Alas, the final saga of "Lost Idol" is here. I meant to finish this a few weeks ago, but I just didn't have it in me. But I finally pushed through and finished it. This is definitely open-ended, so there are a few futures for this story. The first is an original sequel to this world that is created by another user. That could happen, if a writer pitches me an idea that I like. Then that would happen, and I would let you know with an update that it exists. Or I could continue writing this story at some point in the future, under a new 'book' that details this world growing up as genin and chunin. Or this might be the end. Regardless, it was an honor to have hundreds of big fans, thousands of readers, and tens of thousands of page views. I thank you all, you people are the best.

And now, the end of 'Lost Idol'. Drop one last review, and I hope you enjoy.

…..

Team Asuma and their escorts arrived later that night at Fujitari Port and had no problems with getting more hotel reservations from the Fujitari Hotel, as they had been made aware the day prior with the arrangement. Instead of the haphazard set up of room had the day before, tonight the shinobi were given two suites that had been left vacant for this particular situation. After a quiet and subdued dinner in a nearby restaurant, the group went to their respective suites.

One suite was given to the 7 ninja in the group were given to the three Kiri shinobi. One was the Mizukage's assistant, Ao, while the other two were two shinobi Asuma had no knowledge of. They both wore chunin vests and had a very smart air about them, but didn't seem to be necessary or vital to Kiri. While he understood the tactic of acceptable losses, he knew Hiashi would feel slighted having sent his daughter and the son of the former Hokage and receiving two nobodies in the trust exercise. But then again, Ao seemed important, and Kiri was not in a position of sending off important ninja at the time.

The second suite was given to Team Asuma, which had three rooms and a nice couch. Surprisingly, Naruto called the couch immediately and let Suigetsu, Hinata, and his sensei to each receive a room, It had been a long day, so not much was talked about on this decision and each went to their respective rooms, save for Naruto. Since the suite had a radio, he brought it near his couch and listened to it at a respectable level. It played very peaceful music that was a style popular in the Land of Tea and the Land of Bears. Asuma made sure to keep an eye on his student for a little bit before going to sleep, knowing Naruto had taken the execution quite hard. He remembered the first time he stared death in the face, and how hard it had been.

Almost a hour after they went to their rooms, Hinata snuck out of hers and walked over to a still awake Naruto, quietly jumping into the side of the couch he was not occupying. She knew he knew it was her, but he didn't react to her presence. She let out a sigh, and in a surprisingly intimate move, laid her head on his shoulder. That caught his attention.

"Hey, Hinata, what the heck are you doing?" He asked, his head shifting towards her but not his body. Hinata looked up to his face from that position.

"Listening to the music. It is quite beautiful." She pointed out, ignoring the obvious context of his question.

He pushed. "I meant, why are you laying on me? We have to get up early, you should be getting some decent sleep."

Hinata closed her eyes, in order to focus on not blushing. "Because you need it."

"Need it? What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

Hinata ignored his attempt to play dumb. "I... I know how you feel. You feel vulnerable, like you are too weak compared to how strong you should be." She had his attention, so she continued. "And maybe it is true. Maybe you are weak. Or you are stronger than you think. The only answer is to keep moving forward and looking ahead. You are going to become Hokage someday, right? Think about doing that, and not... how you aren't good enough."

"But what if I am? What if I am not good enough?" Naruto let himself open up emotionally to Hinata. He knew it was safe to do so.

"But you are. Even if you aren't right now, you will be. As long as you never give up."

Naruto reflected on her words, and found himself agreeing. "Who taught you that? Was it Shizune, or one of your clan's elders?" He looked down at her, curious about her answer.

She shook her head, and looked into his eyes. "You did, Naruto. You taught me to never give up. Since... since this is our nindo, our ninja way." She was finally blushing.

Naruto was embarassed. He felt exposed, but comforted by Hinata's sweet and honest words. Whenever she said things like that, he always felt like it was true. He found himself blushing as well. He wasn't sure what to do next, so he did what felt natural.

Hinata was surprised when Naruto suddenly shifted his arm from between their bodies and wrapped it around hers, pulling it in closer. "You're right, Hinata." Naruto confessed to her. "I'm gonna be Hokage, and I can't let this stop me. So what if someone wants the Kyuubi? They aren't getting it! The Yondaime entrusted it to me, and I'm not gonna let anybody take that away from me!" He proudly proclaimed in a quiet tone, not wanting to wake up his sensei or Suigetsu.

Hinata nodded. "I know you can do it." Naruto turned to her and smiled.

They stayed like that for a few moments, before Naruto looked at the clock on the wall. His eyes went wide.

"Wow, it is getting late. You oughta get back to your bed, Hinata. You really should get a good sleep." Naruto pointed out to her.

"And not you?" Hinata asked, worried about him sleeping badly on the couch.

Naruto waved it off with his free hand. "No way, I could sleep on a bunch of dirt and feel good in the morning. Anyway, I slept pretty well last night." He lied to her, wanting to make sure she got her sleep.

She seemed to think about it for a moment, before shaking her head. Her face turned bright. "I think... I'd rather sleep here with you." Hinata knew how it sounded, but it was the truth.

Naruto went red as well. He began to stutter, but... she was looking at him with a very cute expression. How could he say no? "I mean, I guess that is okay. You should probably get your blanket and maybe a pillow though, to make it more comfortable."

Hinata shook her head. "I think I want to stay like this. Do you mind?"

Naruto was surprised by her statement, but he did agree. He liked this, and didn't want her to move. His mouth went dry though, and he could only nod.

Hinata gave him another wide smile and did something that shocked them both. She suddenly sat up a little straighter, and planted a kiss on his whiskered cheek. Naruto looked at her in surprise as she immediately buried her face in his shoulder. Through the fabric, he heard her say the words. "Good night, Naruto."

Naruto wasn't really sure what to do, so he just let instincts take over. He pulled her closer to him by a hair and rested his head on hers. Then, in a quiet voice, he whispered. "Night, Hinata."

The only sounds heard for the rest of the night was the faint tone of music playing on the radio. And they felt great.

…

The next few days went by quickly for the group, as they left the next morning by ship to the port they had been at the day before. Then, a decent pace trek out of the Land of Tea and into the Land of Fire was set. The trip went peacefully, as most of the chatting was during breaks and when setting up camp. The two groups talked about nothing of importance, trying to be civil while staying distant. Naruto and Hinata usually talked amongst themselves, Suigetsu talked with the chunin about the past in Kiri, and Asuma and Ao exchanged trivialities of old missions and experiences. The entire trip was free of conflict, but the Konoha shinobi were still fairly excited to see their village in the near distance after nearly a week's absence. It was late in the evening, but being so close to their destination made it easy for the group to push through.

After a quick check-in with the gate guards, the group made their way to the barracks near the Hokage's Tower where the Kiri shinobi would stay for the night and let them settle in. Asuma was quick to explain.

"It is already after sunset, so the Hokage will be unable to meet with you until tomorrow. I will personally escort you at 8 a.m. from here to his office so you may complete your mission. I hope this isn't an issue." Asuma asked them.

The chunin looked annoyed, but Ao shook his head. "That is understandable. We will be ready by 8 a.m. Thank you for assisting us in our trip here to Konoha."

Naruto interjected himself into the conversation. "Forget about it, it was easy. A kid could have done that." He ignored the retort by one of the chunin who said that 'he was a kid.'

Asuma looked at him, but decided to leave it be. "You're welcome. Have a good night."

The groups exchanged good byes, and Team Asuma left for the Hokage Tower immediately afterward. They were confused as to why, but their sensei explained.

"Even though Hokage-sama is not in, the mission office is always active. Ninja can finish their missions at any time of the day, and if it is urgent there must be someone there to receive the news."

They nodded in understanding, and followed their sensei. They soon entered the mission room which had a lonely shinobi within. They told him about the success of the mission and handed him the duplicate of the scroll signed by Zabuza. He wrote the information down, thanked them for a successful mission, and sent them on their way. Asuma sent his team home and told them to meet him at noon tomorrow at Training Ground 14. Suigetsu left one way to his apartment, Hinata and Naruto walked a different way to their place of living at or near the Hyuga Compound while Asuma quickly left for the Hokage estate.

He was allowed in by the guards and watched closely by ANBU on the grounds. When Hiashi needed to work late at night but didn't want to be at the tower, he spent his time at the Hokage tower. He quickly operated the familiar corridors of the estate and made his way to the office where Hiashi was no doubt doing paperwork in. He announced his presence to Hiashi from behind the door.

Hiashi looked up from his work and called in Asuma. He wanted to hear this report as a few of the things the ANBU mentioned who returned earlier that day he wanted corroborated.

"Good evening, Hokage." Asuma bowed as he stood in front of the desk.

Hiashi gave him a nod. "Welcome back to Konoha, Asuma. Please give me a report on the mission."

Asuma stood up and reported to him. "Indeed. My team managed to reach the meeting point with no issue and on time. Once there, we waited and met with an assistant of the Mizukage, a teen name Haku who was familiar with Suigetsu. There was an encounter between the two, but the issue was settled by the time we left the boat. Haku possessed a kekkei genkai that allowed him to use ice ninjutsu. After escorting us to the Land of Water, Haku turned us over to a new escort by the name of Mei Terumi. We spent the night in Fujitari Port and left the next morning to Kirigakure. We arrived mid-day, and met with the Mizukage who signed the agreement with no fuss and then we met in private. We spoke, I handed him the letter as requested, and he seemed to react positively to what was written." Asuma paused to try and gauge the reaction of the Hokage. Despite himself, he was curious about what its content was.

Hiashi nodded, pleased with that information. "Everything sounds satisfactory so far. Did anything else occur in Kiri?"

Asuma knew that he knew, and assumed it was from the ANBU he sent. He was slightly disappointed as he got no read on what the letter might have contained. "Indeed, after our meeting with the Mizukage he had a public ceremony involving the execution of the previous Mizukage, Yagura. The method he chose was... extraction of his tailed beast. I suggested we stay in the visitor quarters through the event but Naruto wished to stay. The method being used obviously resonated with him. Hinata chose to remain in support of Naruto, and Suigetsu wished to wish do to his animosity towards him. The tailed beast was sealed at the same time within the teen Haku, seemingly successfully. We watched the event and regrouped with Kiri's ambassadors. We returned to Fujitari Port that night and left the Land of Water the next day. Our trip back to Konoha did not have any interruptions."

The Hokage was glad to hear that much, but he knew there was still one important detail that he needed to talk about. "Was their anything noteworthy in regards to the seal used?"

Asuma nodded. "Yes, If I am correct in regards to the design used by the Mizukage, it was a replica of the Iron Seal originating from Kumogakure. If my suspicions are correct, Kiri has garnered some sort of alliance with Kumo."

Hiashi looked downwards, obviously displeased. "I see. It is not to be completely unexpected. Konoha's issues with Kumo are not Kiri's. Is there an update on when the ambassadors will be coming to meet with me?"

"I told them I would escort them at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning, sir. Is this agreeable?" Asuma asked.

Hiashi pondered for a second. "Yes, it would not do to do something that could be regarded as suspicious. That is all Asuma, I will see you in the morning."

Asuma bowed again. "Thank you, Hokage." With that formality, he left Hiashi's office and returned to his home.

Hiashi did not return to his work, debating on whether or not his plan was still a good idea. He would know by morning, but he knew it would be a long night.

The next day, Team Asuma met at the designated training ground an hour early. They sat around and spoke of the experience of visiting Kiri. Naruto and Hinata stood fairly close to each other, and Suigetsu withheld his teasing. He would wait to get them at the right moment, it would be hilarious.

Asuma arrived thirty minutes early, and looked at his team. He noted what they were doing before they scrambled to attention.

"Morning Hinata, Naruto, Suigetsu. How did you sleep last night?"

"Good." Suigetsu quickly quipped.

"Fine, sensei." Hinata meekly spoke.

"I've had worse." Naruto disregarded the nightmare that kept him up for over an hour.

Asuma felt that was better than nothing. "Well, good. Now, we have been a team for almost a week and yet I haven't really seen what you can do. Our mission was peaceful, so I only have what you did on your chunin exams to inform me of how you work. But I want to see you work as a team."

Suigetsu got a grin on his face. "Of course we can work as a team. Or else Hiashi-sama wouldn't have put us together!" Naruto nodded in agreement, and Asuma could tell Hinata thought the same.

Asuma smirked back. "Well then, you won't mind proving it." From his pocket he had one bell on a string, which he showed to the group. "You have three hours to get this bell from my belt loop from when I yell start. If you do, I let you go easy in how many D-Rank's we take. I know you know how much they can suck. But if you can't get it, you will be going through the D-rank ringer. I'll make sure we get the worst ones. Do you understand?"

"Any rules?" Naruto asked, almost eagerly.

"You have three hours, don't kill me if you can stop it, and no asking for outside help. Only you three." Asuma informed them.

"Then let's do this!" Naruto exclaimed, pumping up his team.

"Let's go!" Hinata softly claimed.

"Bring it on, sensei!" Suigetsu had pulled his sword off his back and was ready for a fight.

Asuma made sure the bell was tied tightly, and looked around. He waited for a minute, bringing the tension until it was palpable. Finally, feeling it thick in the air, Asuma gave them one last grin.

"START!"

Elsewhere in the world:

Sasuke couldn't believe dogs were this mean. It was just the Raikage's pet, he seemed so nice during his training sessions with the man! But let him get free of the mansion and he was like a bull! He listened to Samui give orders over the radio of where it was going and followed them. He respected Samui, as she was talented, had a good head on his shoulders, and treated the job seriously. He had to ignore the ideas of polygamy forming in his head. He was more than happy with Kagime.

"Sasuke, take a right down that alley. He will be coming in hot."

Sasuke listened, getting ready for the charge. It wasn't how he expected to be training, but it was showing success. Itachi was already in his grave. He just didn't know it.

…

Gaara thought he felt something in the sand. He quickly fled to the presence of the thing, disappointed to see it was simply another scorpion. He let it live, since it served the same fate as he. He decided life and death in this desert.

He had to think the cat woman, he finally saw his purpose. His existence was not in killing, but as being the god that he was. He was Gaara, God of the Desert. And he ruled with an iron fist. He felt another presence and sped towards it.

…

Shizune knew her team was in good hands, and she injected the last chakra needed for the procedure. "Well then, Ao, the transfer is complete. How do you feel?"

Ao opened his eyes and blinked rapidly from his new eye. His world was distorted, and he didn't like it. "It is difficult to adapt."

From the corner of the hospital room, Hiashi nodded. "Of course. From years of using the Byakugan to this... it must be a difficult transition." He was glad to see the transplant take place. He was glad he fulfilled his duty as a Hyuuga and made sure their doujutsu did not exist beyond their clan.

Shizune held up a mirror for Aoi to look at himself with. "Here, how do you think your new eye looks?"

Ao looked into the mirror, surprised. "The black and red is quite distinctive." He pointed out in regards to his new Sharingan eye.

A simple trade, one dojutsu for another. And a new promise made by the Hokage. If Kiri aids Kumo in an attack against Konoha, Kiri will become Uzushio. He felt the truth in those words, and report that to Zabuza and push upon him to listen.

…

In his cell, Danzo was waiting. Waiting for the day he would be executed, as he had no hope for his ROOT agents in saving him. They had either gone underground, or already failed. He cursed the day Hiashi discovered his secret, and seized them from him. He had wasted one eye in trying to escape, but it had proven futile. And now he was left with one eye and one arm, waiting to die.

Back with Team Asuma:

Asuma read the clock. 2:40 p.m. They had done it in time.

Hinata was trying to fix the few slash marks he received from Suigetsu's sword. He felt he needed a hair cut to even out the bits cut off by the Rasengan that came inches from his head. And he really wished he could move and have the paralytic on the senbon finally get out of his system. But with Naruto tossing the bell back and forth with Suigetsu, bragging about their success, he couldn't help but smile.

This was going to be one hell of a team.