NARUTO IS PROPERTY OF MASASHI KISHIMOTO

"Kyuubi talking"

'Kyuubi thinking'

"Normal speech"

'Characters thinking'

Author's note:

Here I am again! I'm really excited to begin with this story. There're tons of new scenarios I'd like to write about, so you shouldn't expect this story to follow the manga.

The chapter titles and quotes will be taken from songs I find fitting for the respective chapters…

Naruto won't be de knucklehead he is in the anime. He will be smart and strong (but not over powerful), and kind of a smartass.

For those of you who don't know, this is a sequel for my other story: A ninja's life. You don't have to read it to understand this one but, if you want to, you're welcome to do so.

The story is rated M due to mature situations, violence and language that will be shown in later chapters.

If this is all ok with you, then you may proceed to the first chapter.

Summary:

After 3 years training abroad, Naruto now has what it takes to face whatever destiny has in store for him. With Akatsuki and Kyuubi coming after him, and Sasuke becoming an active criminal, Naruto'll have to deal the dangerous lifestyle fit for a ninja. Can his maturity level cope with the stress, while he also tries to unravel the mysteries of the opposite sex? And can he do all these while suffering from severe insomnia?

Main paring: NaruHina and NejiTen. Also KakaAnko and IruShizu. Other pairings will be decided as the story progresses.

Generation Lost

Chapter 1: Built To Last

"Your will, your way
Will earn respect in your day
Let the glory sharpened knife
Carve the future of your life."

Their labored breathings disrupted the natural calm that settled over the vast expanse of wooden statues and green blankets. The cool of the night whipped at their sweaty brows as they ran past tree after tree, wind wailing between distorted trunks, carrying the sickly stink of wood rot. As they ventured further into unknown territory, the endless forest's woods began to pull closer towards them, forcing the two shinobi to maneuver through the dark trunks.

Oh, how they hated this country. It was hot and dry, and their jutsus didn't work too well if there wasn't a source of water nearby. Ichi, the older amongst the two, cursed mentally as he threw his head upwards. Under the heavy canopy, the men could barely catch a glimpse of the stars on top of them. He had the urge to pray for some rain but, unfortunately, their god didn't concede miracles outside their village. Tonight would be a dry night, just as they had been for the last two months.

If they wanted to get out of that forest alive, their best shot was to keep running and prepare to ambush their followers, although none of them were willing to fight. Not against their pursuers. The black haired man sighed miserably at their luck. After three years of looking for the jinchuriki, it was his own unit who had found him. Ironically enough, now it was them who were on the run.

His face was unmistakable. At the sight of his blond hair and whiskered cheeks, in the company of the old man who acted as his bodyguard, the amegakure-nins rushed out of the pub and towards the border that divided Fire Country with their own. Their sudden disappearance had spiked the curiosity of the men and women in there. Shortly after, two other entities were after them, closing in quickly.

Given the speed of the followers, it was easy to tell it was the Uzumaki boy and his master. They had cut their escape route and forced them into the forest.

"Do you sense them?" asked his partner in a hushed tone, looking warily at his surroundings. "I think they're gone."

"Don't be foolish." Spat Ichi, wiping sweat and dirt from the side of his face. They could conceal their identity just as well as they could… maybe even better. "They know we are foreigners on their land. They know we were looking for them. They'll surely come."

The rustling of leaves resonated throughout the darkness, making the ninjas stand on guard. They hurled a kunai to their right, hoping the knifes would pierce the owner of the sound. A solid 'thud' reached their ears.

They waited.

"There's no one... Probably a mouse." Finally whispered his less experienced partner, relaxing his stance. Ichi, unlike him, remained tense and watchful. His scarred hand slipped the sword off his back. His instinct told him that they were being watched. Hunted.

"I know you're there." Ichi called out towards the woods. His green-haired friend tightened his jaw as he strained to see anything out of the dark. A speck of light on top of a tree caught his eye. He dismissed it as a trick of the mind but as he looked harder, the edge of a blade could clearly be made out.

With a sharp gasp and a trembling hand he threw yet another knife. This time it didn't made a sound. It was as if it had been swallowed whole by the darkness within the trees.

"What did you do that for?" hissed his superior, turning his head to him. Just as the younger shinobi was about to respond, the kunai he had previously thrown inserted itself an inch away from his right foot. The two men looked up.

The wind had pushed a cloud aside and the moon lighted the forest momentarily. Ichi and his subordinate frowned as they saw the jinchuriki smiling down at them. His blue eyes glinted coldly at them, but his ample smile told them he was very amused. The whiskered shinobi held a kunai of his own between his fingers, pointing at them lazily.

Ichi resisted the urge to gulp. 'If he's there, the old man must be about to fall on us from behind.' Ichi started to move his head around, trying to spot the white-haired man.

"Where's the sannin?" Kugame demanded, trying a more direct approach. Ichi wanted to slap his partner on the head.

"As if he'd tell us." Chastised his superior, awarding him an angry look. "Shut up and get ready to fight. Remember He wants him alive."

Kugame sent him a dubious look. He took out his own katana.

"Don't worry." The Konoha nin's voice made them turn their attention to him again. "He didn't come." The sureness in his voice made Ichi feel even more anxious.

"Bullshit." Claimed the green-haired jounin, gripping his sword tightly. "You expect us to believe you came here on your own?"

The Uzumaki smirked at him, which only served to enrage the jounin even more. "Two jounin against a runaway chuunin. You alone have no chance."

Ichi knew he was wrong. After hearing the tale of how the jinchuriki finished Deidara-sama, he was sure the boy was capable of anything.

"I never said I was alone." Said Naruto, savoring his words. A grin spread across his handsome face as he angled the knife at his hand. The reflection of the moonlight on his kunai lighted the immediate area momentarily. Hundreds of blue-colored irises wearing identical grins appeared in the older ninjas' vision. They were standing on the trees surrounding them, waiting by the shadows. Kugame's jaw was left hanging open as he turned his head around to try and count the Uzumaki's clones.

'How could we not sense them?' Ichi questioned himself angrily, staring at the original blond in awe. If he couldn't sense them before, he definitively could sense them now. A steady wave of killing intent radiated from every single clone around them. The ame-nin didn't even know a kage bunshin could produce that kind of blood thirst.

Right now, he hoped the sannin was with him. It was said that he was the only one to contain the sadistic side of the Jinchuriki.

"Where is your God now?" The red-clad shinobi jumped down his branch without a sound and regarded the two men with open arms.

"H-He.. He'll catch you." Ichi managed to say. Unlike his friend, he still conserved the calm worth of a shinobi.

"Not if I catch him first." Replied Naruto, fingers playing with his knife. "Good night, boys."

That night the forest was full with screams of terror and pain.

"Don't drool in the Council's table." Scolded the blond-haired girl, looking down at the offender. His dark ponytail was pointing at her.

"It's sweat." Corrected the male. He straightened his back and accommodated himself in the chair. "How can you even walk around with that dress on you? I'm just wearing a shirt and I'm suffocating."

The woman smirked at his complaining friend. She poked his temple playfully before sitting in the empty red chair besides him. The portion of the table in front of him exhibited a dark, wet patch. Shikamaru wiped it clean with his hand.

"I'm used to the heat." She said, looking outside the window towards the unforgiving sun. "You should also be used to it by now."

The dark-eyed male wiped the sweat on his forehead with his handkerchief. His eyes turned to her tiredly. "I'll never get used to this, no matter how many times I visit." The heat was one thing he could not stand, but the fact that rarely any cloud was around, made Suna one of the worst places to visit.

"We're having pasta tonight, if you wanna join us." Temari said amiably, turning to him.

"Thanks, but I'd rather eat sand before trying your brother's food again." The pineapple-haired chuunin asked, stretching in his seat. Temari laughed at his words. It would take a lot of cooking lessons to improve Kankurou's skills.

"I'll be cooking tonight."

This earned a raised eyebrow from Shikamaru. "You hate to cook."

"We're taking turns." Replied the green-eyed woman, turning to his partner.

Shikamaru took a tired breath. "Fine." He sighed after a while.

"Don't play so hard to get. I know that you like how I cook."

"It's decent at best." Replied the Nara, standing up and heading for the open window.

"Huh? And what about you? I've never tried any of your dishes."

"I don't cook." Said the Nara, turning to her. "That's Chouji's forte."

Temari shook his head at him. Sooner or later he'd have to learn to make something for himself.

"How's Gaara doing?" Shikamaru's tone was now business-like.

"Better than you would expect." Answered the jounin just as serious, crossing her legs in front of her. "He can even manipulate the sand like he used to, and we haven't found an explanation as to how he can still do it. Apparently the Shukaku's influence is still in his chakra."

"I guess if you're exposed to it long enough something must stick once it's gone." The Nara mused.

"Their base has been secured but there's still no trace of the statue Naruto told us about." Her green eyes narrowed at the memory of her brother being kidnapped. "We're still searching for any clues they might have left."

"Is he back yet?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "It shouldn't be long until he returns. His appearance here must mean he's close to resurfacing again."

"He's dangerous, Shika." Assured Temari. Her tone made Shikamaru look at her worriedly.

"He's a bit reckless, but all in all he-"

"You didn't see him that day." The blond-haired woman said. "I was furious at the thought of my dead brother but he… he was mad."

The Nara walked closer to her and sat down, searching her face.

"His eyes were red." Temari looked at him anxiously. "He looked at me for a moment as he ran past me. It was enough to take my energy away. If he hadn't kill Deidara back then, he would've kill someone else. Anyone. Those eyes sought for blood."

"His eyes can't change color, Temari. He doesn't have a Kekkei Genkai." Shikamaru tried to reason with her but she shook her head firmly.

"I know what I saw." She said firmly. "There's something wrong with him, I can feel it. Be careful when he shows up."

The brown-eyed chuunin looked at her worriedly. Temari had never acted this way about anything, no matter how traumatizing the experience had been. But the way her eyes shrunk as she spoke about his old friend left him thinking that she might just be right about Naruto.

After all, they only knew so much about him.

The blade came directly to his nose. Jiraiya had to duck this time. With an irritating yelp he threw his hand forward, ready to take the blade off his student's hands but Naruto quickly took the blade out of his reach. Jiraiya growled at him.

"Would you stop playing around with that? You almost chopped my head off!" The white-haired veteran fumed, gripping tightly at his magazine.

"I'll put it away if you do the same with your porn." Naruto glared at the girl with the swimsuit at the cover.

"You have your ways of entertainment I have mine." Scoffed the legendary sannin, before going back to his magazine. A lecherous smiled formed in his face almost immediately. Naruto wrinkled his nose. Even after all these years he still couldn't cope with Jiraiya's entertainment; much to his teacher's dismay.

"You might've as well sold it with the other one. You don't even know how to use it." Jiraiya commented, turning the page.

"Not yet. But you'll teach me, right?" The blond threw the sword in the air and, just as it was going to fall edge first into the ground, fitted it properly into its scabbard. Naruto let out a triumphant yell.

"I'm a ninjutsu user. I wouldn't know how to fight with that." The older man said grumpily, nose buried in the pictures. Naruto smirked. He knew all too well the reason of his teacher's bad mood. After selling the other sword, he refused to share the money with Jiraiya.

"You'll spend it in hookers and booze." Naruto had said to his begging master. "Besides, you know our deal. I killed them by myself, therefore, the loot is mine and mine alone."

Jiraiya regretted turning back to the pub that night, letting the teen deal with the foreigners on his own.

"I'll learn somehow." Mused Naruto, analyzing the beautiful handle of the katana for the eleventh time that morning. It was wrapped in dark-green leather stripes. "I still think it could've been sold for much more." The blond said, although he was still happy the retailer gave him 6,500 ryo for the sword.

"You should've cleaned it properly." The taller man replied with a wrinkle of his nose. "Few people are willing to buy a sword with fresh blood on it."

"It's not easy to wipe off bone and hair from the handle. It gets all sticky…" The sixteen-year-old chuunin trailed off, as the familiar gates of his precious Konoha appeared in front of him.

While Naruto was being filled with nostalgia and excitement, Jiraiya still wondered how his pupil could stain the deep end of the scabbard with a mixture of brains, blood, and an ear.

The guards let them in without asking any questions: Jiraiya was a respected figure in the shinobi society and Naruto was still fresh in the minds of the villagers, even after his long absence. The Konoha guards watched perplexed as the Kyuubi container, now 5'8'', walk past them as he placed the sword behind his back.

"Can we-"

"After we meet with Tsunade." Jiraiya said, anticipating Naruto's wish of eating ramen. The blond cursed out loud, placing his hands deep within his pockets.

It was Thursday morning and Konoha's streets were buzzing with noise and chatter of people going over their daily business just like any other week day. Naruto wasn't hard to notice as he towered over most villagers. The majority of the civilians, when they glanced at Naruto's bright blond hair and whiskered scars, recognized their very own Kyuubi jinchuriki easily. Some whispered secretively to their partners, glancing warily at each other, while others openly pointed and stared at the Uzumaki.

The teen's ears captured words referring to him and looked around with mild interest. No one dared to cross looks with him, as the people bowed their heads or shifted their gaze to a different direction. Murmurs died down rapidly.

The golden-haired shinobi smirked as he surveyed the area. He was sure life would be much different than before. As he ran his eyes through the busy street, he knew they knew.

The villagers could feel the blond radiated an aura of power much like the one Jiraiya possessed everywhere he went. They knew he wasn't the scrawny, pathetic child they once had known and taunted. Naruto was now a dangerous Konoha shinobi. They wouldn't dare talk shit about him anymore. Not to his face.

He smirked broadly at the thought of both coming back home, and having almost a palpable presence that made grown men cower back to their shops. Naruto then felt a sharp poke at his ribs.

"Stop that. You're scaring them." Jiraiya scolded, frowning at him. Just then the blond realized his smirk had become a rather nasty grin, one that exhibited his sharper-than-normal canines to everyone around. He also realized he had been casting intimidating looks at two women that were covering their gossiping mouths. He stopped and shook his head curtly, trying to invite other thoughts into his mind.

As they got closer to the Hokage tower, Jiraiya casted a worried glance at his only pupil.

"Just look at that!" The blond yelled, pointing at the carved face of Tsunade on the edge of the Hokage monument. Her face, just like the rest of the previous leaders of the village, was looking at the distance beyond Konoha. His mood had brightened considerably after he found a beef stand. The Kyuubi container was just finishing his fifth portion.

The white-haired male let out a heartily laugh.

"Why are all the Hokage's so serious?" Naruto inquired as he played with a kunai, since Jiraiya forbade him to take out his katana. "I'll be smiling when I'm up there… Maybe winking too."

"Must be because all the paperwork." The sannin commented toothily. "Just another reason I didn't want to be Hokage."

Boy and man reached the lobby and went through a double glass door into the lower offices.

"Do you have your apartment keys?" Jiraiya asked, putting down his magazine and hiding it well in his robes. Naruto shook his head.

"I lost them back when we were hanging around that volcano." The blond winced at the memory of his back and leg getting splashed by lava while they trained. He had taken off his clothes in less than five seconds and his skin took one month and a half to completely heal. "I think the Third had a spare. Maybe Tsunade knows where it is."

"Get me a spare too." He noticed how Naruto looked at him warily. "Are you going to let your master sleep in a cheap motel?"

They got out of the elevator and into the round, red colored halls that lead to the Hokage Office.

"Tch. Fine. But no hookers or anything like that. I don't want to be robbed again." Commented the blond, mildly annoyed.

"It was worth it." Jiraiya said with a dreamy smile. "Good morning sweetheart!" He called with a toothy grin to the young woman sitting on the fortress that was her double desk, outside the red doors that lead to the Hokage's office.

"Morning…" the girl answered hesitantly, frowning a little at the tall man but eyeing warily the young blond with the sword on his back. "Do you have an appointment?"

"I wasn't aware we needed to make one." Answered Jiraiya charmingly, not losing his good mood or his smile.

"I'm sorry but you need to make an appointment at least one week ahead if you want to see Hokage-sama." Answered the brown-haired assistant. Her eyes darted quickly at the place the emergency button was hidden at; she would probably need to press it today.

"I'm sure we don't need an appointment." Spoke the blond looking over his shoulder, not as energetically as his older associate, but with a reassuring smile that made the woman forget about the button. Her black eyes were caught in his blue ones.

"I'm afraid she's in a meeting right now…" a small smile started to spread across her lips. "If you wait a few minutes, you could see her once it's over mister…"

"Jiraiya!" The white-haired male piped up loudly, scurrying to the front of her desk and placing his elbows on top of the polished wood.

"Jiraiya-san." she replied politely, dribbling his name on a blank piece of paper without looking at it. She clearly had no idea who the man drooling over her was. "And your name is?"

"Naruto." The whiskered ninja responded, frowning at his teacher.

"I'm Hirumi." Replied the girl, looking at the Kyuubi container dreamily.

"Such a beautiful name!" exclaimed the toad hermit.

"C'mon. I have other things to do."

"Be patient, my boy. We have time to spare." The sannin said without taking his eyes off the pretty woman in front of him. "Let's just wait ten minutes."

"I can eat five bowls of ramen in ten minutes." Replied Naruto, out of patience. With that said he spun around and opened both doors, ignoring the warning calls of Hirumi.

"Excuse us." The man said with a goodbye wink, and followed his student inside. There was a chuunin inside who, as soon as he heard the thunderous clash of door against wall, got to his feet, ready to fight if necessary.

"Tsunade-sama! I told them not to go inside but-" Hirumi said as she stood up and ran at the office. This made the red-haired chuunin even more nervous, as he took out a sword of his own and pointed it at the cross-armed Naruto.

"State your business!" The brown-eyed chuunin spat, tensing every muscle. Hirumi immediately took a step back and looked at the two chuunin worriedly.

"I was forced to come here, so I don't really know what my business here is." Commented the blond, looking past the glaring chuunin and towards Tsunade, who was sitting in her desk calmly.

"You weren't forced, you idiot." Said Jiraiya, rolling his eyes and approaching the Hokage, but as soon as he stepped forward the blade was pointed at him. "We obviously came here to deliver our report."

"Stand down, Kumane. I was expecting them…" Said the big-chested blond from her desk, closing a file she had on her hands and storing it and a drawer attached to her desk. "Six months ago." The Hokage added accusingly, glaring at both men. Jiraiya offered an apologetic smile, while the blond only shrugged.

"Tsunade-sama..." Kumane tried to protest but the Konoha leader held up a silencing hand.

"Come by tomorrow, we will keep talking then." She replied, then turned to her young assistant. "Clear all my appointments for today, Hirumi. We'll re-schedule them later."

Both, Kumane and Hirumi looked at the newcomers hesitantly, but had no other choice than to obey their boss. The chuunin threw one last glare at the blond, before taking the black-eyed girl by the arm and getting her out of the office.

Naruto could hear the muffled voice of the man questioning the woman behind the now closed doors and smirked. He turned his blue eyes to the frowning woman in the room.

"Still using your age genjutsu, I see." Spoke the blond, approaching the guest chairs. Jiraiya walked with him.

"And you're just the same smart-ass from three years ago." Conceded Tsunade, standing from her spot and walking towards the blond. "But I guess there's nothing we can do about that."

Naruto just grinned in reply. He was taken aback when her arms surrounded him. "Welcome back."

"Heh." The Kyuubi container chuckled and returned her hug.

"I can't believe you're taller than me now. You were always such a little squirt." She smiled at the young chuunin as she stepped back, analyzing his face. Her eyes fell on the back lace surrounding his neck and her smile grew even more. "And you still wear my necklace."

"I even shower with it." Commented the blond proudly.

"Jiraiya." Tsunade's tone was now cold as her eyes turned to his former teammate. "You have some explaining to do."

"Aren't you going to hug me first?" asked the taller man hopefully, extending his arms to her.

"I'd rather lick a frog." Said the long-haired Hokage, returning to her seat.

"That could be arranged." Said Jiraiya with a sly smile. Tsunade just glared at him.

"What happened to Shizune? I thought she was your assistant." Naruto said, looking curiously at the familiar office. His eyes lingered in the pictures of the previous Hokages hanging from the walls.

"She and Sakura are now in charge of the Konoha's hospital. Her schedule didn't allow her to keep working here."

"Sakura got that good?" asked the blond, somewhat impressed.

"She surprised even me." Tsunade rummaged through some folders on her desk as she spoke. "You'll have to go to her after we finish here for a checkup."

"You mean after lunch, right?" The blond asked, hopeful. Tsunade ignored his question.

"You were supposed to come back after finishing up your mission in Suna." The light-brown-eyed woman said, looking at her notes. "Let's start with that, shall we?"

Naruto groaned in anticipation. Jiraiya opened his mouth,

"There were chakra traces in Akatsuki's cave that could lead us to their hiding place." He explained.

"Gaara accepted our request to borrow a few jounin to start an investigation." Added the blond.

"On your own, with no permission from your Hokage." Deadpanned Tsunade.

"We didn't have time for that! Their trail was fresh so we needed to hurry." Responded Naruto.

"Did you actually found their lair?" the Hokage asked, bored. She already knew the answer.

"Their trail ended on a town not too far from the rain village. I left an informant there so he could update me if he saw something. We believe there are a few Akatsuki members hiding there." Jiraiya commented, scratching his jaw.

"So, you ran off without my authorization, sent zero reports for six months, failed the first official mission I assigned you and-"

"We rescued the Kazekage and discovered Akatsuki's hiding place at Sunagakure. I wouldn't call that a failed mission." Countered Naruto, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"If I recall correctly your mission was to protect the Kazekage, while you watched out for any Akatsuki members out there so you could capture them."

"It's not easy to capture one of them…" pouted the young blond.

"-The Kazekage was kidnapped and killed…" continued Tsunade, reading the report in her hands.

"But resurrected." Naruto interjected, frowning at the memory of his childhood friend lying lifeless at the entrance of the dark cave.

"His bijuu was stolen and you killed not one, but two Akatsuki members before you got any chance to interrogate them."

"They wouldn't talk anyways."

"You don't know that." Reprimanded Tsunade, placing a hand under her chin. "You blew our biggest chance to discover Akatsuki's plans and now we're back to square one. I should've send reinforcements for that mission."

"Hime, you don't understand. If he wouldn't have gone for the kill, they would've killed him instead. It was too dangerous to keep them alive. That guy, Deidara, would've blown half the city away if he hadn't been killed." Jiraiya explained patiently. "While I was fighting the other guy he committed suicide; there was nothing I could do to keep him alive."

Tsunade remained silent for a moment as she regarded her fellow sannin. Her eyes then turned to Naruto.

"I'd like to hear more about your fight with Deidara." She spoke slowly, watching Naruto's every reaction. "It is said it was quite brutal."

"Why does it matter how I killed him? The important thing is that he's dead, right?" The blond said, looking away from her. Tsunade knitted her eyebrows together.

"His arm was missing." She stated, staring at him. Jiraiya also looked at Naruto. The blond didn't respond, so the woman continued. "Would you like to explain that?"

"I needed it for the bounty." Naruto said with gritted teeth, pounding his foot impatiently on the floor. He was clearly not happy at being interrogated on that subject.

"Since when do you care for the bounty?" demanded Tsunade. The sixteen-year-old only shrugged at her question. "Naruto, there were teeth marks around his arm."

A heavy silence fell on the office. Naruto stopped playing with his foot but kept his gaze low. Tsunade pursed her lips.

"Tsunade, he-"

"I want to hear it from him." Tsunade cut Jiraiya off, her hard eyes falling on Naruto.

The youngest ninja in the room finally slumped his shoulders in defeat. He sighed. "I slipped."

"What?" prodded Tsunade, urging him to speak louder.

"I slipped." The whiskered shinobi repeated, raising his eyes to hers. "When I saw Gaara lying lifeless in that smelly cave I…"

Tsunade fell back on her seat, fingers pressing onto her temples.

"Naruto…"

"When I noticed His presence I was already heading after them and I couldn't stop." His voice was filled with remorse. It had been his one and only relapse into letting the Kyuubi's chakra consume him on those two-and-a-half years traveling. He had thought he had it under control but he was wrong; Kyuubi was just waiting for a situation where the blond would lose it.

"I only got to take out three tails, no more." The blond hurried to say. "So there's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?!" Tsunade exclaimed, standing from her seat. Naruto and Jiraiya winced at her tone. "Naruto, last time you used his chakra, Kyuubi almost took over your mind!"

"Almost." Countered the blond childishly. He noticed Tsunade's furious stare. "Besides… Last time Ino's father took care of Kyuubi's presence on my subconscious."

"You forget that every time you accept the fox's presence it grows in your mind. This time it might be even more difficult to block it out an-"

"That's the thing! This time I didn't have any secondary effects!"

The Hokage halted her rant. She looked closely at Naruto. "What do you mean?"

"The first time I used his chakra, he filled my mind with nightmares so I couldn't sleep. He wanted me to become crazy and, eventually, my mind would be so weak he could escape but it's been almost seven months since the incident and nothing's happened. It's like the mental barriers are still up and he hasn't even spoken to me for three years. I'm still in control."

The woman turned her body to Jiraiya, who had remained silent during her interrogation so far. "Is that true?"

"His seal is as good as new. We even went to a monk expert in spirits and he said he could barely feel Kyuubi's presence." The white-haired sannin said from his position. "After hearing that, we went after Akatsuki's trail, but it still hasn't stop bothering me."

"How can that be?" the Hokage asked, retaking her seat.

"Half my training these years consisted on trying to steal even more chakra from the Kyuubi and making it mine. I can extract four times more than I could when I was younger; maybe my control has intensified since then and I have more tolerance over his presence." Naruto pondered.

"Or maybe he's just trying to fool you again, Naruto." Interjected Jiraiya. "Maybe he's bidding his time until you become careless."

"Kyuubi would've tried to escape again by now." Retorted the red-clad blonde; his irises traveled to his seniors in the room. "You know that. Something's up but I don't feel like its threatening."

Tsunade listened to the Uzumaki gravely, trying to digest all the information that had been given to her and formulating a verdict. Her head turned to Jiraiya, who was wearing an impassive expression.

"It seems this could mean lots of things, and we aren't aware of any of them." The Hokage commented, falling back into her chair. "I won't give this a rest until I have a Yamanaka look into your brain. I'll arrange a meeting between the two of you by the end of the week."

"So… I'm free for now?" asked the chuunin, hopeful.

"For today only. You can go and settle back down. But…" she held up her finger, stopping Naruto from rushing out the window. "Don't make any other plans for this week. That goes for you too, Jiraiya. I need more information on the missions you carried out during your journey, and Naruto will need a full check up soon."

"There's no need for that, I'm healthy as a horse!" exclaimed the blond, tapping his chest with an open palm.

"I don't want to take any chances besides, its protocol. Be back by tomorrow afternoon." The woman wrote on a piece of paper, and then signed it. "Go to the third floor for your chuunin jacket; you'll need it for your official missions. Hand this to the supervisor."

Naruto took the paper from her hand with a smile. "Say, wouldn't you have a spare key of my apartment?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes knowingly.

Just as they were to walk out the door, the blond turned abruptly towards her, taking a medium-sized case out of his backpack.

He almost forgot to give Tsunade her present.

"A necklace for a necklace." Announced the blond as the Hokage threw a questioning glance at him. She peered into the case and widened her eyes at its contents.

Tsunade was left alone to marvel at the beautiful silver necklace she now had over her neck.

After a minute, Naruto and Jiraiya emerged from the Hokage office with the key; the blond turned his head to his teacher.

"How 'bout some ramen?" he grinned, knowing the sannin had promised to take him to Ichiraku as soon as they returned to the village.

"And a nice bath in the springs afterwards?" the old man suggested. He whooped once Naruto nodded.

"No peeking on the girls, though." The blond warned, waving a hand to the curious Hirumi as they walked by towards the stairs.

The young woman walked impatiently in circles outside the room. She had a permanent frown on her face that showed just how worried she was. The skirt she was wearing didn't protect her from the chill characteristic of the underground caves, but she didn't mind the cold. Her red eyes were fixed on the old, brown door.

She bit her lip. "How much longer is it gonna take?" she demanded in a low, strained voice. Her partner didn't show signs of listening to her.

"Kabuto!" the red-haired woman hissed, trying to attract his attention. Finally the grey-haired shinobi raised his head.

"Hard to tell." He answered quietly, also looking at the closed door. "They are both strong."

"They stopped fighting an hour ago…" mused Karin thoughtfully, halting her steps. "I can only feel one presence but it contains two different energies."

This seemed to attract Kabuto's interest. "That means he has already performed the jutsu." He exclaimed happily, silently congratulating his master.

"But this time is different…" continued Karin, biting her fingernail. "They're struggling."

"Orochimaru-sama will take over." Assured the former Konoha shinobi, fixing his glasses. "He has prepared for this moment for three years."

The woman stayed silent, concentrating on the presence inside the room.

"What would you do if he failed?" the girl asked, throwing a curious look at Kabuto.

"He won't." The medic-nin answered vehemently, shaking his head. Karin looked at him for a long moment.

"You're right. He's a sannin after all." She finally said, although she didn't sound too convinced.

"They might as well be dead." Said a new male voice. Kabuto turned his head and nodded to the newcomer.

"How can you say that, Suigetsu!" chastised Karin, casting her angry eyes at him. "If it weren't for Orochimaru-sama you'd be dead!"

"If it weren't for him, I'd still be human." Replied Suigetsu, leaning against the cold, rock wall.

"What about Sasuke-kun? He gave you freedom, after spending all those years in that aquarium."

"It isn't really freedom if you have to follow every word he says." He smirked at her frown. He was sure Karin was going to scold him some more, but the woman became very still.

"What…"

"He's coming." She announced, turning to the door along with the other two males. They gulped.

"Who is it?" asked Suigetsu from the corner of his mouth. They were patiently waiting for the door to be opened.

Before she answered, the heavy door swung open. The first thing the trio saw was a giant, white snake lying lifeless on the floor, along with a dark-purple substance that Kabuto identified as Orochimaru's blood in snake form.

They looked into the impassible eyes of the victor, expecting him to say something.

"I'm hungry." Sasuke announced, walking past them and towards the end of the hall. Suigetsu clicked his tongue in annoyance at the Uchiha's superior tone; he put his hands behind his head and started to follow him. He had been secretly hoping Sasuke had been the winner but he'd never admit it to him or anyone else.

"Kabuto." Sasuke called from the end of the hall.

The former Konoha-nin jumped at the sound of his name; he had been staring at Orochimaru's snake carcass on the floor ever since the door had been opened and he still couldn't believe it.

"What is it?" he replied weakly, clenching his fists.

"Take that snake out of my room." He ordered without looking back at him, a small smirk on his lips.

"-Long story short, the dogs went crazy!" Kiba exclaimed, taking his hands to his hair and gripping tiredly. "Their cages weren't strong enough to keep them in and they just tore through the door and out the woods looking for that damn cat!"

He watched as the girl sitting in front of him giggled until a small laugh escaped her mouth. It was short but just that sound made his heart freeze with joy.

"How did a cat get in your house, anyway?" Hinata asked after she regained her calm. She took a small sip from her juice.

"I don't know!" Laughed Kiba, shrugging his shoulders. "But just think, how stupid does this cat has to be to get into a dog shelter?"

He allowed himself another fit of hysterics before going back to his plate.

"He won't be coming back, though." Assured the spiked-haired brunette, munching on his ribs. "Not after almost getting his tail ripped off."

Hinata placed her silverware in top of her empty plate. "I wish I had been there to see that."

"Yeah, me too. I wish you wouldn't go away with your father so much." Kiba admitted, placing his hands on top of the table. "I missed you." The dog master muttered, unsure to say the last part but going with it anyway. His words earned a smile from his friend.

"I missed you too… and Shino-kun! It's hard to believe he isn't our teammate anymore."

The Inuzuka watched as his teammate spoke lively about how she wished Shino had seen the gardens back at the house she had to stay while on her mission. He inhaled sharply before speaking again.

"Have you seen sensei yet?" the Inuzuka inquired, admiring as she arranged her long her behind her ear.

"Uh-hum. She's going to attend a conference with Hokage-sama this afternoon, along with Asuma-san."

Kiba remembered how Kurenai had suggested he took her out for dinner now that it was only the two of them. He blushed as he recalled how she winked at him.

"Hey, Hinata…" he started, looking aside. The Hyuuga stopped talking and placed her attention on him. She had returned to the village earlier that day and, as soon as the Inuzuka picked up her scent in the air, he took a shower and hurried to her house. The young chuunin was already known in the Hyuuga mansion and had no problem getting in her house and asking her if she wanted to catch up while they had dinner over at Teishoku.

Teishoku had been their team's favorite restaurant ever since they became a three-man cell. Along with Kurenai, they would go there almost every week after a well-done mission. Now that Shino was fully certified to help his family in the woods to find new species of insects and train them as a deadly weapon, Kiba and Hinata were left to pick up on team 8's missions by themselves.

"Ever since it's been only you and me I feel like we've been having lots of fun."

"That's mean to Shino-kun." The girl said, casting a small frown at Kiba.

"No, don't get me wrong. The three of us had a blast!" corrected Kiba. "But since he went on becoming a jounin, it's been kind of different between us, don't you think?"

"Really?" asked the girl innocently, placing her big eyes on him.

"That's how I see it. I mean, we've been spending so much time together and I can't help to think… Maybe" Kiba averted his eyes from hers, trying to find the courage to finally ask her out. He had been gathering it ever since he realized he had a crush on her, but he could never put it into words since he knew that Hinata only saw them as friends.

But as time passed on, he could feel that they really got along well. He hated to think it was because Naruto wasn't there anymore but he still relished every time she laughed at his comments.

One morning, a year and a half ago, he woke up feeling brave enough to confess to her but Chouji had brought up Naruto's name that day and her eyes just lit up with excitement. It was then when he decided to give it a little time and wait for her to calm down about the blond.

They had been told that Naruto would be coming back after twenty four months. Now they were all sixteen years old and there was no sign of Naruto, thing which made him think Hinata would give up all hope on him… or at least forget her feelings towards him.

"Kiba-kun, are you okay? You're awfully quiet." She had leaned a bit closer to look at him; there was a tinge of concern on her Hyuuga eyes. Kiba licked his lips, finally making a decision. He took her hand in his. Hinata just cocked her head at him, questioningly.

"Hinata, would you like to go o-" A loud crash outside made him stop in midsentence. There were people yelling just outside the restaurant Kiba had suggested, and their voices kept getting louder.

"Is that Konohamaru?" the Inuzuka said to no one. Hinata angled her head to see his scarf from the opened door.

"I think it is." She said, standing up and directing outside. The other occupants of the restaurant halted their conversations to listen at the ruckus coming from outside. Kiba followed his female crush.

They now could make out the voice of a very angry woman. "Were you the one who put laxatives on my dango yesterday?!"

"NO! I swear!" Konohamaru was struggling to speak as her hand encircled his small neck and pressed painfully.

"I saw you running away from the shop!" accused Anko sharply, bringing his face close to her and glaring at him. They were both sweating, although for different reasons: Konohamaru had spent a full hour running away from her, while Orochimaru's former student still hadn't recovered from the effects of the laxatives. She was exhausted.

"It wasn't m-me." Replied Konohamaru, flailing his arms nervously. His clothes were dirty and ragged by making of Anko's knifes that were thrown at him before he slipped and fell from the restaurant's rooftop. "It was Naruto!"

Hinata, who was about to intervene, forgot how to speak at the mention of his name. She stood still just below the building's entrance, not able to blink. Team 8's remaining members just stared at the twelve-year old sweating as he looked into the sharpened blade of the knife being pointed at his navel.

"Don't bullshit me! That brat isn't even in this country!" Anko got even madder because of Konohamaru's nerve to lie in her face.

"I swear! He was teaching us how to improve our stealth and we happened to see you in the s-shop and-" The Third's grandson yelled desperately, his face was gaining a blue color but Anko didn't seem to care about his face or words. People were gathering around the boy and woman, too scared of Mitarashi Anko to intervene.

"Anko-san." Finally, Hinata jumped into the confrontation, raising two calming hands in front of her. "I'm sure that Konohamaru-kun didn't do that horrible thing to you."

"Hinata!" yelled the boy with loving eyes. The deadly jounin turned her dark ones at her dangerously.

"I should at least punish him for lying like that!" spat the jounin, turning her flushed face to the boy. The woman felt she needed a bathroom right about now.

"I'm not lying! I saw him! He got here five days ago! You can ask Moegi or Udon!" The genin continued to squirm under Anko's grip. "He even gave me this dagger!"

The three grown up shinobi followed his dark eyes towards the tanto that was firmly tucked under Konohamaru's blue belt. Hinata's eyes widened as she recognized it as the blade Kakashi had given the Uzumaki three years ago on his birthday.

"He's not lying." Kiba answered, feeling just as surprised as Hinata although with a rising sense of anger and frustration. 'You decide to show up just as I'm about to confess!' The Inuzuka felt his fists clenched besides him, but struggled to keep his anger hidden from Hinata. "That's Naruto's."

Anko seemed incredulous at first but she, like anybody else in Konoha, trusted the Hyuuga heiress' words.

"If I ever see you around the shop I'll kill you for sure." Hissed the Mitarashi, releasing Konohamaru and letting him fall freely into the ground. "Also, tell Uzumaki I'll return the favor soon enough."

The young Sarutobi, although grateful he would live to see another day, gulped for his long-lost friend.

Anko didn't say anything else to Kiba or Hinata. She disappeared into the streets hurriedly.

"Are you okay, little dude?" Kiba asked, kneeling in front of the newly-made genin.

"Nothing's broken so I guess I'm okay, thanks." Commented Konohamaru, standing up and dusting off. "I don't care what Naruto-niisan says, it isn't worth dying for a prank like that."

"Is he…" The Hyuuga eldest started, biting her lip as she looked intently at Konohamaru. She could hardly breathe evenly. "Is he really back?"

"You bet!" exclaimed Konohamaru, jumping from his spot. "He's gotten so much cooler! And he has this sweet sword to top it all! You should see him as soon as you can!"

The two teenagers listened as Konohamaru continued to ramble about their childhood friend. Kiba rolled his eyes at the boy's enthusiasm and pursed his lips in a tight line as he watched Hinata clinging to the boy's every word. Konohamaru stayed until they paid for their meal.

"Want to go visit him now?" added the dark-haired boy excitedly.

"It's late, Konohamaru-kun. You should go home." Hinata answered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Actually we all should."

Although disappointed on tonight's outcome, Kiba agreed with his partner. "Should I walk you home?"

"It's okay Kiba-kun." Hinata replied, looking down at Konohamaru who was nursing his bruised neck. "But I think you should take Konohamaru home instead. He looks a little winded."

"Hinata, I really need to talk to yo-"

"I can't swallow right." Konohamaru piped up, as he flexed his neck and grimaced.

The wild-haired Inuzuka ran his eyes from the boy to his childhood friend; he bit his lip then slumped his shoulders.

"C'mon, Konohamaru." Kiba sighed, placing both arms around his head. 'I'll talk to her early tomorrow, before she can meet with Naruto and revive her feelings for him.' "Fix your scarf around your neck if you don't want a lecture from your mom."

The boy nodded vehemently. Both males waved Hinata goodbye as they left.

Jiraiya checked the time on the TV, as he wondered when the hell his pizza would arrive. The fifty-four-year-old shinobi stretched on the brand new couch at his student's old apartment, which served as his temporary bed.

Once they had arrived to the blond's apartment, it took both male ninja two full hours to dust off, clean, mop and sweep the Uzumaki's small flat, even with the help of his clones. It had been a real mess for two reasons: one, no one had entered the area in the three years he had been gone and the dust and grime had accumulated over time. And two, thirteen-year-old Naruto had forgotten to throw away the contents of his fridge before parting causing the old milk, bread and eggs to give birth to a mix of mold that covered the whole inside of the fridge. The stink had been such that they decided to throw away the old fridge and find a new one.

The young blond and his master had decided to go look for a new fridge, but that wasn't the only thing they went to look for. Master and student had gotten into an argument over what should they replace, Naruto's bed, that didn't fit him anymore, or Naruto's moth-eaten couch. After a heated argument the blond decided he would buy both, so that they would stop bickering. Now with a new dark red leather couch, a neat double fridge and a king sized bed (fulfilling Naruto's childhood wish of owning a bed with the word king in it), the inside of the apartment had a mix of old and rusty with new and shiny. It wasn't something you would like in a home but for a teenager who could buy whatever he wanted, it didn't matter. Naruto had only to sell the sword he still had to buy all the stuff, since Jiraiya helped him get discounts in all the items using his influences and fame.

That same day was the first time in three years both Naruto and Jiraiya had to make some real grocery shopping. It was a funny sight to see Jiraiya pushing the cart while Naruto threw in everything he thought as essential, which for the blond was ramen, soda drinks, popcorn, ramen, bread, ramen, chocolate, tea, eggs, mild and (of course) ramen. Jiraiya also put in a couple six-packs of beer and sake.

They needed four clones to help carry the bags back to the apartment.

It was the first time Naruto's fridge was completely full.

The white-haired man turned off the TV and threw the controller aside, into the far end of the comfortable couch. He sighed as he recalled the lecture Tsunade had given them after Naruto's appointment with Yamanaka Inoichi; the Hokage told him that Naruto should first focus on buying clothes that fit him and discard the tattered shirts and pants he owned. The Uzumaki calmed the Hokage down by assuring her that he would do just that.

The legendary ninja hadn't been able to visit his favorite places around Konoha, namely the red-light district's establishments, since he had been attending meeting after meeting with Tsunade and the elders to explain Akatsuki's and Naruto's situation. He had also the obligation to accompany Naruto to every other medical exam and psychological tests he had to attend. He couldn't even invite some girls over since Naruto didn't allow that kind of people on his apartment.

Jiraiya lamented at Naruto's views on that subject; he had hoped the young ninja would share his liking for girls or gambling, but the teen wouldn't even give that world a try.

"At least your parents would be happy about that." said Jiraiya, yawning widely, as he got to his feet and headed to the bathroom. He halted when the doorbell echoed through the apartment.

Muttering a low "finally", the toad hermit made his way towards the door.

"Took you long enough. I was about to cancel the order…" Jiraiya said, mildly annoyed while he opened the door but his eyes widened as a young woman stood in front of him. If the old man would have looked into her eyes, he would have known immediately she was a Hyuuga; but the toad hermit had a habit of looking first down at her legs, then waist, then breast and finally her mouth. He was currently ogling at her chest when the woman spoke.

"Good evening, you must be Jiraiya-san." She spoke clearly, while wearing a polite, yet somewhat embarrassed smile. It was when she bowed that the old man reacted.

"Indeed I am, young lady." he spoke, feeling a perverted giggle trying to escape his throat but containing it. She smiled again.

"My name is Hi-"

"This is not a place for us to exchange names! Come in, please! Come, come!" The man's voice easily drowned her own, and the indigo-haired girl was escorted inside the building by making of Jiraiya wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Make yourself comfortable, darling. Here, have a seat!"

"Thank you." Hinata was slightly taken aback by such a warm welcome from Naruto's teacher.

"Now, tell me what is it that you came for?" questioned Jiraiya hotly, sitting just beside her and trying to deduce her age mentally. He usually had a knack for guessing women's age correctly but this one was kind of tricky. Her rosy cheeks and small mouth were those of just a teenager, but the rack she owned screamed of a woman of no less than twenty-three.

"Actually, Jiraiya-san, Naruto-kun was the one I…" For some reason the girl faltered on her speech, an embarrassed blush was adorning her young face. Jiraiya raised his eyebrows at this new kind of behavior; he tried to put the pieces together on his horny mind: young woman, late at night, came because of Naruto… had Naruto remembered he couldn't go to the brothels tonight because he was waiting for an important piece of information to arrive?

"Is it your first time?" the white-haired man inquired, a wide grin appearing on his square face, as he thanked his student for his thoughtfulness.

"Huh?" the long-haired beauty said, raising her head to him. She was still flushed on his thoughts about seeing the blond so late at night. "I'm sorry I-"

"No need to apologize, sweetheart!" exclaimed the man wearing a lecherous smile, pizza now forgotten. "I know this job ain't easy but I shall guide you in every step."

"Jiraiya-san?" the young Hyuuga called, completely lost. The man had now stood up and was guiding her around the couch.

"Just call me Jiraiya." He winked at her as he led her towards the bedroom door, a hand firmly placed on her lower back. 'Naruto, boy, you've made me the happiest man alive!' Jiraiya thought, wondering how he should repay such kindness from his student, while he angled his head backwards to get a better view on the woman's rear.

"Hey, why is the door open?" came his student's voice from behind. Both Jiraiya and Hinata turned their heads confusedly, watching as the blond entered through the door with a paper on his hand.

The three shinobi on the apartment looked confusedly at each other. Naruto opened his mouth to ask what the hell was going on, but as soon as he saw Jiraiya's hand almost on the girl's ass and his foot inside his bedroom, the blond narrowed his eyes at him.

"In my new bed? Are you serious?" Naruto seethed at his master, who was about to speak himself.

"What-"

"I told you not to bring hookers in my apartment. That was the only rule." The teen slammed his palm on the table, as he walked menacingly towards them. There was a brand new chuunin vest hanging loosely on his shoulders, with the front unzipped so his white-fitted shirt was visible.

If Hinata wasn't in shock before, she was now. Not only was Naruto standing in front of her with crazy-mad eyes, but also this was the first time in her entire life she had been assumed a prostitute.

"Me?! I thought you sent her here!" The man had slid his hands off her like she was on fire and was now staring confusedly at the woman. The Uzumaki scoffed at his proposition but remained equally annoyed.

"I would never, and you know it!" he pointed an accusing finger to the taller man. His blue eyes then traveled towards the woman in the room. "I'm sorry lady but you can't be here, whatever he was going to pay you…"

As soon as he was close enough to her, his eyes fell on her pupil less ones. Close as they were, the girl finally noticed just how much taller than her the blond was; she had to raise her head to look him square in his changed face. She could clearly see the pronounced jaw line, along with his wide and strong neck, whose muscles were strained because of the Kyuubi container's enraged state.

The blond stared at her shocked form for a moment before turning back to his master.

"What did you do to bring her here? Did you drug her, you pervert?" The blond was now facing his master furiously.

"What are you saying, boy?" Jiraiya was starting to get annoyed at him and his overreactions.

"She's no hooker! She's a Hyuuga!" Naruto exclaimed, a vein throbbing on his forehead. Hinata was loosely aware of the veins protruding from his arms while he clutched his fists even tighter.

"Is she?" the older man exclaimed, approaching the woman to corroborate.

At the sound of her clan name, the girl who had remained petrified for the last minute looked from Jiraiya to Naruto. Her voice finally came back to her.

"Uhm, Naruto-kun…" she sincerely had no idea what to say in her present predicament but she remained silent when she saw Naruto's shoulders stiffen, his words dying on his mouth.

The Uzumaki would never forget the only person who could muster his name with such gentleness. As soon as the Hyuuga spoke, an electric shock ran to the back of his brains and recalled the face of the timid girl he had been friends with three-years-ago. His eyes were fully opened as he turned slowly towards the woman calling his name, his rant forgotten, his head bent so he could analyze her better.

Now he saw her; her hair was longer and her clothes had taken a lighter tone but her eyes remained just as he remembered them. They were big, gentle and hesitant. He couldn't believe the woman that girl had become but she was standing right in front of him… and he had called her a prostitute.

"Hinata?" his voice, usually strong and boisterous, came out as a low, unbelieving whisper. Said girl blushed slightly at his tone, not longer that of a child but of a grown man. The girl, taking a hand to her lips nervously, managed an imperceptible nod.

"You know her?" came Jiraiya's oblivious question, eyeing them both curiously. Remembering that he was the cause of all this misunderstanding, the blond tightened his jaw.

"Of course I know her! She's my friend!" spat the whiskered chuunin icily, as he turned his body towards his master.

"Don't look at me like that! How the hell was I supposed to know?" Jiraiya yelled back.

"A Hyuuga can't be a hooker!" retorted Naruto, looking up at the face of his teacher.

"You can't say that for sure, Naruto." The sennin replied wisely, subconsciously rubbing his unattended three-day beard.

"She's a minor…" hissed the blond lividly, patience wearing off way to quickly.

"Well, she looks older with that pair of tits." Refuted Jiraiya hotly, trying to defend his innocence. As soon as he finished speaking he regretted his words instantly. Naruto had become very silent, and that was never a good thing. Hinata stood behind him, not knowing how to react at the older man's words; her face red face seemed to glow even in the light of the room.

"Out." The blond said very slowly, head bowed and hair shadowing his eyes. It might have been Hinata's imagination but the aura around Naruto had darkened dangerously; she even felt colder as she stood beside him.

"What?" The older man replied, incredulous.

"Get out of my apartment." Naruto seethed, raising his head and glaring daggers at him. His face was flushed with anger, and he was bearing his teeth to the other man in the room. Hinata, although wanting to intercede, didn't dare speak a word.

"Where am I supposed to go?"

"I don't care." Fumed the blond, pointing at his open door.

"But-"

"Jiraiya, I swear to God!"

"FINE!" yelled the white-haired man, stomping his way out. "I don't need this teenage drama!"

Hinata and Naruto watched silently as the pervert took his leave. Just as they thought he was gone, Jiraiya poked his head around the door-frame.

"Is it okay if I go to the whorehouse now?" he piped up, wanting to keep pushing Naruto's buttons even further. Naruto didn't answer. Instead, the spiked-haired Uzumaki closed the door after him.

"Fucking pervert!" bristled the blond to the door, hoping Jiraiya could still hear him. Hinata watched his strained back hesitantly, deciding on what to do next. Just as she found the courage to speak, the blond cut her off.

"Hinata, I'm so sorry." Naruto finally turned to her. "I should've recognized you as soon as I saw you but-" the blond groaned out loud, taking his hands to his head a tugging dramatically.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun." The girl called awkwardly from the other side of the living room, trying to get him to stop pulling at his hair.

"And I called you a hooker! God!" To hide his embarrassed face, the blond took his hand and clutched at his temples tiredly. "I'm so sorry."

Although this first encounter wasn't at all what she had expected, the Hyuuga couldn't help but to let her mouth morph into a smile as she looked at the young man muttering death threats to his teacher. The sixteen-year-old Hinata had spend most of her days imaging how would Naruto turned out to be once he came back; she was pleasantly surprised that her childhood crush's personality hadn't change much, as far as she could tell.

Granted, he was a good head taller than her and his face had shed all the baby fat it held, but she felt he still conserved his funny and considerate traits she remembered him to have.

"I can't believe he talked about your breasts like that!" breathed the jinchuriki, mortified.

Hinata, tired of listening to him repeating himself, walked up to him. Naruto was too focused on Jiraiya's unbelievable behavior to notice her approach.

"I don't even want to think what he might've done if I hadn't-" The blond stopped his monologue as soon as he felt a weight pressing on his chest. He looked down to see indigo-colored hair blocking his view of Hinata, who had just latched herself onto his torso.

"Hin?" he asked, feeling a grin starting to appear on his face.

The Hyuuga's breath hitched on her throat as she listened to her old nickname again. It had been three long years since she had been called that.

"I'm glad you're finally back." The long-haired heiress finally confessed, after a couple of seconds. Her ears perked at the sound of his soft chuckle.

"Missed me?" Naruto asked, placing his own arms around her petite frame. His smile grew even more as he felt her head moving up and down against his lower neck.

The girl held onto him firmly, as if fearing he might disappear for another three years if she let go of him.

'You have no idea, Naruto-kun.'

Author's section

( Built to last – Sick of It All)

First chapter done! Really fun to write… Let's just see where this will lead.

I'd like to hear what you've got to say about the story and the chapter, so review if you want to share your opinions.

Since my chapters are somewhat long, it will take some time to update.

Thanks for reading!

- Patty