Well, it's about time! I finally found my muse for this story again, and I'm excited about it! Unfortunately my inspiration comes in spurts these days, so I'll try to make the most of it while it's still with me. Speaking of which, I hope you all are still with me! A huge thank you to all of you who have kept this story on alert for so long. Please review!

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Shikamaru and Naruto stood just inside the door to Naruto's old apartment, surveying the room. A thick, brown layer of dust covered everything, and the air was stale and heavy. All of Naruto's old possessions (which weren't many, Shikamaru noted) were still scattered about the room where he had left them.

"Geez. It's even worse than when I got back from training with Jiraiya," Naruto muttered, waving a hand in front of his face.

Shikamaru walked across the room to the window and pulled the curtains aside. Both boys coughed as a cloud of dust was stirred up. Shikamaru quickly lifted the glass pane to let in some fresh air. "It would be worse, but I think Sakura comes every so often to clean up a little bit."

Naruto smiled at the thought, then frowned. "Look, Shikamaru. I'm not naïve enough to think that my apartment was kept out of sentimentality or anything. Why wasn't it cleared and rented out?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Apparently the Third Hokage had some ongoing thing set up with the landlord. I guess you know he paid for your apartment while he was alive?"

Naruto nodded. "I wouldn't have had anywhere to stay otherwise."

"And after he died?"

"I never really thought about it," Naruto admitted, his brow creasing in thought. "I mean, I did at first. I kept expecting the landlord to say something about it, but he never did. I guess I just forgot."

Shikamaru flicked a dead bug from the window sill, watching as it fell to the ground outside. "He had something set up with the bank. They automatically transferred your rent money from the Sarutobi account every month. It wasn't until after you were gone that Tsunade found out, and…. Well, the Sarutobi clan never complained, and the landlord got his money, so she just left it alone."

Naruto nodded. "So…. You're gonna help me clean it up, right?"

Shikamaru lifted an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?"

Naruto smirked, knowing fully well that his friend had every intention of helping. "Because the sooner this place becomes livable the sooner I can move out of your place. I hate to be such a bother."

Shikamaru sighed loudly. "Fine, I'll help. But you're doing all the dirty work."

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Two hours later the two shinobi stood back and surveyed their work. The almost suffocating dust was mostly gone, and the small kitchen and bathroom had both been scrubbed down. The bedding was currently laid over the table and chairs, airing out.

Naruto wiped his hands on his pants before turning and opening the door. "Well, we've done what we can for now. Might as well find something else to do."

Shikamaru responded with a noncommittal grunt and followed Naruto out the door and down the narrow steps to the street. They walked in silence for some time, neither really knowing where to go. Naruto let his mind wander along with his feet. Just being in Konoha again was bringing back so many memories—both pleasant and unpleasant—that he had thought forgotten long ago.

Eventually Naruto looked around him and found that he had subconsciously followed one of the most frequented routes of his younger days. He stood barely twenty feet from Ichiraku's ramen stand. A smile slowly spread over his face and his stomach gave an involuntary rumble. "Hey Shikamaru. You hungry?"

His companion looked up, apparently having been lost in thought himself. "Sure. It's about lunch time anyway." The two walked to the small restaurant and sat down at the counter.

Ichiraku smiled at them and handed them both menus. Naruto couldn't help but grin at the sight of the old man. "It's good to see you again, Shikamaru. What would you both like?" he asked.

They placed their orders, and Naruto turned to his friend. "Man, I can't wait! I almost forgot how much I missed this place," he said enthusiastically.

Shikamaru smiled, but it faded as soon as Naruto looked away again. Judging by Naruto's behavior, Shikamaru would have thought absolutely nothing had changed. Sure, Naruto wasn't quite as loud and animated as he had once been, but he was acting more and more like his old self. Shikamaru was extremely pleased to see this, but he couldn't help but wonder if it was genuine. He had seen him in his room the night before, in the Hokage's office, and at the memorial stone. Was this just an elaborate cover-up that the young man was purposefully erecting?

Shikamaru was broken from his thoughts when Ayame placed their orders in front of them. "Enjoy!" she said cheerfully, then turned away. Naruto picked up his chop sticks, and hesitated for a moment. He had perfected the art of eating without showing his face, but he had also decided not to hide who he was anymore. Finally, he reached up and pulled his mask down. His hood quickly followed, and Naruto began to eat his food.

Shikamaru stared at him, his own food all but forgotten. He was still very unused to the other ninja's appearance. It was the scar that stood out to him most now, however, and he was disturbed by the images the sight recalled to his mind. The… body… they had found had had a wound in that exact same place; one that would have left an identical scar.

Eventually Naruto looked up at him, an eyebrow lifted curiously. "Geez, Shikamaru, if you're looking at me like that what am I supposed to expect from everybody else?"

"Sorry," Shikamaru murmured, turning to his rapidly cooling bowl of ramen. "I just… it still hasn't completely sunk in, you know?"

Naruto nodded, his face now completely serious. "I know. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all." He smiled, then. "And I knew I was alive all along."

Shikamaru returned the smile tentatively, then began to eat his own meal. The two sat in undisturbed silence for some time until Ayame turned around to check on the customers. She stopped abruptly, mouth hanging open, and dropped the empty dish she had been holding. Both shinobi looked up at the sudden noise and found the young woman staring at Naruto intently, eyes wide and mouth open.

Their gaze seemed to break her out of her trance, and she quickly knelt and began to pick up the pieces of the shattered bowl. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's just…," she looked up at him, frowning deeply. "You remind me of someone who used to come here a lot."

Naruto smiled. "Long time no see, huh?"

She stood, the pieces of glass she had gathered falling back to the floor. "Naruto?" she asked, joy and disbelief mixing in her voice.

"Yeah," was all he said in reply.

She looked to Shikamaru, then. "Is it really him? You all said he was dead."

Shikamaru's face darkened a little even as he smiled. "We thought he was dead. But he wasn't, and he came back yesterday," he explained.

"Dad!" she shouted suddenly, and both ninjas jumped. Ichiraku turned around, evidently having missed the whole scene that had played out behind him. "Guess who's here?"

He stared at the two customers, long and hard, and finally his eyes widened in recognition. "Naruto? How can it be?"

"It's a long story. We'll just say… I was detained outside of the village for a while, but I'm back now and I intend to stay."

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Naruto and Shikamaru left the ramen stand after a long talk with Ichiraku and Ayame. Naruto had really enjoyed seeing them again, but now that they were walking through the village he felt extremely self-conscious about his exposed face and hair. He scratched the back of his head nervously, casting an anxious glance around for anyone else he knew. He relaxed slightly when he didn't see anyone, but the queasy feeling in his stomach remained.

"So, is there anywhere else you want to go? Any place you've been dying to see again?" Shikamaru asked, breaking the silence.

Naruto thought for a moment. "Not anywhere in particular. At least, not that I can think of. I might just wander around for a while."

Shikamaru eyed him, and nodded. "I, uh, I have somewhere I need to be soon. If it's alright with you I'll head that way."

Naruto smiled, glad that Shikamaru had picked up on his wordless request to be alone. "Yeah, that's okay. I'll see you later." Shikamaru nodded and turned down a small street off of the main road. Naruto continued on his way, rebuilding his mental map of Konoha.

He was staring up at the Hokage monument when someone bumped into him, sending him stumbling backwards a few steps. He regained his balance and glanced around to find the person who had collided with him. A dark-haired ninja lay sprawled on the ground a few feet away, glowering at him. "Hey, watch where you're going, buddy. I…." The boy's eyes widened as he stared up at Naruto, and his mouth fell open. "No way…. You're…." The kid scrambled to his feet and backed away, eyes practically bulging out of his face. "What are you?" he whispered.

Naruto tilted his head to the side, trying to place the shinobi. His eyes narrowed as something about his face rang a bell, then widened as he placed the boy. "Konohamaru! You… god, you've grown up." He smiled and took a step forward, glad to see his young friend.

Konohamaru backed up more, however, and drew a kunai from his weapons pouch. "What are you?" he repeated, eyes dark and face screwed up in the epitome of fury. "How dare you pretend to be Naruto?"

"Pretend? What are you talking about? It's me, Konohamaru. I prom—" Naruto was cut off as the kunai was launched at his face. He was barely able to block it with one of his own before it made contact. "Hey!"

"Stop it! You're not him! He's dead!" Konohamaru lunged at him, a new kunai in each fist. "I'll kill you!"

Naruto defended himself, frowning in confusion. He had expected his friends to be surprised, of course, and maybe a little skeptical. But this? This he hadn't expected. "It's me, Naruto—"

"Don't say his name!" the younger shinobi screamed, beginning to mold chakra in his right hand.

This has gone far enough, Naruto thought, and moved his hands through familiar seals. "Kage Bunshin no jutsu," he said aloud, and one hundred replications of himself appeared around them. He held them just long enough to know that Konohamaru had seen them all, then dispelled them in a puff of white smoke.

Konohamaru gaped at where the clones had been, the chakra in his palm disappearing. His kunai fell to the ground and he looked back at Naruto, hope and disbelief mingling in his eyes. "It… it really is you. How?"

Naruto approached him again, smiling softly. "It was all a lie, Konohamaru. I was only captured, and they wanted you all to believe I was dead. I was alive all along." When he got close enough, he placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder, looking into his wide eyes. "It's me, I promise."

The next thing he knew he was lying flat on his back, a hysterical Konohamaru sobbing into his chest. "I can't believe it… I can't believe you're actually alive… I thought you were dead, and they buried you, and we had a funeral…," Konohamaru was murmuring between heavy breaths. "I can't believe you're actually alive."

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Wow! Two reunions in one chapter! O.O And many more to come! Don't worry, they'll become longer and more detailed as I go on, as I'm saving many of the most emotional reunions for later. Thanks for bearing with me; I know it's moving slowly, but it is part of the plan. Thanks again!