writing methods to see how it is received by the readers. That and we felt that certain characters around at this time are known for their humorous moments; case in point Natsumi and Kushina.

Mikoto is largely unknown in regards to personality so we took some liberty with what we wanted and felt that if she was friends with someone like Kushina of all people; then she really had to have a sense of humor.

Out of curiosity...and an imaginary cookie for anyone who can guess correctly:

What did Naruto do to that Kumo Shinobi that caused his Jutsu to fail?

We are doubtful anyone will be able to figure out exactly what we did, but we are curious to see what possibilities could be considered.

Let us know as well what your thoughts are in regard to this story as a whole. We appreciate feedback.

And by feedback we do not mean pointless b****t reviews that just say that this story is shit or Naruto is an idiot. We ignore those. Give us actual thought out feedback to consider.

Next week we should be putting out the next instalment of Harry Whisperwind in 'Risen in Light, Fallen to Shadow.'

stay tuned.