Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

No this is not a trick of the light, I'm actually updating.

Chapter Fourteen

[Time skip: Five years]

The blond teen leaned back in his chair, hands laced and placed over his chest as his sky blue eyes looked over the buildings of Konoha.

To think that five years ago this village was destroyed, but the people's moral was as high than it ever was. For once instead of Konoha being divided, the people set their differences aside and became one. Those who had homes, helped those who lost theirs. Those who had food, shared with those who didn't.

And those who saw the boy, Uzumaki Naruto as a demon, saw him as a hero. The hero he was supposed to have been, since the very beginning. Better late than never, no?

"I see you're taking a break, are you sure you should be doing that?" questioned a male voice, who held a caring tone to it.

A smile crossed the blond haired teens features as he turned his chair to face the very man he had come to love as a grandfather.

"I'm just an apprentice its more like taking a quick breather before going back to this sea of paperwork," said the blond as he scrunched his face at the mention of said work.

The old man chuckled at the boys words.

"Well, Naruto, that's what you get for agreeing to this apprenticeship with Tsunade."

"Damned old hag is out getting drunk isn't she?"

A very familiar clearing of a throat, made Naruto's eyes widen. He jumped up from his chair, holding his hands up as to ward off the angry, blond female.

"I didn't mean anything by it! I swear!"

"Get out kid, before I decide to use you as a punching bag!" she growled, as she cracked her knuckles to add meaning to her words.

"Okay, okay, I'm gone! I'll see you around old man!" laughed Naruto as he jumped out the window.

"He's doing fine, I suspect," said Hiruzen as he sat in one of the comfortable chairs that the Hokage's room provided.

"Better than fine, he's a godsend! He'll be a fine Hokage when he's older," said the blond haired woman as she sat in the chair Naruto previously occupied, "Now I know you came looking for me, what is it you want sensei?"

"A mission and messenger request,"

"Oh?" was the only word the blond haired woman uttered, as Hiruzen went into an explanation.

[-]

"I got a bunch of lovely coconuts, dududu, there they are standing on the road – oh hey!" chirped Naruto as a person jumped him.

"You've been hiding again," she muttered, as she let go of him, "I should say its not fun going on missions with just Sasuke and Kakashi."

Ignoring what she had just said, Naruto wrapped an arm around neck and began dragging her back, whilst continuing to sing the song from before.

"Take one – how does it go again?" he said, completely ignoring his pink haired captive who was struggling against his hold. He continued to ignore her as he walked around the village, heading to one of the familiar training grounds and hoping that two of his favorite people where there – which by the sounds of the clashing of metal and shouts of pain, they seemed to be there.

"And we are here!" shouted Naruto as he let go of Sakura and sat down by the tree he stopped at.

"You know I thought you grew up a bit, seems like you didn't," pouted Sakura as she sat beside Naruto, who still ignored her when she talked. "Okay, I'm sorry! Geez, I didn't mean to -"

"All has already been forgiven," smiled Naruto, turning his gaze on Sakura. His smiling face soon turned into a cold, emotionless mask, "But don't do it again."

Sweat dropping, Sakura scooted away from Naruto, her gaze turning from him to the spar between her other two teammates.

You see, after the slight war that Orochimaru had caused, not only had the village been brought together, but the broken team that Cell Seven had been, slowly fixed its cracks – helping each other out and learning to forgive what had happened between them in their earlier time together.

Sakura, the pink haired annoying, fangirl of one Uchiha Sasuke, had slowly edged herself away from that persona and with the help of her good friends Ino and the others, she became the person who she was today. An apprentice to Tsunade, a Special Jounin, and the second head of the medical department, Shizune being the first.

As Naruto looked at her now, he could see how much she had matured and was glad that he was willing to give her a second chance. His gaze then went over to his sensei, Kakashi. So much had happened between the two, since Naruto decided to give him another chance too. Naruto had known the reasons why Kakashi acted as he did, but he still wasn't much for forgiving the man at the time.

The same went for his other teammate, Sasuke.

"You know Sakura," he spoke up, head leaning back to look at the clear blue sky, "I'm glad I was placed on team seven."

Before Sakura could reply, a messenger hawk appeared over them, landing down to rest on Kakashi's shoulder as he had just finished the spar between him and Sasuke.

"The hokage wishes to see us," said Kakashi aloud as he read the note that the hawk had brought him. He looked up at his ex-students, "You three go ahead, I'll be there -"

"No you don't," cried Naruto as he appeared behind Kakashi, grabbing him in a similar manner that he did to Sakura, "You are not doing this again!"

"Tch, idiots," murmured Sasuke, who began walking ahead, "Well? You two going to stay there playing or are we going to go?"

Naruto looked up to mockingly glare at the Uchiha, before letting go of Kakashi and crossing his arms.

"Fine, we'll just tell the old hag that Kakashi-sensei refused to come and decided to instead to get lost on the road of life." with a smile, Naruto turned to Kakashi, "Please do know that she'll personally be hunting you down if that's the case."

And with that said, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura took off running, quickly hopping up on the rooftops of houses as they came into view. Naruto turned to look around and let out a laugh as he saw Kakashi following suit.

Pushing himself, he ran faster, ahead of Sasuke and Sakura and was the first one to reach the Hokage tower. He let himself in the same window he had left through. He greeted Tsunade and Hiruzen, who was still there, before making himself comfortable on the window's sill.

"So what's the reason you called us?" asked Naruto, the humor quickly leaving him and turning serious.

"It will all be explained until everyone gets here, just be patient," said Tsunade, as she finished writing down a few things on a sheet of paper. "Is there anything else?" she asked Hiruzen, who shook his head no at her question.

A knock came at the door, a 'come in' was said, and three teams walked in. Cell Seven, Cell Eight, and Cell Ten.

"You requested our presence Hokage-sama?" asked Kurenai, as she bowed in greeting to the older woman.

"Yes. I know it is something not to bring up as it has long been over – but since the invasion planned by Orochimaru and followed by Suna and Sound, it has come to our attention that we do not have enough of our people spread out in the elemental countries. Since the invasion, the growth of our village and our military has definitely become one to look at."

"Therefore it has been proposed to me by the Sarutobi to send out three teams to the remaining three villages that we have not had much contact with. You have all been chosen to go to one of the main villages, Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri to speak to them on terms of alliance."

"Another reason for this is that a recent threat has come up, Akatsuki. As you have heard the rumors going around through the ranks, they are a group of people hunting down those who have bijuu's sealed within them. The reasoning for this is not entirely known, but one has come to a conclusion that it may be to use the bijuu's powers to either take over the elemental countries or something much more worse than this," Tsunade paused, letting the influx of information sink deep within the shinobi, before continuing, "So as I've said, you have all been chosen to relay this information to them, though they each have their ways of gathering this type of intel, it cannot be helped but to lend a helping hand to these villages, seeing as they too have jinchuuriki's themselves."

"The possibility of forming an alliance with them is high as they will do the best they can to ward off akatsuki from gaining these people," she said, finally finished with her speech.

She stood up, picking up three different scrolls that lay on her desk, and began handing each to the team leaders.

"Kakashi you and your team are to go to Kumogakure, Kurenai you and your team are to head to Iwagakure, and Asuma you and your team are to head to Kirigakure. Now that this has been set, does anybody have any questions?"

Nothing was said among them, and Tsunade smirked at that.

"Good, do know that in each scroll is a list of information, that you will have to look over thoroughly. There is nothing much left that I have to say to discuss. So if there aren't any questions, you are all dismissed."

[-]

"So what exactly do we need to bring with us?"

"What usual supplies do you bring on a mission?"

"The right ones."

"Idiot."

"Kakashi, they're being mean again!"

"You ask the most obvious questions, why wouldn't they?"

"I see how it is. You are all against me, once again. Do I have to go detrimental on your asses when another invasion comes?"

"..."

"..."

"I thought so. Now on to serious matters. We all meet at the gate within the next thirty minutes. Kakashi if you're fine with this," a nod from the man gave the go ahead to this order, "No fooling around – we must do our best to get Kumo to side with us, understand?"

"Hai!"

A smirk unfurled itself on the whiskered blond's lips.

"You know what do then."

"And thus this ends, but starts another journey for our dear jinchuuriki and his very well acquainted friends."

[Omake]

"And that sweetie is how things are today!"

"Kaa-san..."

"Yes..."

"Papa is right behind you. He looks like he wants to strangle you." commented the smiling brown haired, blue eyed girl as she pointed behind the blond woman, to an older man that she looked similar too.

"Mito, what have I told you..."

"Nothing of importance, Hokage-sama."

"You make me feel older than I already am." sighed the graying blond as he rubbed his fingers against his temples.

"You are older than you feel, papa!" chirped the small girl, who flashed her grandfather a huge smile, "Which is why I love you more than usual! Soon you'll be hitting the grave! And I won't be able to share my love with you no more."

"Mito what have you been teaching Yui?"

"Nothing but what you taught. How awesome you were, how everyone dies, and how one day you'll die a peaceful or excruciating death."

"That's not what you teach a seven year old."

The blond woman flashed a similar catish smile that her daughter had shown the old man.

"Its what you taught me at that age."

"And which is why I regret every thing I've ever taught you thus far."

"But Papa Naruto is good for teaching mama what he did. Doesn't this make her appreciate you and life more than most people do?"

"Just go to bed Yui, go to bed."

"You'll answer my question later though, right?"

Ah, child innocence, it'll be the death of him. Literally.

"Of course, of course. Now what every good shinobi needs is rest. Sleep – or Kyu will have fun playing with you tomorrow."

"..."

"What a excellent grandfather you are, tou-san."

Author Note:

Spur of the moment. This is the final chapter, I seriously can't imagine adding more to this. I tried to keep it as close to the way I had written when I started this story out and I think I failed. Though the spelling errors and mistakes may be a similar :D Also the omake was just for the hell of it, and I think I failed at that too. /sigh/ can't I do anything right?

Long overdue chapter, just for it to end. Hmm, don't kill me please. I've had this floating around incomplete for to long - plus I just wanted to go over the invasion arc and the such. :|

So, err, any questions, concerns, flames, demands, I'm open.

Sorugao-Bandgeek