Naruto watched from his vantage point in the tower as the legendary medic Tsunade feebly made her way from a small, nondescript house towards a cross street that he knew led to one of the few bars open at this time of day. Considering recent events, one would suspect that Naruto would be angry at her actions, but both he and his guard Shin knew what lay beneath that humble home.

"Do you really think she will last a whole month tending to the souls found in Torture and Interrogation?" Shin asked his leader, looking at the teen's serious expression.

Naruto's eyes did not stop tracking the Sannin as he answered. "Somebody has to do it. The prisoners from Oto need medical attention, along with everyone else there. And since she wants a leave from the general hospital, I found something worthy of her talents." The sarcasm at the end of his statement was faint but Shin heard it. He assumed the attention to the Oto nin had to do with finding out more in regards to Orochimaru, who orchestrated the affair. Still...

"Should we not be more focused on curing her hemophobia instead of using her healing talents haphazardly?"

"Why can't we do both? Forced acclimation, or whatever it is called. Force her to get over her fears, by any means necessary." Naruto almost flinched at how cold his words were being, but he couldn't help it. He knew he should be better to her. She had tried for Lee, but she had failed. And a part of him might not forgive her for that. He turned back towards his desk, wincing as he stepped towards it. The memories from the clones that had consulted with Danzo on his wind element training had come back. It hadn't ended well.

"You keep saying you can't do it, Hokage-sama. That is beneath you and your title. You must understand that you WILL learn this skill, and not lose that way One who is lost is no better than the one who does nothing because both are useless. You must find it within yourself to harness the wind's power, for men like us are the only one's who can."

Danzo summoned a vicious blade of wind to prove a point, ending the existence of the four clones meeting with him.

He knew that technically the man was right, though he had delivered the statement with precise harshness. He had to act, no, he had to do it. It was as simple as that. Like everytime he had said he was going to be Hokage, he just had to do it. It was good advice he could use throughout his life.

Why couldn't Ero-Sennin give this kind of advice with his sealing training he had begun? He talked about feeling the chakra and just knowing how everything connects. It wasn't the most useful advice, even though he was a natural at it apparently. He didn't see it, but he kept telling him so. He felt like he was still super far away from his goals on the subject, so it wasn't helpful.

Shin looked over Naruto, examining the planner in the desk. "So Hokage-sama, any plans for your lunch? It is that time of day, and you don't have anything on the schedule for some time."

Naruto gave him a smile. "You don't have to worry about me. I have plans."

'Plans?" He didn't see anything about them on the planner, until he noticed out of the corner of his eye a familiar coat walking towards the tower. It was a coat that told him he would not be privy to the conversation, since the Hokage requested that the time with the coat's owner would be private. It explained the circle around the date, however. And while he had a few theories, he was still not clear on what was happening between the Hokage and the Hyuga heiress.

"I believe now is the time for me to make my leave?" Shin followed up, his eyes obviously following the girl.

Naruto had a quick glance that was followed with a soft smile. "That would be correct, Shin. Go see how Team Kakashi is doing, alright? I hope that your brother is doing well."

He liked the sound of that. They were in the village helping with basic D-ranks, so his presence would cause no issue. "That is a wonderful idea, Hokage-sama. Enjoy your time with the Lady Hyuga." Shin left the side of the Hokage, leaving a few moments for Naruto to make himself presentable for his... lunch date with Hinata. A sentence he did not expect to say even a month ago.

He was even being super considerate of her and her tastes, and was ignoring his first and second impulse to take her to Ichikaru's. He knew he could be aggressive when he ate, and didn't want his first date to go poorly. There was also the fact that the second Teuchi and Ayame caught wind with what was going on they would tease him, Hokage or not, and probably try too hard to be friendly with Hinata.

No, he was going to a more subdued place, specializing in food from Suna and the Land of Wind called Attaya's. It was similar to barbeque, but with more exotic meats and stronger spices. He also knew it wouldn't be the busiest spot considering recent events. A perfect, relaxed spot for them to enjoy themselves. And to allow the rumors of their relationship to grow naturally.

Because in two days time, Hiashi was going to announce his and Hinata's engagement to the Hyuga family. That meant it would be the news of the village in three. The bastard. He wasn't sure if he could rightfully call Sasuke 'Teme' anymore, since a more suitable candidate for it had come forward. And he was fond of the name Shin's brother had given him, Quacky.

His self-musings came to a stop as Hinata walked in, as expected. Besides wearing her new coat, she hadn't dressed up for the date. However, as Hokage, he couldn't go in his trademark jumpsuit. While he still wore the pants, the jacket had been too much along with his robe so he just wore a black shirt that went past his elbow. His robe was white with orange lettering (upon his request) that labeled him in large kanji on the back as Godaime. Flashy like his jumpsuit had been, but in a much different way. And on a date, he wasn't gonna have the hat.

"Hello Naruto-kun" Hinata shyly greeted him.

"Hey, Hinata-chan. I hope you are doing good." He greeted back.

She nodded. "Things are going as well as one can hope. Neji is still... mourning and father is plotting about how he will go about announcing everything."

Naruto couldn't help but roll his eyes. He hadn't told anyone about Neji's request, so he assumed most of his clan weren't aware of his mindset but the main issue was the super teme.

"Well, he can't ruin our lunch, so that is a good thing. I have plans for-"

"Ichikaru's?" Hinata presumed, interrupting him.

He liked her expression when he shook his head. "No, not today. I was thinking Attaya's. I've only had it once, but it was really good and I think a great place for our date."

Hinata had heard of the restaurant, but was more focused on not turning into a tomato. He had said a date. That they were going on a date. Knowing something was one thing, but to hear it said out loud...

Naruto snapped his finger. "You there?" He asked her suddenly.

Hinata blinked, and was thankful she could not blush anymore. She just nodded her head.

"Good. You gonna do that everytime I say the 'd' word?" Naruto asked with a smirk.

Apparently she could. "N-n-n-n-n" Hinata paused, and took a deep breath. She refused to stutter over her words here. She was better than that. "Of course not, Naruto-kun. I can't wait for our date. But we could have gone to Ichikaru's." She was thinking for him, but he shook his head.

"We can do that anytime. But I only get one chance for a first date, and I want to make you feel special." And that was as much as Naruto promised he would use of Jiriaya's advice toward girls.

Hinata fought her instincts and grinned. "The same." He raised an eyebrow. "I want you to feel special as well."

Naruto grinned at that "Then why are we still talking? I'm getting hungry!" In a less assured manner, he put his hand our to hers. His teeth must have been showing when she grabbed back.

…

The two shinobi knew that the other was not supposed to be there, at a bar just after noon in a coastal village left to rot by an authoritarian government and hapless population. But it would be like calling the kettle black if they did something about it, would it not? Plus, the younger shinobi knew he could decimate his opponent, and the older shinobi knew this as well. But he had not, so he was going to take that as a cue he would not get in contact with him. So they ignored each other, both casually enjoying their drinks by their lonesome. What neither knew was that they shared the same goal.

Itachi Uchiha glanced again at the only man that concerned him yet again, going over the details he could see, and trying to judge what he could from him. He had a healthy chakra network, but his physical prowess was terrible, but trending upwards. He could see how his shirt tried to cling to his ribs, and how he sensed his environment like only two types of people in the world could. Itachi knew he was both. He could not help but wonder what this escaped kekkei genkai wielder could do if conflict became necessary, but he could tell it would not. The man was not stupid.

Instead he continued to sip on his watered down junmai-shu, thankful for once at the cheapness of the establishment. He knew Kisame would not be pleased with it, but he lacked Kisame's drinking quirks. He drank to be drunk quick, which was never enjoyable for the young man. But something like this? Light on his palette, didn't agitate him like harsher liquors would? He could enjoy the peace while he listened through the quiet.

'It's been weeks since they seen him. Think he is dead?'

'I heard one of the freaks is taking over. A red head.'

'What about that swordsman? The Momochi one?"

'Dead. A while now.'

'One of his hunters?'

'Not from what I heard. He went down in Wave, apparently against Gato.'

'No wonder we didn't hear anything, Gato's death overshadowed it.'

'With that roach gone, we finally got into a good place fishing. His ships ruined the local holes.'

'I doubt that roach killed Momochi. You know who did it?'

'I heard Konoha. Wave named the bridge after one of them. Naruto something or another.'

'Konoha? Naruto? Boys, do I have a story for you.' A third man, who had been quiet suddenly entered the conversation.

'You know about this man?'

'Man?' He snorted. 'It's a boy. But no ordinary boy.'

One of the original two raised their brow. 'What ain't ordinary.'

'Kid is the son of the Fourth Hokage. Huge secret. Named him the fifth.'

'You kidding!'

'Impossible.'

The third man shook his head. 'I don't lie. This Naruto Uzumaki was announced almost two weeks ago. And they say Konoha doesn't play favorites with its leaders. It's the worst of the bunch.;

'The son of the Yellow Flash though?'

The man nodded. 'The merchant was sure as hell shocked by it too. Said the kid looks like him.'

'You said Uzumaki. Like one from Uzushio? I thought they died out years ago.'

The second man shook his head. 'I know one or two kicking around. Apparently one worked for the monster in the prisons, while another might be around as a medic. I haven't seen him in years though, he might be dead. But at least one is out there. So why not Konoha.'

And why hadn't Danzo informed him? Or Koharu or Homura. This change the game drastically. It was one thing when there assignment was a jinchuriki who had been deposed as kage, the backlash against Akatsuki would be minimal in the shinobi nations. But for them to challenge one of the 5 villages directly by kidnapping their leader and taking their bjuu was not a step they were ready for. Plus it changed the mission entirely.

Before, Naruto Uzumaki was an acceptable casualty in the larger scheme of the eventual undermining of Akatsuki and the protection of Konoha. At least officially. Privately, Itachi had every reason to suspect Naruto would survive an extraction because of his Uzumaki heritage. While this was something Sarutobi had not agreed upon, it was the only thing understood between himself and Danzo. Even if he was the legacy of the Fourth, it was not worth the village.

But then again, this reeked of the man's machinations. He knew Jiraiya would not do this, and it would not make sense for the elders or anyone in the capital to push for him. So it had to be Danzo. But for what end? The little he had heard about the boy made it seem like he would not fit Danzo's brand of politicking. There were things he did not know, and was not pleased by. He knew he needed to get in touch with the council...and Shikamaru Nara. The moment he saw the boy mouth 'ANBU X' to him during their fight in the village, and the calculated way he caught him stalking the village... It made Itachi a touch worried of the state of Konoha, but far more curious. There was probably a logical explanation for all of this, but he didn't have the context he wanted.

He wouldn't for some while, either. After their failure in Konoha, their leader had sent them to Kiri for the task of discovering where the fleeing Mizukage, the Sanbi jinchuriki, had gone. And despite Kisame's extensive knowledge of the terrain, they had failed. So they had been reduced to low tech methods of looking for leads.

'You think it awful odd so many kage's are dead or disappearing? First Suna's, then Konoha's, then ours? What's next?'

'It don't sound good for us. I don't want another war.'

'How about the one here ends first.'

'You think that can happen? I stopped giving a shit about the freaks a long time ago, but my brother still wants everyone of 'em dead.'

'What's he gonna do if the new kage is a freak?'

'Nothing. But it don't mean he won't complain.'

And this bar had given him nothing on Yagura. While the Naruto information had been appreciated, this bar was useless to him. Giving one more glance to the other shinobi in the room, he walked to the bar to pay his tab before swiftly exiting.

Leaving Okada to try and plan how long he had to wait it out.

The teen had been strong. Scary strong. Stronger than Warden Uzumaki. Seemed foreign, probably a missing-nin, based on his habits. He didn't complain about the sake he knew was watered down, and he had eaten nothing to go with it. Everyone knew you didn't drink on an empty stomach. The turtle soup was thin, but it beat drinking the Tea Country beer by itself. No one else bothered to notice, but it was his job to notice things. See things. Hear things.

And he had heard the same things the teen had. About the new Hokage (he hadn't heard they lost the old one). With the last name of Uzumaki. That had to be a coincidence, right? There had to be more Uzumaki's left beside the warden! She had told them the story of how she sent her daughter to Konoha, but she had made it clear her daughter had passed away years ago. But he must not have been that old. If he knew his history right, the Fourth Hokage died not long after the Third War, about thirteen years ago. The boy must have been born after he was dead, or else why keep it a secret? It left many questions in his mind, and he debated about telling the warden. He thought about telling the warden this news, since it might be important to her. But with her temper, she might take out his anger on him. It didn't sound like she knew about any Uzumaki's in Konoha, so he had no way of knowing how she would react. He was also pretty good at keeping secrets, it was part of the reason she had taken him in her journey to find the Mizukage. He should wait to tell her, until after they succeed. She had big plans, and if she were to become distracted, it could get them all killed. But he still had nothing to give her, which was bad for him. He had to give her something, anything, that could help them. So he kept listening.

'I heard the leader in River was killed as well.'

'Death everywhere nowadays!'

'As long as it don't come here, I think we will be alright.'

'I don't know. That one Mako boy bit it pretty nasty last weekend.'

'The cocky fisherman from the Northern Islands?'

'That one, yeah. Took a header off the cliffs on Ishikari Island. Probably seeing if the olives were ripe.'

'A fools errand. Everyone knows those are no good.'

'Death if you go for them.' He took a drink. 'If he was going for them.'

'What do you mean?'

'Did he look like the type to try and make a buck selling olives? I don't know. I heard it used to be a dumping site for criminals, getting rid of loose ends. Maybe something like that happened.'

'That was from before I was born, fifty years ago.'

'I'm just saying.'

'They did say they found some activity on the island when they got his boat.'

'That doesn't mean a thing. I've stopped on the island once or twice when I was fishing too late and couldn't make harbor. As long as you stay on the beach, it is a fine spot to watch the stars.'

'True, The caves might be as deadly as the cliff.'

'I don't know a soul who has lasted an hour in that maze.'

And there it was. A lead. Ishikari Island, with the olive trees on the cliffs. It was something. He had needed that. So now, he could relax. Now he just had to have another drink or two and confuse he teen shinobi that he knew was keeping an eye on this place to see if he was going to do something stupid. He wouldn't try and out wait him since it would be a dead giveaway, but pretending he was not in a hurry would make it more likely he would be forgotten among the hundred worries missing-nin carried.

…

They pretty much had the place to their selves, despite the prime luncheon hour. They were the only ones at the dozen booths Attaya's offered guests, that was for sure. Each booth offered seating around a circular table, so Naruto took the spot on the inside of the booth while Hinata sat to his left near where the waiter stood. The date had started well, with each of them enjoying a shared appetizer of flat bread and hummus, a dish foreign to them but pleasing to their palates. At first they were mainly talking about nothing, about what Naruto's daily routine as Hokage and the mundanity of most of it and how boring the missions Hinata had been going on were. Things picked up after they ordered their lunches, or rather after Naruto ordered his dish.

"You do know what the rattle means, right Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked him, worried he had picked it since the words sounded nice together. Not that she was judging him, it wasn't the worst way of trying something new, but she hoped he didn't have a wrong idea about it.

He rolled his eyes. "I read the description. Ever since one of Orochimaru's snakes tried to eat me, I've been wanting to eat one back as payback." He flashed a grin towards her.

Sshe could smile at the anecdote even though when she first heard it from Kiba, she was horrified. "Still, I don't think it sounds that great tasting."

"But what is even Tigris Curry? It sounds like tiger, but I bet a tiger would taste horrible." Naruto made a face to show how terrible he thought it would be.

"I read the description as well. Tigris is a place in Wind country, and it has lamb, not tiger." Hinata paused. "I think rattlesnake sounds like it would taste horrible as well."

"Well, we will see. Trust me, it can't be worse then bird and bark stew."

"Bird and bark stew?" Hinata asked, never hearing it before.

"It was this...nasty thing Ero-Sennin made when we were camping. He said it was missing the tomatoes, but it still would have been awful." Naruto shivered at the memory of the awful dish.

"But why did he make it without having the tomatoes?" Hinata logically wondered aloud.

"I kinda, well, threw them at him. But it was his fault! He made a really dirty joke when I said Iwa sucked when we were going over politics." Naruto hadn't done anything wrong in his mind.

"He taught you politics? What else did he teach you?" She knew about the chakra threads from Neji's description of his spar with Sasuke, but she wondered what else he learned.

"Oh, we went over so much. I learned some awesome jutsu's, I got a lot better with taijutsu, heck I even learned the Rasengan!" Naruto wanted to yell and be animated, but he had also learned not to shout out your abilities to a bunch of people. Hinata didn't count, she liked him. Other people might not.

"The Rasengan? The move the Fourth... your father invented! That is so amazing." She praised him, reminding herself to ask later to see it. It was legendary after all.

"Yeah, yeah. He did. I even made my own version of it." Naruto had gotten less enthused with the discussion of his father. It wasn't his fault, but it was still awkward.

Hinata didn't understand why the change in mood. Naruto loved the Fourth Hokage, and it must have been better for him since he was now his father. He was a hero, who won the Third Shinobi War and stopped the Kyuubi-

Oh.

Hinata remembered now how he stopped it, and fully understood what was going on. It only took a moment to think why a father would burden his son with such a thing, but she understood it almost had to be Naruto. She couldn't blame him, feeling conflicted like that.

"I'm sorry, I just realized, I mean-" Instead of her thoughts, Naruto cut her off.

"It's alright, I don't think many people realize it still. I mean, it isn't like he did something wrong. He did what he had to do. And it had to be me." Hinata's confusion was obvious, so he quickly explained, "it's an Uzumaki thing, I'll explain later, but it just sucks you know? I really wish it could have been different." He let it the tone linger for a moment longer then he wanted, but he decided to distract it. "I mean, it wasn't just training. I had some fun too. I got Ero-Sennin into some trouble when he tried to peek into some bathhouses, and you wouldn't believe what happened with Shin and Shizune-san.'

"Shin. Your bodyguard?" Hinata had trouble putting a face to the name, even though she had seen him before.

"Bodyguard? He isn't my bodyguard. Is he?" The question threw him for a loop before he decided to save it for later. "Well, yeah, him. Let's just say the first time we ran into her and Tsunade, Shin had gotten drunk at dinner and said some things to Shizune-san."

"What things?" Hinata couldn't help but be curious.

Naruto chuckled. "He was saying things to her like 'You look like an angel, let me be your devil' or 'Let me make you sore for a week'. It was really perverted."

Her face was flushed red. It was kinda obvious she was thinking about if Naruto told her that. "Oh my" was all she could come up with.

"I mean, he seems like the most serious guy all the time. He was so focused, but give him some sake, and he is asking to eat off her naked body!" Naruto continued on. "He hasn't talked with her much since we got back to the village. Think I should try and be a matchmaker?" He could do Shin a solid by getting him closer to the Sannin apprentice.

"Maybe a double date, him eating off her and you eating off of Hinata?" A new familiar voice interrupted their conversation.

Naruto blushed at the thought, turning his attention from his date to whoever spoke. To his chagrin, it was in fact Ino Yamanaka, along with Chouji and their sensei. She was grinning at him, like he was trapped. Which he was.

"My, my, we should have guessed you would become an Erokage, Naruto-sama. I remember the Oiroke no Jutsu you pulled on Iruka-sensei." Ino continued, before glancing over to Hinata. "Ah crap, she's out."

Naruto brushed off his embarrassment to see Hinata slumped in her seat, obviously knocked out by the perverse imagery Ino had forced upon her. He wanted to be mad at the Yamanaka, but he knew she was going to have fun at his expense first.

"Ino-san, what are you doing?" He asked calmly. "Hey Chouji-san, Asuma-sensei." He made sure to greet the duo with the demon. Normally it was a trio, but he knew Shikamaru was busy with his new role as councilor.

"Eating, just like you Erokage-sama. Though I think it might be a little early for you two to have bedroom talk, isn't it?" She made another joke at his expense.

Naruto let her comment linger in the air while he tried to figure out a comeback. Something biting, something that would get throw her off. The silence began to become awkward, as Ino raised an eyebrow. Just as it appeared she was about to say something else, Naruto struck."Or are you taking notes of what you want Sasuke to say to you?" He finally replied with a smirk.

He could see in the faces of Chouji and Asuma that his comeback had been a good one, even if it took him too long to come up with. He also saw her face grow red and get mad.

"Stupid, stupid Erokage! Sasuke-kun would never be as crass as to think of such pervertedness! I don't even get what Hinata-chan even sees in you!" She crossed her arms in a huff. Taking a moment to think though, she deflated and got a concerned look in her face. "This was a date, right? I'm not some jerk who spilled a big secret right?" It was obvious Ino was thinking in Hinata's interest, which was nice of her.

"Don't worry, Ino-san, Hinata-chan confessed to me." He alleviated her worries.

"Great, so when's the wedding?" Ino quickly joked in response. She was taken aback by Naruto's sour expression to the comment. Looking at her team to see if they could help, she saw her sensei with a strong frown on her face.

Naruto saw Ino's confusion (and Chouji's growing confusion as well) and decided to explain. "It's complicated. Long story short, Hinata's dad is a total teme and is forcing us to get married."

"That doesn't make any sense. You're the Hokage, right Naruto-sama?" Chouji quickly asked his friend.

"Yeah, how can he force you to get married? I'm pretty sure arranged marriage is illegal in Konoha." Ino directed the second part of her statement to her sensei.

Asuma was still frowning. "Politics is a powerful tool, something you and Chouji will both learn well as clan leaders someday. No matter how powerful you are, if you have a soft spot, it can be exploited. As for the arranged marriage, well, some clan still have the right to choose brides and grooms for their members but it has become passe since the end of the Second Shinobi War."

Naruto wanted to curse those clan charters, for more than one reason, but nodded. "Basically, the teme found a weakness and is using it to force me to marry Hinata-chan." He relaxed into a smile. "But you know it could be a lot worse."

Ino raised her eyebrow. "How so?" She cluelessly asked.

"I mean, I could be getting married to you or something." Naruto delivered the burn that was obvious but satisfying.

Chouji had the common sense to hold her back before she assaulted the Hokage, but it didn't stop Ino from flailing menacingly at him. "Erokage, take that back right now! You would be lucky to have someone as beautiful as me as your bride! I'm gonna shove your foot so far up you own-"

"W-why does Ino-chan want Naruto-kun to marry her." A meek and confused voice interrupted the hubbub.

Naruto turned and smiled at its owner. "Don't worry, Hinata-chan. It's nothing, really."

Ino huffed, calming in Chouji's grasp. "Yeah, yeah, I'm not gonna try and steal him or anything, kage or not. I want someone handsome and mysterious, not bright and loud."

"Naruto-kun is handsome." Hinata faintly argued, but was talked over by Asuma.

"Alright, alright, we got our greetings out of the way, so how about we get back to our plans. Team Ten with the team lunch, and our Hokage-sama and his companion enjoying their date." He gave Naruto a big wink as he shepherded them towards a table far away from theirs.

Naruto waved them off, keeping his attention on Hinata. "Sorry about that. I didn't expect anyone to ruin this or anything. You deserve a better first date than this."

Hinata shook her head. "Don't worry, things like this happen. I don't blame you." She paused, before tapping her fingers together. She had Naruto's attention, taking a moment to gather the courage to ask. "Why were you and Ino talking about marriage?"

Naruto sighed. "Well, she joked about when the wedding would be after I told her you confessed to me so I got them up to date on all the nonsense your father pulled. Then I made a joke that it could have been worse, than I could have been marrying Ino-san. She didn't take it well." Instantly he saw the drop in Hinata's expression with his last statement. "I mean, it's not like I could actually do better either. Wait, no, I didn't mean it like that." He instantly put his foot in his mouth and worked to take it out.

Hinata wasn't able to digest quite how large of an insult that could have been taken as with Naruto's desire to clarify. "What do you mean?"

He let out a fake laugh, scratching his nose a little bit in embarassment. "I mean... like, I can't think of anybody I would rather be forced together with. Anyone else seems like a hassle, but you, I mean you just get me. And I want to think...I'm getting you, ya know? Like... this could turn out really good for us, you know?" He opened his heart to her, giving her the gospel truth. As messed up as it was, it was the best case scenario.

"One Tigris Curry and one Rattle Rice. Let me just get you your waters, and I will be right back. Does that sound good?"

The waitress interrupted the moment, setting the food and utensils down in front of them. The two of them both weakly nodded to the waitress, who left to get their waters.

Neither one knew what to say, and just offered 'itadakimasu's' for slowly getting into their meals. Naruto noticed that, despite the silence, Hinata was actually smiling widely. She was trying to hide it by looking down and taking a bite, but he couldn't miss it.

She was really pretty when she smiled like that.

…

It was the middle of the afternoon where they met in a private beach alcove they had noticed. While it wouldn't do them any good with hiding their presence, it made it nigh impossible for someone to sneak up on them in the meantime. Kana and Okada both jumped into place in front of the Warden, waiting to update them on their progress.

"I found nothing, Uzumaki-sama. None of the local youth noticed any recent peculiarities nearby." The teen paused, before confessing. "I don't think I can go back to turn without causing a ruckus. One of the locals tried to get handsy with me when I wasn't looking. He's lucky he still has hands at all."

That was no surprise to Okada, considering how his companion was both attractive and violent. The memory of her ruthless take down of the drunken swordsman was proof of that. He knew the warden would again be disappointed by her failure, so he decided to quickly say his piece. "I believe I have a lead. There was a death on the nearby Ishikari Island that a few of the locals think is suspicious."

"You mean the fisherman who tried to collect olives and fell from the cliffs? I didn't hear anyone questioning it." Kana had obviously heard of the story, but not the background of the island itself.

'The locals I spoke with doubted the man would seek olives to sale, they thought he was too headstrong. They also mentioned that a long time ago, it was a popular site for dumping bodies. It also has a cave system that they think is too dangerous to enter." He continued, giving all the details to the warden.

She brought her fist to her mouth, in thought. "You suspect that the fisherman may have been killed by Yagura, taking refuge in the caves?" She asked, intrigued.

He shrugged. "I don't know, but it is a lead. We might need to move fast though, there was a foreign nin at the bar I heard this from. I could tell he was strong... possibly a match to you Warden-sama."

She raised her eyebrow. "A foreigner in this village? Tell me, what did he look like?"

Okada recounted the shinobi. "He was a young man, maybe 18 or so. He had longer black hair and black eyes, and wore a coat with red clouds on it. He looked almost frail, but I don't doubt how strong he was. He was prepared to kill me, if I had tried anything, but it seemed like he was fine with letting me be."

The warden narrowed her eyes. She couldn't place it, but a coat with red clouds sounded familiar. Very familiar. It worried her. Not the man, but the fact she couldn't place it. She had a great memory, so something as distinct as a powerful man with that type of clothing triggering something without leading to anything was disturbing. It suggested the man Okada had seen had more to him than just a missing nin or foreign spy.

"Did he hear about Ishikari Island?" She asked him, wondering if it was worth the risk.

He shook his head. "No, he left just before they mentioned it. They had made it clear they had no clues about the former Mizukage's whereabouts, and I only overheard the information while I waited for the coast to be clear."

The warden let out a sigh of relief. "That is a good thing. If we are going into the caves, I'd rather not have to deal with an unknown enemy. Anything else to report?" She asked almost offhandedly, Okada could tell she wasn't expecting an answer. If he was going to change his mind, this was the time.

"Nothing important, just talking of politics. Apparently someone killed the leader of the Land of Rivers. They were saying it was weird there was so much change in leaders." He gave her some details to deflect any hint of suspicion she would have if he said nothing.

"Shame, I met the man once or twice. He was pleasant enough. Kana, do you have anything else?" Okada stopped his sigh of relief.

"No, Warden-sama. I'm sorry I failed you." She told her cautiously.

He noticed how the look the warden gave her was not of the anger he would see, but of gentle disappointment. Again, he knew his place in this trio and knew it had been wise to say nothing.

"Pay it no mind child, just do better the next time I need you. Now come on, boy, we need to get a boat to get to the island. It would be far too suspicious for us to walk across ourselves with that teen around, and we can't afford to wait until night." She stuck her thumb to the alcove wall behind them. "On the other side of here is a small port with a few boats tied up. I didn't notice any activity. Make sure not to sink it when you get it back over here."

A voice in the back of his mind told him to run, to take the opportunity to get out of town and away from this woman who disrespected him and ran him towards danger.

"Alright, Warden-sama. I'll return shortly."

Today was not that day.

…

Shino was tired of people asking him if he knew about how his teammate was seen on a date with the Hokage. All day, people had been spreading the news that their new Godaime was seen with the Hyuga heiress, and more than a few of them had decided to go to her teammates for their hot takes. He kept saying it was their personal business and he didn't have anything to say about it, but everyone took that the wrong way and demanded he give them something, anything about what had brought the two together. Not wanting to reveal that information, which even his mother seemed mildly interested in, he had decided to seek refuge in a random training ground with the village. It was one he was not familiar with, so no one would have any reason to associate him with it. It was the perfect plan in the short term as he formulated his long term strategies.

He knew it was only a matter of time until the true nature of the their relationship was revealed, and he had to figure out how best to handle the backlash. He hadn't truly considered it in his earlier efforts to help his teammate fight off her forced engagement, but this would have massive ramifications. Hinata's position might be used against her, either in blackmail or as an angle to oppose the Hokage. He knew many did not approve of Naruto as their leader, and he doubted him becoming paired with the Hyuga Clan would do little to sway them. They were well respected, but could not be called popular.

More importantly, it could affect their team. Outside of the village, her increased status might create unforeseen issues with foreign leaders. In fact, it could up end their team structure entirely! Out of safety concerns, Hinata's mission availability would likely be compromised, even if Naruto was opposed to it. This annoyed him, since it would hamper Hinata's abilities to accomplish her dreams of becoming strong and respected. He rather liked his teammate, and wanted the best for her. This wasn't it.

In the immediate future, he needed to get stronger. To protect the Hokage's future wife, to protect his teammates, to help everyone get to their dreams, for the good of Konoha, for all that and more. It meant becoming faster and stronger. It meant becoming a greater fighter. It meant honing his kikaichu beetles to their full potential. He had been lazy, considering him and the beetles as one. That they had a symbiotic relationship that benefited the other. No, they were not one. He was Shino, and they were beetles. They were not one, there were teammates, they were his comrades. If he thought of them as such, as more than just a part of himself, he could expand his horizons and get to where he needed to be.

The sounds of battle broke him from his musing. He had been meandering through the path from one training ground to the next, not focused on his destination. An unfortunate oversight he needed to correct. While he assumed it was a simple training exercise, caution pushed him to investigate the situation just in case. It would be remiss of him to not do his part if it was more than nothing.

Silently, Shino jumped into the trees and advanced towards the battlefield. He tried to sense the air for hostility or danger, but was getting neither. He hoped that was a good thing, and cursed his ability to outpace his beetles. Their long range scouting potential would have been infinitely useful here. Another thing he needed to work on. He approached the battle looking for the clearest vantage point from the safest distance. When he found it, he looked at the battle and froze.

He didn't recognize the blonde, but he knew too well that hair and mask, though it had been years since he had seen it.

Torune.

He fought the urge to rush into the battlefield to greet his long absent childhood friend, the closest thing he had to a sibling. He had always known he had been alive, but somewhere else. Now he was here.

His outfit, along with the blonde's, reminded him of ANBU. While he was still wearing the signature long coat of the Aburame, there was a sleekness to it that, along with the tanto, made the connection obvious. But they were not wearing ANBU masks, which made him question what group they were part of. He was ready to accept that Torune had joined ANBU, but something didn't fit.

Their spar was also off. It was too... deliberate. It was too much show, and not enough focus on deception and tactics. It felt like they were going at 60 or 70%, like it was a showcase for something. But what? Shino crept close to get a better understanding of the situation.

He saw the glint of the red eyes before he saw the person behind them. Sasuke was watching over the fight in a tree almost eighty meters west of him, eagerly soaking in the details of the fight with his doujutsu. Shino made no effort to hide his presence as he approached the Uchiha.

"Aburame-san. What are you doing here?" Sasuke didn't tear his eyes off the fight.

Shino crouched in a tree less than ten meters from Sasuke's position, and kept his attention on the fight. "I overheard combat and made sure to check it was nothing that could threaten the village. Tell me, Uchiha-san, I was led to believe it was frowned upon for your clan to use the Sharingan to take the jutsu of fellow shinobi. What has changed?"

He saw his eyes narrow slightly. "I am not taking. They have simply offered me the privilege."

"I would like to know how you got this privilege. Why? Because the masked shinobi down there is a friend I haven't seen in five years. Yet he lets you watch him fight? Excuse me for being suspicious."

Sasuke spared a moment to glance at Shino when the two sparring were inactive. "You have to know the right people, Aburame-san. And the right questions to ask."

"And what is the right question to ask?" Shino couldn't help but be curious. This situation seemed so exceptional, he needed to know more.

"Can you help me grow stronger?" Sasuke told him, his focus back on the spar.

Shino could not help but think this was some sort of serendipity. Just as he wanted a way to grow stronger, it presents itself so blatantly? He couldn't trust it. There had to be a catch. Something more to the story. The thing was, you can't find that out if you walk away from it, can you?

"Tell me, who do I have to ask?"

…..

I started before Christmas, and finally my lazy ass finished it. Blame my mind being in a hundred different places. Between my desire to start a 'look into the future' story (abandoned), my attempt at a fluffy NaruHina story (abandoned twice over), and reworking my teen Naruto is a sensei story (which might actually happen) I finally finished this chapter. Thanks for putting up with my shit, and I hoped you enjoyed it. Tell me what you think with a review. My goal is to get the next chapter up by the beginning of the summer after a few other updates, but we will see.